A small National Trust museum on Willunga's historic High Street dedicated to the 19th-century slate quarries that roofed half of South Australia. Entry is free and the galleries are packed with original tools, photographs and local stories.
Where Willunga's fortune was quarried
The Slate Museum sits inside the old courthouse and police station complex at 61 High Street, run by the Willunga branch of the National Trust. Willunga slate was exported from nearby Port Willunga to Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney from the 1840s, and the museum tells that story through quarrymen's tools, split-slate samples, early photographs and the ledger books of the long-vanished Delabole village.
What visitors do
Expect a relaxed browse of a single, densely packed room, with volunteers on hand to point out curiosities like the splitting hammers, original company maps and a hand-powered hoist. The museum shares its site (and opening times) with the Willunga Courthouse Museum, so a single visit covers two collections. Free guided group tours, including mock trials in the courthouse next door, can be arranged for clubs of 10 or more.
Practical notes
The museum opens on the first Saturday and third Sunday of each month from 1pm to 4pm, with extended hours during Heritage Festival. It closes over winter (June, July, August). Entry is free, donations welcome. Street parking is easy on High Street and it is a short walk from the Saturday farmers market.
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Sources
- Willunga Slate Museum - official source - willungantsa.au (accessed April 2026)
Image credits
- Willunga Courthouse & Slate Museum by South Australian History Network , CC0 / Public Domain via Flickr