Visit Lake Hamilton Eating House, Kimba, South Australia

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Lake Hamilton on Eyre Peninsula was named by Edward John Eyre on his explorations in 1840. The 10 kilometre long lake was named by him after George Hamilton the Police Commissioner of South Australia at that time. Lake Hamilton station covered around 2134 square miles. Maurice Price acquired the station early on in the 1850s and he also purchased Sheringa and Malachee. The old station complex of homestead, outbuildings, sheds, store mess hut etc is now on the SA Heritage Register. There were many local Aboriginal people on Price Maurice’s leasehold and he also employed some Chinese workmen. One is known to have married a local Aboriginal woman thus giving the Chinese name of Archay to some Eyre Peninsula Aboriginal people. Near the old Eating House which was a sort of unlicensed inn or hotel is a small cemetery with a memorial to the pioneers of the district. It was gazetted in 1925 but could contain graves from the old Lake Hamilton sheep run era. The old Eating House at Lake Hamilton was built around 1855-57 when Price Maurice had the leasehold of Lake Hamilton sheep station. The inn was used into the 1880s. It was restored by the Port Lincoln Caledonian Society in 1972. The government resumed the leasehold runs like Lake Hamilton station in 1879 when the Hundred of Kiana was declared. Farmers began to move into the district around Lake Hamilton from around 1880. Kiana is a local aboriginal word and it was selected by Governor Jervois.

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