HistoryWC

Across the Esplanade from the ruins of the homestead is a water hole which used to provide water for sheep. Ron Ward whose house is next to the water hole obtained water for his bathtub from it in the late 1980s. And the previous owners of Ron's house used the water for all household purposes. But nowadays with septic tanks installed nearby this would be risky to health.

Annual rainfall at Western Cove averages 17 inches (45 centimetres). Residents rely on rainwater channelled from roofs into rainwater tanks and supplemented during low-rainfall times by deliveries of water.

The area near the freshwater ponds where the Esplanade continues as a track through the Conservation Reserve, used to be popular for camping. People from Kingscote (and from further afield) used to park caravans there or set up tents. I once encountered Major Les Hiddins there, who in the 1980s starred in the ABC's "Bush Tucker Man" series. From 1995 I often jogged along the track (and returned via the beach) until it became too overgrown and blocked with fallen trees.

Sealink Travel Group began its service to Kangaroo Island in 1996 when South Australian investers purchased Kangaroo Island Sealink from a Malaysian company.

Sealink operates coaches and ferries that connect Western Cove with Adelaide in a 4-hour trip. It's 2 hours on a Sealink coach between Adelaide's Central Bus Station and Cape Jervois; one hour on the ferry between Cape Jervois and Penneshaw; and another hour between Penneshaw and Western Cove on the Sealink Shuttle Coach.

TOURISM

Tourists have been coming to Western Cove for decades. Some come for a brief look or a walk on the beach, others to camp among the trees above the beach, and others to stay with friends or relatives. Elsewhere on this website I mention a Douglas Davies of Melbourne who came nine times between 1998 and 2013.

Also available since about 2014 is holiday accommodation; at least three houses are available for hire. One is advertised on the Internet as "Highlight Hideaway".

By 2017 Western Cove had a resident population of about 50-60 making it the 8th or 9th largest settlement on Kangaroo Island.

The township mirrors the problems of the wider society. Since beginning my association with the area I've heard, over the decades, of property destruction, attempted break-ins, suicide, sexual abuse, sickness, relocation to aged-care, and deaths. One neighbor once said he was standing by his door when a bullet hit the door frame near his head!

On the positive side there is more interaction between neighbours and mutual assistance than occurs in city-suburbs and I've often received help of one sort or another. The 1990s saw occasions when the majority gathered or partied around large campfires at night but that doesn't happen now.

The community has also had a varied range of religious belief or non-belief I've met Assemblies of God, Uniting Church, Jehovah's Witness, Buddhist, agnostic and atheist.

The nearest shopping centre (which is also the Island's major shopping centre) is at Kingscote, 15-16km distant or 12-15 minutes by car. By boat it's about 8km across the bay and occasionally people do that. Ron Ward said he once went to church by boat.

NEWS

In February 2019 Western Cove made news on television and in newspapers, which it rarely does.

Paladin Group, a security company, was awarded $423 million in government contracts to provide security for refugees on Manus Island, although it lacked a telephone number and listed its headquarters as 134 Nepean Esplanade, which appeared vacant.

I knew the former owner at that address as Colin. He and his wife lived there for about 10 years after his retirement and then moved to Kingscote.

Google search reveals several companies with similar names such as Paladin Security Group with headquarters in Vancouver (Canada), and Paladin Group Australia which claims to have 4500 employees in the Asia-Pacific region, and is described as Australian-owned.

The Paladin Group awarded the contract seems also to be registered as a P.O. box in Singapore.

For further information see:

https://www.theislanderonline.com.au/story/5904899/the-ki-connection-that-shack-at-western-cove/

https:/www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-18/paladin-security-contracts-manus-island-home-affairs-at-hearing/10822496

https:/www.sbs.com.au/news/paladin-security-rejects-corruption-claims.

WESTERN COVE HOUSES in 2020

In 2020 the Western Cove township continued to grow and houses numbered about 60. Several new houses were completed and others were under construction.

The four photos below were taken in June 2020 showing two houses recently completed and three others under construction:

Esplanade Oceanview Drive