Things to see and do
1 Robe Customs House
Robe Customs House is at the Royal Circus, a roundabout encircling a sand hill that was a focal point for the original town. Erected in 1863 as the office of the Harbour Master and Receiver of Wrecks, the customs house was built of limestone with brick quoins, on a five-sided block with a panoramic view of Guichen Bay. Now owned by the National Trust, it is Robe’s Nautical Museum and contains much information and many artefacts about the Port of Robe. For more information and opening times contact the Robe Visitor Information Centre.
2 Chinese Memorial
On the Guichen Bay shore below the
Royal Circus is a simple monument to the Chinese: “During the years 1856–1858 16,500 Chinese landed near this spot and walked 200 miles to the Victorian Goldfields in search of gold.”
3 Monument to Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin
In the centre of the Royal Circus is a plinth supporting busts of Matthew Flinders and Nicolas Baudin. It celebrates the 1802 survey of the SA coast by one of the great English navigators of the 18th and 19th centuries, Captain Matthew Flinders, and the French naval expedition, led by Captain Nicolas Baudin. The sign there records: “Capt. Matthew Flinders, R.N. 1774–1814; Sub Lieutenant Nicolas Baudin 1754–1803. Flinders & Baudin both engaged in scientific and survey work, had an unexpected meeting at Encounter Bay in 1802. The islands visible to the north are named Baudin Rocks. Guichen Bay was also named after the French Admiral De Guichen.”
4 Our Lady Star of the Sea
Located in Hagen Street, Our Lady Star of the Sea is famous for its connection with Saint Mary MacKillop. Between 1867 and 1888 the Sisters of St Joseph, a teaching order founded by MacKillop, ran a school for parish children in two rooms attached to the church. Mary MacKillop visited the school regularly. Some observers have noted that the simplicity of the church reflects the poverty of local Catholic worshippers at the time it was built, many of whom were Irish servants and labourers.
5 Obelisk on Cape Dombey
Standing 12.1m tall and 30.4m above sea level, the Obelisk at Cape Dombey, east of the town, is currently fenced off because erosion has made the limestone cliffs here dangerous. The old sign explains the Obelisk was “built in 1855 by local builder George Shivas at a cost of £230, the limestone was carted to the site by a 32-bullock wagon team… In 1862 the Obelisk was painted in alternate red and white horizontal bands and it can now be seen from a distance of 20 kilometres on a clear day.”
Since 1988 Bruce Elder has travelled to every town in Australia. He has written more than 10 travel books including the Globetrotter Guides to Australia, Sydney and Queensland; 1015 Things to See and Do in Australia; and Explore Queensland and Explore NSW.
He worked as a full-time travel writer with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age from
1996 to 2012. aussietowns.com.au