Port Wakefield
SA 5550 • South Australia
About Port Wakefield
Port Wakefield (formerly known as Port Henry) is a small historic town at the mouth of the Wakefield River on the shores of Gulf St Vincent, approximately 99 kilometres north-west of Adelaide via the Augusta Highway. Administered by the Wakefield Regional Council, the locality covers a large area of 143 square kilometres and recorded a population of 661 at the 2021 Census. Once an important coastal port used for wool and grain shipping in the nineteenth century, the town today serves primarily as a highway service stop and rural service centre for the surrounding wheat and grazing district.
Port Wakefield is well known to South Australian travellers as a key fuel and rest stop on the main highway route north toward Port Augusta, Clare, and the outback. The town has a pub, a roadhouse, and basic local amenities, with the surrounding tidal flats and Gulf St Vincent coastline offering opportunities for fishing and birdwatching. The surrounding district is characterised by wheat farming, sheep grazing, and saltmarsh landscapes typical of the lower Yorke Peninsula region. Those seeking affordable rural living with relatively easy highway access to Adelaide will find Port Wakefield an appealing, unhurried alternative.
Port Wakefield falls under postcode 5550 and is governed by the local council Council (LGA). For state elections, residents vote in the Narungga electorate.
Location
Transport & Commute
Bus Services
- Regional coach services — Adelaide CBD (Central Bus Station) ~1 hr 15 min
Commute to Adelaide CBD
🛣️ Direct access via Augusta Highway (A1); well-signed highway corridor to Adelaide
Port Wakefield has a handful of local services but a car is essential for nearly all daily needs
Supermarkets Nearby
No major supermarkets listed for this suburb.
Schools
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22 Mine Street