Maybe the Eyre Peninsula hasn’t figured in your mind as a destination for art and culture – so this blog is to enlighten you!
Scattered across the region you’ll find art galleries, sculptures (both big and small), street art and of course the epic silo artworks.
You just have to know what you’re looking for!
First and foremost, we have to talk about Arts Ceduna at the Ceduna Arts & Cultural Centre.
The Eyre Peninsula has a rich Indigenous history, and this organisation sells artwork on behalf of over 135 artists from the Far West region.
You’ll find exhibitions and an amazing array of artworks available for purchase, as well as the occasional opportunity to watch local artists at work.
On the Lower Eyre Peninsula you’ll find Tumby Bay, a haven of gorgeous and unique street art.
You may have heard of Tumby Bay for their ‘Colour Tumby’ festival, when the town celebrates its arts scene by painting new murals about the town.
This is a great ‘find ‘em all’ activity, and it’s an excellent spot to add some colour to your Instagram feed.
Tumby Bay also boasts a huge mural on its silo, inspired by a local photographer’s work.
It’s worth spending at least a few hours exploring (this author has a few Instagram shots from here too).
If you head inland, you’ll find another spectacular silo mural – this time at Kimba.
Kimba’s mural represents the local area – a beautiful sunset, a field of wheat and a really cute kid.
It’s a pretty spectacular stop over, and absolutely worth taking some time to enjoy.
However it’s not the only piece of artwork Kimba has – if you take a walk to Whites Knob Lookout, which overlooks the town, you’ll find a statue of Edward John Eyre and the Indigenous tracker Whylie who helped him explore the region.
And you can also visit Workshop26, a disused tractor workshop on the town’s main street that has been turned into a haven for local makers and micro-businesses. Check Facebook for opening times.
A little west along the Eyre Highway you’ll reach Wudinna and the Australian Farmer statue.
In fact, you won’t be able to miss it – it’s right on the highway and huge!
Made of local granite, the statue symbolises the region’s farming history and is adorned with the names of families who settled in the area.
It’s also next door to the Visitor Information Centre, so you can stop in and get more information about the local area as well as admiring a stunning kangaroo ‘statue’ made of pieces of wood found in the area – no carving at all.
The artist is a local, and you can find more local artists’ work on display at the Wudinna Hall.
Finally, you can’t forget about the Nautilus Art Centre, in the heart of Port Lincoln.
It houses two galleries – the Walter Nicholls Memorial Gallery and the Rotary Gallery – as well as a gallery shop selling the work of local artists.
Open Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings, this little gem is the perfect place to explore after grabbing something delicious to eat along the beachfront.
Depending on the timing, you might even catch the local arts and crafts market.
Like we said, you may not have thought it – but there’s plenty of art to explore in our little corner of Australia.