The earliest European settlers to the district arrived in the 1840s. They farmed the area with wheat and sheep mostly. The town soon grew into an important grain storage and loading point. A jetty was built in 1874. It was the second jetty built on the Eyre Peninsula. This provided a much needed outlet for the copper ore which was coming from the Burrowing Mine. The original jetty was taken down in 1999 due to safety concerns. The newer jetty is still in use.