In 1876 the port was established as a shipping place and named after Thomas Rickaby, an early pioneer from Ireland. Thomas arrived in South Australia in 1858, joining the South Australian Mounted Police before resigning and settling on Yorke Peninsula.

The greater area served by the point is known as Koolywurtie, which has an Aboriginal translation of "Where rocks meet the sea".

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The scenic township of Port Rickaby is located just over 2 hours drive from Adelaide, situated on South Australia's Yorke Peninsula, 18kms north-west of Minlaton.

Renowned for its excellent fishing, Port Rickaby is also an exceptional place for swimming in the sheltered, sandy bay which hosts the annual Vacswim classes during January. You can fish, snorkel or swim off the jetty. A short walk to the "south" beach and you have about 5 kms of pristine white sand along the shoreline where, in the azure waters, local dolphins are often seen playing. A large sand dune offers hours of fun for everyone. Tennis courts are available for hire and there is access to a boat ramp, which facilitates beach launching.

In the evening stroll down to the jetty and enjoy the glorious sunsets that light-up the sky and at night the stars are so brilliant that the milky way will take your breath away.

The Port Rickaby Caravan Park offers a fully stocked kiosk which provides quality take-away meals, fuel, ice, bait and other general supplies. For everything else, Minlaton is just a 10 minute drive away and has a large supermarket, pub, bakery, hardware store, variety shop and more.

It's no wonder we want to keep coming back to Port Rickaby - it's our little secret getaway!