Barmera, with its ideal location on the shores of Lake Bonney, is one of South Australia's most popular aquatic playgrounds.
Throughout the year the town comes alive for many festivals and events. The Barmera 5RM Main Street Markets held once a month from February to April and October to December are no exception - you can try and buy local produce, arts and crafts.
Barmera has a range of accommodation including hotel, motels, country club, lakeside caravan parks, a backpacker hostel, bed & breakfast, self-contained cottages and numerous lakeside camping sites.
Barmera was named after the Barmera Aboriginal people that lived on the shores of Lake Bonney. The lake itself was named after Charles Bonney who saw it on the first overland trek from Sydney to Adelaide in 1838.
Things to do and see:
On and around Lake Bonney
Lake Bonney – full, fun and fantastic. In summer there are boats everywhere. The Yacht Club runs weekly races that 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. To help you enjoy your time in Barmera kayaks, golf clubs, jet skis and tandem bikes are available for hire – enquire at the visitor information centre. There is also a free putt golf course and skate park adjacent to the lake.
Country Music Hall of Fame
A family-oriented town, Barmera boasts a Country Music Hall of Fame that displays extensive memorabilia. In June of each year the town hosts an important annual country music festival attended by people from all over Australia.
Wine, Dine and Produce
Dine overlooking the lake, golf course, vineyards or even a plant nursery at the Highway Fern Haven. Barmera offers diverse dining experiences and boutique wine tasting.
Lakeside Drive-In Cinema
Take the family out for the night to one of the few remaining drive-ins in South Australia. Current releases screen each weekend.
Napper’s Ruins
Located on the north side of Lake Bonney, Napper’s Ruins once stood strong as a hotel built for former workers of Cobdogla Station. It was originally called Lake Bonney Hotel and consisted of 11 rooms that included a well stocked bar and an eating room that could cater for 12 people. This room was occasionally used as a dance room. The hotel is now nothing more than ruins and includes interpretive information around the site.
Historic Overland Corner Hotel and Walk
The historic Overland Corner Hotel, 18 kilometres north of Barmera, (off the Morgan road B64) is now both pub and museum. John Chambers commissioned the hotel in the 1850s and it was a refreshment point for weary travellers (especially overland drovers) 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 Aboriginal heritage of the area and features an ochre quarry with fossils.
Heritage Tours
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 WWII 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.
Barmera Travel and Visitor Information Centre:
Barwell Avenue, Barmera
Telephone: 08 8588 2289
Email: barmeravic@bigpond.com
Website: www.berribarmera.sa.gov.au
