Barmera Information

Barmera Information

Barmera, located on the shores of Lake Bonney, is one of South Australia’s most popular aquatic playgrounds.

In summer there are boats everywhere. The Yacht Club runs weekly races, which are a great spectacle to watch from the shore. Canoeists and other boaters enjoy great fishing and sightseeing on the lake and adjoining wetlands abound with wildlife. It’s a freshwater lake and is popular with water-skiers, windsurfers and jet ski enthusiasts, and has excellent safe swimming areas. Call into Barmera Disposals and Auto Mart for all your fishing and outdoor needs.

Barmera boasts a Country Music Hall of Fame, which includes extensive memorabilia. The town hosts an annual country music festival attended by people from all over Australia. The Barmera Mainstreet Market is held once a month from October to April.

You can also dine overlooking the lake, golf course or vineyards. And take the family to the Lakeside Drive-In, one of the few remaining drive-ins in South Australia.

Located on the north side of Lake Bonney, Napper’s Ruins once stood strong as a hotel built for former workers of the Cobdogla Station. The hotel is now includes an interpretive information around the site.

The historic Overland Corner Hotel, 18 kilometres north of Barmera is now both pub and museum. John Chambers commissioned the hotel in the 1850s and it was a refreshment point for weary travellers and locals. It’s still as popular today, so stop by, soak up the atmosphere - with a cool drink as a bonus. You might even see the resident ghost!

Explore the many different river environments, from the floodplain and billabongs to the limestone cliffs on the Overland Corner Walking Trail. This trail explores the European and indigenous heritage of the area and features an ochre quarry with fossils.

Discover the history of the town and its charming between-war architecture on the Barmera Heritage Walk. Another part of the area’s 20th century history is exposed at Loveday, site of a World War Two Prisoner Of War internment camp. While few original buildings remain, the roads and properties still mark the location. A map is available from local visitor information centres and guided tours can be booked to view the ruins.