Terowie is 20km south of Peterborough. It became an important part of the northern railway network in the 1880s, and a supply town for the vast grazing country to the north-east and to the Broken Hill/Silverton mining communities of that era.

The fortunes of the town revolved around the railway systems and it became obvious that with the demise of the railways in 1970 that Terowie was destined to be yet another "ghost town".

However the Terowie Citizens Association had other ideas and purchased six of its historically important buildings and have taken great care in a program to preserve and restore the buildings and retain their authenticity. The town was designated an historic town in 1985 (one of only 7 in South Australia) and offers the visitor a wealth of heritage.

We recommend that you obtain a brochure entitled "A Tour of Terowie" from the Visitor Information Centre at Peterborough or any of the businesses in Terowie and either walk or drive yourself around the town to find out a little bit of its history.

Terowie hit the headlines of the world in 1942 when General Douglas MacArthur gave his first Australian press interview on the railway platform after his escape from the Philippines. He uttered the now famous words "I came out of Bataan and I shall return". There is a monument on the old railway station platform to acknowledge it.

Terowie Visitor Information Centre: Phone 08 8659 1039

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