On the coast north of Whyalla is the Point Lowly Peninsula with its lighthouse.
Back in the 1970s it was something of an adventure to get to the excellent beaches and sand hills there on the unmade road. The army had had a training area there for many years, and as the September 1975 cartoon below shows, maintenance of the road was an issue.Another idea from 1977 was a causeway in the area linking both sides of the gulf.Ironically, it was only when the area came in for some interest from industry that the road was improved.The first industry to be located at Point Lowly was the SANTOS plant which took over one of the more popular beaches in the area until then dominated by shacks.Development of the Point Lowly area continued apace, with the Giant Cuttlefish and their annual aggregation being only a recently discovered tourist attraction. As always the issue was that development – either tourist or industrial might endanger the cuttlefish.The Point Lowly lighthouse is a Whyalla icon, although it was a surprise to many people when a new light was needed with the cost being a cool $7000. At the time energy efficiency was all the rage.A new industry grew up with divers from all over the world coming to swim with the cuttlefish, especially when they were indulging in their annual aggregationAs well as industrial activity on land, the waters off Point Lowly were also being used for the aquaculture industry, something which came with its own set of problems for the ecology of the area.The area around the peninsula was also coming in for attention from the military who wanted to greatly expand their training area around Cultana.A new industry grew up with divers from all over the world coming to swim with the cuttlefish, especially when they were indulging in their annual aggregation.This 2008 cartoon brings together two issues of the time. There was in early 2008, as part of Whyalla’s boom, a great deal of new industry proposed for the Point Lowly area. A new jetty was being looked at for the export of iron ore as well as a diesel refinery and a water desalination plant, which many people thought might raise the overall salt level in the already saline waters of the upper Spencer Gulf. All in all it seemed that the newly discovered and embraced cuttlefish might be under increased threat. This I linked to a suggestion for sculptures to be placed in the main street of Whyalla.
This is the home page of Whyalla artist Stephen Stanley. If you’ve lived in Whyalla in the past or are a current resident, the editorial cartoons on this website will be of great interest to you, as they record almost all of the significant (or just amusing) events that have happened in Whyalla since the early 1970s.
This site is a humorous snapshot of the history of Whyalla, seen through the eyes of the local editorial cartoonist. Browse and enjoy!
Stan Cartoons Archive 