Our Story
History
Our Story
Our family connections to the accommodation on Kangaroo Island began in the 1920s when our grandfather used to stay with friends in what was the Governor’s property on Rocky Point at Eastern Cove.
The next generation continued the tradition, spending many summer holidays during the ‘50s and ‘60s at Rocky Point which became a hotbed of intellectual debate and dinners stretching long into the evening. As children came along, activities shifted, and fishing became a favourite. Expeditions to Pennington Bay to fish for Sweep or everyone answering the call to climb into the dingy to reel in the Whiting for dinner. Cooked with garlic from the garden and a green salad, it was heaven.
In those days, a trip to Penneshaw to get the bread and milk was an expedition in itself, lurching along the narrow dirt track sitting on two wooden benches and ducking to avoid the tree branches. And the least said about a night-time visit to the ‘thunderbox’ at the end of the point the better!
1975, and spotting an advert in the Financial Review for a property being sold at Brown’s Beach, it was in fact a run down shack on 3 parcels of land. Three friends flew over to view the property to find it located in the most fabulous location, looking along the beach and Eastern Cove to Rocky Point where the family had spent so much time. Although not realising at the time, this flying visit sorted our future accommodation on Kangaroo Island for the next 40 years.
The original shack (two galvanized iron sheds with a covered ‘breezeway’ in the middle) provided basic living accommodation and fantastic holidays for the next decade. It was in a fabulous location, and it gave us the freedom to really enjoy the place. Brown’s Beach was effectively our own private beach as we were surrounded by reserve and there were no other houses. The agenda each day consisted of no more than swimming, fishing, reading or walking along the beach.
To bring the story up to date. A family friend and well-known Adelaide architect, Newell Platten, had built a cedar house on stilts on one of the blocks. We bought this in 1990 and it’s now known as Georgina’s Place.
In the late 1990s the shack was renovated into a 3 bedroom house in the same location, now known as The Beach House.
So the fourth generation of our family continue to forge memories in this very special and beautiful place. And it has to be said, in much more comfort than previous generations!
If you are looking for accommodation on Kangaroo Island, we’d love to share this magical location with you. The Beach House and Georgina’s Place have a way of making you slow down and take time out of this busy world to enjoy a simpler life.