Top 15 Must-See Attractions in Port Pirie, Australia

Ranked among Australia’s key industrial hubs, the South Australian city of Port Pirie hosts one of the world’s largest smelting operations.

Since the 1880s, silver-lead-zinc ore extracted in Broken Hill, NSW, has traversed hundreds of kilometers across the outback to be processed in Port Pirie and subsequently exported.

While smelting constitutes a vital part of Port Pirie’s economy, there exists a wealth of additional attractions for visitors to explore.

The waterfront along Port Pirie Creek has undergone considerable renovation in recent years, featuring green spaces with views of the Flinders Ranges, a beach, and playgrounds for children.

Outdoor enthusiasts can venture into the ranges at Mount Remarkable National Park or delve into Port Pirie’s industrial, artistic, and natural heritage through a variety of museums and galleries.

1. Port Pirie Regional Tourism & Arts Centre

The ideal commencement point for any exploration of Port Pirie is this versatile attraction located at the former site of the Mary Ellie Street railway station. It encompasses a visitor information centre, a city library, a regional art gallery, and numerous activities suitable for families.

A noteworthy exhibit features great white sharks, which are endemic to the Southern Ocean, with one highlight being Shakka the shark, an accurate representation of a 5.5-meter great white that became ensnared in fishing nets and was brought to shore in Germein Bay.

Visitors can also experience a virtual encounter with a great white through a Virtual Reality Shake Cage Dive.

For a more leisurely activity, enjoy a ride on the Port Pirie Express, a miniature railway operating on the first and third Sundays of each month and Wednesdays during school breaks.

2. Port Pirie National Trust Museum

Among several historic edifices lining Ellen Street, the elegant Ellen Street Station, completed in the Victorian Pavilion style in 1902, stands out. Serving as Port Pirie’s primary passenger terminal until 1967, it has since been preserved as the National Trust Museum.

This location is essential for those interested in Port Pirie’s industrial and railway heritage, alongside natural history specimens that offer insight into daily life throughout the years.

Visitors can ascend to the top of the station’s tower and explore a vintage narrow-gauge shunting engine that once operated on the line to Broken Hill.

Additionally, natural history exhibits showcase megafauna that roamed the Mid North Area, including the bones of a Diprotodon, a relative of the wombat, which stood two meters tall.

3. Port Pirie Regional Art Gallery

Located within the Visitor Information Centre complex, the regional art gallery opened its doors in 1992 and prioritizes the work of South Australian artists.

Originally housed in the old Mary Ellie Street railway station building (now the library), the gallery was given a dedicated space in 1994 with the establishment of the Regional Tourism & Arts Centre.

In addition to showcasing prominent South Australian artists, the gallery features regular touring exhibitions from leading cultural institutions across the country and organizes community displays, providing opportunities for emerging artists from the Mid North.

4. Solomontown Beach (Port Pirie Beach)

To the east of Port Pirie’s grain silos, adjacent to the intriguingly named Bridge to Nowhere, lies one of the city’s most picturesque waterfront locales.

This area features a sandy beach and a jetty that extends into the creek, complete with ladders for swimmers.

For those who prefer not to swim in Port Pirie Creek, there are ample opportunities to unwind on the beach or the grassy foreshore, which includes a playground for young children, a skate park, a covered pavilion, and barbecue amenities.

This locale is particularly charming at sunset when visitors can enjoy the sight of the sun setting beyond the silos and smelter.

5. Mount Remarkable National Park

The Flinders Ranges can be viewed from Port Pirie’s waterfront, and for those desiring to explore this splendid mountainous region, Mount Remarkable National Park is an excellent starting point.

The park is divided into three segments, with the namesake peak located approximately 45 minutes north of Port Pirie, while the Mambray Creek section is situated just 15 minutes northeast of the city by road.

Visitors can opt to rent a cabin or embark on the 2.4-kilometer Davey’s Gully Hike, which offers spectacular views to the west and overlooks Spencer Gulf.

Entomology enthusiasts should keep an eye out for Mitchell’s diurnal cockroach, while the park is also home to an impressive variety of avifauna, with over 110 recorded species.

In the park’s northern sections, guests can discover denser eucalyptus forests and striking formations such as Alligator Gorge.

Along the trails around the gorge, one might observe kangaroos, kookaburras, or emus.

6. Port Pirie Molfettesi Fishing Boat Museum

This intimate museum is situated on the waterfront and celebrates the Italian fishing community that immigrated to Port Pirie from Molfetta, Puglia, at the conclusion of the 19th century.

The museum’s highlight is a meticulously restored plank-hulled fishing boat named Elizabeth, constructed in the early 20th century.

Positioned where the fishermen once launched their boats, the museum elaborates on how the early Italian migrants learned fishing techniques from the local indigenous Nukunu people.

Even when closed, visitors can admire Elizabeth through the glass from the waterfront.

7. Flinders View Park

Nestled beneath the towering grain silos along the waterfront in Port Pirie lies a charming park, always well-maintained.

As implied by its name, the park’s primary asset is its breathtaking view to the north and northeast of the Flinders Ranges.

