The Proposed Township of Hardwicke Bay - 1877
In 1877, James Murdock, subdivided a small section of his farm in the Hundred of Para Wurlie and consequently advertised for sale the township, which he named “Hardwicke Bay”. The blocks were to be sold by auction on Tuesday, 13th November 1877 by Messrs. Pizey and Reed, at White’s Rooms, King William St, Adelaide. The sale was not a success, only four allotments were sold to Mr George Turner for £125, no further allotments sold and Turner’s four blocks were never developed. Murdock repurchased the four blocks in 1893 for £5. In the ensuing years the locality went on to become Point Turton, the seaside town that can be seen across the bay.
So this town was officially declared Hardwicke Bay in 1988. The little collection of leasehold fishing shacks erected since the 1950’s was named Hardwicke Bay after the bay itself and by the 1980’s the town had also grown with the consequent subdivision of the adjoining farm land.