Gladstone - Fast Facts

Gladstone
Wheat service town with historic gaol
Located 209 km north of Adelaide, Gladstone is a medium-sized service town in an area dominated by wheat and sheep. Even today the town boasts the largest grain silos in South Australia.

The first Europeans into the area took up the 'Booyoolie (sometimes spelt 'Booyoolee') Run' in 1851 - some of the original buildings dating from this period are still standing. It wasn't until 1871 that the town was formally surveyed and the name Gladstone (an honour to the British Prime Minister William Gladstone) was given to the new settlement. This resulted in the strange situation where there were two tiny settlements - Booyoolie and Gladstone until the 1940s when they finally agreed to accept Gladstone as the term to apply to both of them.

The town developed rapidly with the arrival of the railway in 1877. It was built to ship wheat from the town's grain silos to Port Pirie. Today trains still use the line but the largest use is for the transportation of lead and zinc from Broken Hill to Port Pirie.

The appeal of the town lies in its broad streets and substantial buildings. The Commercial Hotel which dates from 1878 and has some particularly attractive lattice work, the Gladstone Hotel offers accommodation and the most impressive buildings in town are the bank buildings which dominate the street beside the railway line.

The famous Australian poet, C. J. Dennis, lived in the town as a child. His father ran the local hotel and Dennis attended the local primary school.

Things to see:

The Gladstone Gaol
The town's main attraction is Gladstone Gaol, located in Park Terrace at the northern end of town, which was built between 1879-81 at a cost of £21,640. The slate was quarried at Mintaro and transported by bullock draying. It was originally used for 'inebriates and debtors'. It was never a large gaol and from the time of its opening until the 1920s it never housed more than 20 prisoners. From its earliest days it was always a gaol for both men and women. During World War II it was used as an internment camp for Italians and Germans. After 1943 it remained unused until 1953 when it became a corrective training complex for 18-25-year-old offenders. It was reasonably secure. There were only 20 escapes in the gaol's 100 year history. It was eventually closed down in 1975 and opened to visitors in 1978. It is open now for inspection and for backpacker accommodation. Open weekends and public holidays from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.; weekdays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Contact (08) 8662 2200 for details.

Railway Yards
Train spotters come to Gladstone to see one of the wonders of the railway world. It is here that three railway gauges - the narrow, standard and broad gauge - all meet. At the railway yards it is possible to see the three gauges beside each other.