The best things to do in Whyalla, South Australia

The best things to do in Whyalla, South Australia, include steelworks tours and the Mt Laura Homestead. For other Whyalla attractions, look at the Whyalla Maritime Museum and HMAS Whyalla.

5 best things to do in Whyalla, South Australia

The best things to do in Whyalla are:

Take a tour of the enormous Whyalla Steelworks.
Watch dolphins from the Whyalla Jetty.
See the Spencer Gulf from the Hummock Hill Lookout.
Learn about local history at the Whyalla Maritime Museum.
Take a ship tour aboard the HMAS Whyalla.

Where is Whyalla, South Australia?

If you’re driving from Adelaide to Port Lincoln at the southern tip of the Eyre Peninsula, you’re likely to pass through South Australian town Whyalla. By some measurements, Whyalla is the second largest city in South Australia. That’s despite just over 21,000 people living there. South Australia is huge, but almost everyone lives in Adelaide.

If planning to stop in Whyalla, though, don’t be under any illusion that it’s an attractive place. It’s in dry, dusty outback South Australia, above Goyder’s Line. This place probably wouldn’t exist if it wasn’t for the mining industry and steelworks, and Whyalla attractions are thin on the ground.

What to do in Whyalla, SA: Steelworks tours

The tours of the Whyalla Steelworks are top of the list of things to do in Whyalla. They’re bookable through the Whyalla Information Centre, and are weirdly appealing to anyone with an interest in industrial heritage.

Otherwise, it’s fairly slim pickings in terms of Whyalla attractions. The city is very much geared to mining and steelworkers, as you’ll notice from the high-vis clothing in Whyalla hotels. But that’s not to say there’s nothing to keep you occupied.

Head down to the marina and there’s a good chance of seeing dolphins frolicking around in the water near Whyalla Jetty. There are also appealing views of the Spencer Gulf available from the Hummock Hill Lookout or Flinders and Freycinet Lookout.

Things to do in Whyalla, SA: Mt Laura Homestead

Another option is the worthy, but rather dull Mt Laura Homestead. This National Trust building in the centre of Whyalla was constructed as part of Mt Laura Station, back before steel took over from sheep. The museum hosts a 1902 steam locomotive that hauled iron ore from the mine at Iron Knob. There are also displays on blacksmithery, telecommunications and agricultural implements. There’s also a small rose garden outside.

More nourishing is the Whyalla Maritime Museum, next to the Visitor Information Centre on the Lincoln Highway. This is very much an old school museum, lacking in computer-generated trickery and interactive gadgets. The first section on World War II is testingly dull. But this is followed by a more interesting exhibition on local Aboriginal culture. It tells the story of how the Barngarla, Adnyamathanha and Kokatha men would stand on the rocks and sing to the sharks. The sharks would then gather in schools of fish and drive them towards the beach where they were easier to catch.

HMAS Whyalla next to the Whyalla Maritime Museum in South Australia — The HMAS Whyalla is connected to the Whyalla Maritime Museum – one of the best things to do in Whyalla, South Australia.

Things to do in Whyalla, SA: HMAS Whyalla tours

Connected to the Whyalla Maritime Museum is the HMAS Whyalla, the first ever ship built in the Whyalla shipyards. It can be visited on a tour booked via the Whyalla Information Centre.

Whyalla is by no means the most exciting destination in Australia, and the Whyalla weather can be furiously hot in summer. But there are just enough things to do in Whyalla to make this South Australian city worth considering on the way down to the shark dives, koala-spotting and oyster-tasting around Port Lincoln. If going along the Eyre Highway towards Western Australia instead, the next stop is Kimba, which hosts some impressive silo art.