Maitland

Situated a top of a ridge over looking the Spencer Gulf and Yorke Valley, Maitland is geographically the central town on Yorke Peninsula. Due to higher rainfall than other parts of the Yorke Peninsula, Maitland is surrounded by some of the best barley country in Australia. The town's layout was designed to be like Adelaide with plenty of parklands and straight streets, making it a very pretty town. Maitland does not swell much during the tourist seasons, possibly due to the fact that it is not based on the sea. It is however the main town servicing many of the beach towns, and is only a short distance (15 minutes) from both the East and West Coasts. Maitland has great community spirit with a number of events based around the town and is the base for the district football and netball.


Maitland Pub - Yorke Peninsula, South Australia

History

Named after the wife of the First Lord of Kilkerran in Scotland, Lady Jean Maitland, the town was proclaimed in 1872. Initially Maitland was known as Yorke Valley. The native Aborigines, the Narungga tribe, called it Madi Waltu, meaning 'White Flint' in reference to the White Limestone Cliffs. The Maitland Hotel was one of the first buildings built in 1874; initially it was only one storey high and used as the local community hall.

Story of interest

In the early days the licensees of hotels were required to use the hotel for other purposes than accommodation and the selling of liquor. Other uses include when there was no police station within two miles, it would receive corpses for the Coroner's inquest. The first police station was not built until 1879. Until the Courthouse was built in 1914 court cases were held in the Institute (The Maitland Hotel) and it would appear in some instances, in the parlour of the hotel.

Attractions

  • Historic walking trails, taking you around the town to see the old Heritage buildings
  • National Trust Museum, built in the former school it houses a collection, detailing the areas heritage and information on the Narungga People's history
  • Bicentennial Mural is a tapestry that took over 5,000 hours to complete. Made in 1988 to celebrate the bicentenary it has images of the history of the Maitland area
  • The Anglican Church on Carolina Street was first built in 1874, and rebuilt in 1976. It now contains stained glass windows showing the stories of the bible in Australian themes.
  • BMX track built by the local APEX club provides plenty of enjoyment
  • Garage Markets, open Thursday 10am-2pm in the Chatt Centre, offers a number of small shops and local crafts
  • Gregory's wines are the first and only commercial winery on the Yorke Peninsula. Gregory's wines are both red and white and are environmentally friendly
  • The Corner Gallery operated by artist Robert Landt, Bob prefers to paint landscapes and use watercolours

Events

  • The Maitland Show is held annually on the third Wednesday in March at the local showground. The show has community stalls, craft, plant and food stalls.
  • The Open Sheepdog trials are held in September of every year with novice, improver and open championship categories.

Town Facilities

  • Maitland IGA Supermarket, Phone: (08) 8832 2611
  • Chatt Centre, Phone: (08) 8832 2174
  • Aero club
  • Sporting facilities including Bowling Club, Golf Course, Netball & Tennis courts and Oval
  • Supermarket, Butcher & Newsagency
  • Coffee shop
  • Chatt Centre: email and internet facility, digital photo downloads and office services
  • Specialised shopping: electronics, fashion, toys
  • Garden centre
  • Hairdressers
  • Hospital & Pharmacy
  • Two Hotels

Nearest Visitor Information 

The Chatt Centre has some visitor information

Yorke Peninsula Visitor Information Centre
29 Main Street, Minlaton, 5575