Inneston Historic Township
The atmospheric ruins of a gypsum-mining town inside Innes, with restored cottages, a heritage walk and lakeside camping.
Tucked among the mallee in the heart of Innes National Park, Inneston is a ghost town with a story. Founded in the early 1900s around the gypsum deposits of the salt lakes, it once supported a community of hundreds, complete with a bakery, tennis courts and a school. When the mine closed in 1930, the town was abandoned almost overnight.
Today a self-guided heritage walk threads through the stone ruins, and several of the old cottages have been restored as heritage accommodation, letting you sleep inside the history. Interpretive signs map out where the factory, jetty tramway and workers' houses once stood.
The surrounding salt lakes shimmer pink and white in the right light, and the whole site has a quiet, weathered beauty. It is one of the most rewarding short walks in the park for anyone interested in how people once made a living from this remote corner of the state.
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Inneston Historic Township — frequently asked questions
What was Inneston?
Inneston was a gypsum-mining town founded in 1913 by William Innes, after whom Innes National Park is named. At its peak it had a population of around 500 people.
Why was Inneston abandoned?
Gypsum was mined at Inneston until 1930, when the Great Depression made the operation uneconomical. The town and surrounding land were later sold to the South Australian government and became part of Innes National Park.
Can you stay at Inneston?
Yes. Several of Inneston's historic buildings have been restored as accommodation, including the Post Office Lodge, Norfolk Lodge and the Shepherd's Hut, and a heritage walk explores the ruins.
Image credits
- Abandoned building at Inneston Historic Township South Australia.jpg by PotMart186 , CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons