ATTRACTIONS LARGS BAY SA

Close to the sea, in Port Adelaide’s historic heart, is the South Australian Maritime Museum.
The Museum opened in 1986 to be acclaimed as one of the finest maritime museums in the world. Since that time well over 1,000,000 people have visited and the Museum has earned its place as one of this state’s great cultural icons.

Your experience begins at the Bond Stores, home to the Museum’s exhibition galleries. In the 1850s these grand spaces were built to hold goods and cargo. Today, they offer a historical journey of revelation, exploration and stimulation. Our aim is to explore South Australia’s connections to the sea and water environments and to make it fun and interesting!

Take a journey into railway history at the National Railway Museum, Australia's largest railway museum with over 100 exhibits representing state, Commonwealth and private railway operators on the three major rail gauges used in Australia.
Climb into the cabs of giant steam engines, walk through elegant carriages and enjoy free train rides and educational displays. Open every day 10am - 5pm.
Or why not take a ride in the Semaphore and Fort Glanville Tourist Railway from October to April every day in the school holidays and on weekends.

The National Railway Museum....Affordable Family Entertainment.

The Enfield Heritage Museum is located within the two hectares of historic, tree studded Sunnybrae Farm. The museum extends over three of the farm's many buildings, the 1882 Machinery Shed, the 1883 Stables and the recently built 2001 Sunnybrae Farm Federation Pavilion. Town and country life in South Australia from the 1880's to more recent times is on display. The displays are educational, interesting and quite often humorous, ranging from blacksmiths to household items, typewriters to tradesmen's tools and leather harness to the corner store and bicycles to Gepps Cross Abattoirs Big Wheel, also carts, mowers, one ton butter churn. Hannaford seed pickler and selection of other farm machinery. On view is the world's first prototype colour copier. A photographic display depicts the first flight from England to Australia by Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith in the Vickers Vimy in 1919, which finally landed at Northfield Aerodrome. A nine-minute video of the actual flight can also be seen. Entry is a gold coin donation.

Historic home ‘Grange’ and exhibition gallery

The Grange is the former colonial residence of the renowned explorer Captain Charles Napier Sturt. It was built in 1840 in what was known as the “Reedbeds”.  After many years of neglect, the house was restored in the 1960s  to ensure that Sturt’s contribution to South Australia’s history was preserved. 

Sturt’s  most significant expedition, the 1829-30 journey to the mouth of the River Murray, played a major role in the establishment of South Australia.  The Grange was also the point of departure for Captain Sturt’s expedition into Central Australia in 1844-46 whereupon he reached within 280kms from the centre of Australia.

In 2004 an extensive gallery wing was developed to display significant artefacts belonging to Captain Sturt which include the Union Jacks carried on both Sturt’s major expeditions, Sturt’s  travelling wash stand, his telescope and the original Desert Peas collected on his return  journey from central Australia.  The Sturt Desert Pea became the State Flora Emblem.

The Grange is registered on the National Estate and the State Heritage List. The museum is a Registered Museum with HistorySA. 

A special feature for visitors is the Herbert Croker model of Sturt’s campsite on the Murrumbidgee River before the boats were assembled for the voyage down the River Murray.  The breathtaking model details with great precision all the elements of the campsite, from the construction of the whale boat with carpentry tools to tent accommodation, eating utensils and weaponry.

The museum offers guided tours of the ‘Grange’, interpretive displays accounting  the life and times of Sturt and a series of media displays which capture the essence of Sturt’s expeditions.

The Port Community Arts Centre was established in 1987 and is housed in the heritage Black Diamond Centre building at the corner of Commercial Road and St Vincent Streets, Port Adelaide, which is next door to the Visitor Information Centre. In the spirit of community, it is completely managed by volunteers, including artists and people with special skills. The facilities consist of a workshop with areas for artists and art classes of various kinds such as drawing, painting and ceramics. There is an art gallery for exhibitions and supporting office space. The Port Community Arts Centre's role is to provide a quality community cultural development and community arts program for the local community. Enrich and celebrate the community culture of the Port Adelaide area by involving and responding to the local community in the activities and projects that the Arts Centre undertakes. Promote accessibility of these activities to all sectors of the community.

Full size nine hole golf course and recreation area, with playground facilities, skate park and toilets. The golf course has rental equipment including golf carts and tuition is available with Gary Masters who is a Class AAA teaching professional. They can accommodate package deals and social groups and have a fully licensed tavern with poker machines and first class meals.

Catch a birds eye view of South Australia's Aviation Museum from bi-planes to space rockets from the mezzanine art gallery inside the Pentad Royal Naval Fleet Air Arm Hanger. Take the controls of the Aero Commander, activate the Lincoln Bomber propeller, climb aboard the Dakota C47 and see the classic Spitfire and more aircraft. Learn about South Australia's rich aviation history with the memorabilia displays. Browse in the museum shop with something for young and old. Listen to the purr of the Merlin Engine and seven other radial engines from the First and Second World Wars during the museums tri annual engine runs.

Indoor Skirmish Paintball Sports is exactly what you have been waiting for, the ultimate adrenalin rush game. Your heart is pounding, the adrenalin is flowing like mad, your hands are sweating, the siren goes off and the music starts to pound. You run like crazy to the first barricade and stop, your heart is still pounding like crazy and you look around, suddenly you see someone moving toward you. You pop up and go to take a shot and thump, all you see through your mask is pink, you have been tagged. You are temporarily out. That's Australia's only Indoor Skirmish, the most exciting game. The urban battlefield is a setting of nightmares; a vast cavernous expanse filled with sandbag bunkers, 44-gallon drums and gutted car bodies. Open seven days a week, session times are 10am, 1pm, 4pm and 7.30pm and bookings are essential.

Situated on the sand belt at West Lakes, the West Lakes Golf Club provides a quality 18 hole golf course with excellent greens and is playable in all weather conditions. Many changes and improvements have been made over the years, including a redesign of the course completed early in 2002 resulting in a tight and challenging Par 70 layout of 5508 metres. The function room offers superb views of the course and with courteous clubhouse and pro shop staff, the West Lakes Golf Club is a unique golf and social environment to be enjoyed by both members and visitors.

Built by the Port Adelaide Enfield and Charles Sturt Councils in 1992, and operated by the National Railway Museum volunteers, its specially designed steam locomotive Bill hauls carriages along the two kilometre coastal route from the Semaphore Jetty to Fort Glanville and the nearby Caravan Park – primarily in summer months (see website for details). A return journey takes approximately 30 minutes, and trains depart from Semaphore Jetty station approx. each hour.  This time may be reduced depending on demand. The service does not operate during days of total fire bans or when the temperature is forecast 35 degrees and over. 

Fort Glanville is one of the most complete examples of a 19th Century coastal artillery fort in Australia. Overlooking Semaphore Beach, the fort was built in 1880 to defend Adelaide and the important shipping area of Port Adelaide. Armed with military personnel, cannons, guns, a guard room, barracks, gunners mess, officers quarters and stores, Fort Glanville was ready should an invasion occur. Luckily, the invasion never came. Come to one of Fort Glanville's monthly open days and witness a fantastic live re-enactment of military dress, drills and cannon firing by members of the Fort Glanville Historical Association. Open days are held on the third Sunday of each month from 1pm - 5pm from September to May when 1800s military life is recreated. The fort is open for group visits (minimum 25 persons) by arrangement.