As part of an ongoing initiative to enhance Port Pirie’s foreshore, Flinders View Park has undergone several upgrades recently, acquiring new furniture, flooring, and equipment for the covered areas, along with a shelter and barbecue facilities.

8. Heritage Rail Trail

Port Pirie marks the western terminus of a 395-kilometer trail leading to the outback and the frontier mining town of Broken Hill.

The Heritage Rail Trail recounts the story of Port Pirie’s growth during the late 19th century and the industries sustaining the city today.

It stops at 15 towns and traces the narrow gauge railway line from Broken Hill to Port Pirie, constructed in the 1880s to facilitate the transport of the newly discovered silver-lead-zinc mineral wealth to a harbor.

This line was eventually superseded by a standard gauge railway, leading to the establishment of this self-guided driving trail along the original route in the 2010s.

A highlight of this journey includes a stop at Peterborough, where extensive steam heritage is preserved at the Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre.

Throughout the journey, the complimentary “Daytrippa” phone application effectively displays historical insights while indicating present-day heritage sites.

9. Port Pirie Aquatic & Leisure Centre

In 2019, this facility reopened as part of the new Port Pirie Sports Precinct, encompassing amenities for a range of sports including cricket, squash, gymnastics, and Aussie rules football.

The Aquatic & Leisure Centre’s architecture is inspired by the profile of the Flinders Ranges and features an indoor pool, along with an indoor splash park designed for children.

Outdoors, there is a heated 50-meter pool and a smaller, shallow pool appropriate for learners and toddlers.

The outdoor swimming area extends its hours until 20:00 on days when temperatures exceed 32°C.

10. Port Pirie RSL Museum

The local Returned Services League Club in Port Pirie has curated an impressive exhibition that premiered to the public in 2009. This presentation includes a dedicated section for each conflict from the Second Boer War (1899-1902) to modern operations in Afghanistan.

In each display, a comprehensive summary is provided, accompanied by personal anecdotes and a plethora of authentic artifacts, including field packs, uniforms, and weapons.

The museum features multimedia kiosks that grant access to a wealth of video footage, audio recordings, and historical photographs, along with a preserved Bell UH-1 Iroquois “Huey” helicopter.

11. Memorial Park

The city’s principal urban park is an expansive area of manicured lawns and mature trees located just west of the Central Business District.

Memorial Park was revitalized in 2020, receiving new landscaping, furnishings, a shelter, and LED lighting.

This park hosts various outdoor events throughout the year, including Christmas festivities, community picnics, and the Lealholme Annual Fete in September, which raises funds for elderly care.

The park’s centerpiece is the historic rotunda, which has graced the area since the turn of the century.

12. Northern Festival Centre

On the eastern side of Memorial Park lies the Northern Festival Centre, a multi-purpose arts venue in Port Pirie.

The theatre within the center bears the name of recognized stage and television actor Keith Michell (1926-2015), who was raised in Port Pirie.

This overview was composed at the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic in 2020. Normally, the Northern Festival Centre offers a diverse array of performances, including theatre, comedy, live music, dance, cabaret, children’s events, community showcases, and workshops.

The theatre additionally functions as a cinema, screening the latest Hollywood releases as well as recordings of significant ballet, theatre, and opera performances.

13. Port Pirie to Napperby Cycle Trail

Spanning just over ten kilometers, this signposted trail leads east into the picturesque landscapes of the Southern Flinders Ranges.

The endpoint of this trail is the tranquil township of Napperby, located near the southernmost section of Mount Remarkable National Park.

Although primarily designed for mountain biking, extensive sections of the trail are accessible to hikers as well.

This trail forms part of a vast network of routes into the Flinders Ranges and stands out for being conveniently located at the city’s edge.

The terrain is predominantly flat, offering stunning mountainous vistas. At a leisurely pace, the journey can be completed in approximately three hours, one way.

14. Port Pirie Airport

The aerodrome located just south of Port Pirie possesses a remarkable history, having served as an RAAF station during World War II.

During that period, it hosted the No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School (later renamed No. 3 Air Observers School), which trained pilots, air observers, and gunners in bombing and gunnery maneuvers.

Immediately following the war, the site transitioned to a storage depot for aircraft and components, with several Fairey Battle light bombers known to be buried on-site.

Port Pirie Airport continues to accommodate light aircraft, and to honor the individuals who trained at the base during the war, there exists a small yet intriguing display recounting the airport’s military legacy.

15. Nyrstar Port Pirie Smelter

Although it is not precisely a tourist destination, the massive smelter located on the west bank of Port Pirie Creek garners significant interest, especially as it is the largest employer in the region.

This city has maintained a smelting operation for over 130 years, with the current facility, managed by the global multi-metals corporation Nyrstar, being one of the largest in the world for primary lead production and the third-largest silver producer.

Additionally, this extensive refinery produces gold doré, copper cathodes, and sulfuric acid.

The towering structures of the smelter are visible for miles, and a compelling perspective of the facility can be gained by crossing the creek on the “Bridge to Nowhere” and walking along the riverfront track on the east bank.