Now a busy street and wharf, you are standing on what was once the high tide water mark of a shallow tidal creek that was difficult to navigate. Dredging deepened the harbour and produced the soil to backfill this area. Called Tarparrie by the traditional owners, it was named Samuel’s Creek from the mid-1840s and following the 1871 survey, the new town took its name from the ship called the John Pirie – credited with taking the first load of wool from nearby pastoral stations.
Port Pirie was destined to become a large wheat port and transport hub. It was the preferred location for the receival, processing and dispatch of the silver, lead and zinc mined in the Barrier Ranges and carried via the railway line from Broken Hill. Social and economic prosperity has ebbed and flowed through droughts and strikes, war and downturn but this resilient city remains a significant port, processor of ore and a vibrant and culturally diverse community.