Minlaton  South Australia

A thriving town serving a rich barley, wheat and grazing district and nearby Yorke Peninsula coastal resorts, Minlaton is 197km west of Adelaide. Because of the giant eucalyptus common to the district, the town was originally known as Gum Flat, but the name was subsequently changed to Minlaton by combining the Aboriginal word ‘minla’ (sweet) with ‘ton,’ the Middle English form of town. Aviation pioneer Harry Butler was Minlaton-born and his signature plane, the Red Devil, is the centrepiece of a Memorial Museum. A 1916 Bristol monoplane similar to those used by the Royal Flying Corps in World War I, it is one of the few left in the world. Minlaton’s other unusual features include the Gum Flat Homestead Gallery, which houses a collection of local paintings in a pioneer home, the Grainstores Galleries and Doll Museum. Sixteen kilometres to the north-west, the small coastal resort town of Port Rockaby and its safe swimming and fishing prospects is a popular family holiday destination.