Dawn at Streaky bay was spectacular. Up early for some photos and took in some of the historical walk to get the circulation going and hunt for a bakery.
We found fresh bread at a bakery just near a granite stone commemorating the site of the original post and telegraph station – more on this when we come to Eucla.
Streaky Bay itself was established as a town amazingly early in terms of Australia’s European history. It was recorded in the log of Dutchman Peter Nuyts in 1627 from the ship Golden Zeepard. Then 200 years later, Capt Mathew Flinders rediscovered and named the place ‘Streaky Bay’ from the reflections off the seaweed in the water during his mapping of the South Australian coastline from his ship, the ‘Investigator’. In 1839 Edward John Eyre – an early explorer – established a camp in the area, where he discovered fresh water in a local waterhole.
Just ten years later, Streaky Bay was operating a whaling station and by 1854 the area was opened up for agriculture. The town was originally called ‘Flinders’, and the name was officially changed to Streaky Bay in 1940.
Considering the hotel we stayed in was built in 1868 we felt a tangible connection to an early part of Australia’s European settlement. And the place is still popular today with the recreational fishing community.