Kingscote is the largest town on Kangaroo Island and the very first European settlement, established here in 1836. Today the town has a population of about 1800 people. It is primarily a tourist, administrative and communication centre of the island. There is a school, a modern hospital, a large supermarket, a post office and administration buildings. Of particular interest is the swimming pool, which is filled at high tide. The Aurora Ozone Seafront Hotel building with its mermaid statue is also worth a look: it was opened in 1907 and is now a local landmark.
The history of the development and settlement of Kangaroo Island in general and Kingscote in particular can be explored at the local museum, Hope Cottage. This house was among the first three buildings constructed in the town around 1850, along with Faith House and Mercy House (Faith House was later demolished).
An old mulberry tree can be seen in Kingscote, planted in the year the town was founded, 1836, and still bearing fruit. Also worth a visit are the local creamery and cheese factory, which makes products from sheep's milk, and South Australia's last eucalyptus oil factory.
