Baird Bay
Baird Bay is a small fishing village located south of Streaky Bay on the west coast of Eyre Peninsula in South Australia. It is situated on the east coast of a bay named Baird Bay which opens into the north end of Anxious Bay.
The locality is named after the nearby bay which is named after James Baird, who settled on the shores of Anxious Bay in 1850 before being speared by local Aboriginals on 2 November 1850. The bay was known as Beard's Bay until 5 December 1940 when it was renamed to Baird Bay by proclamation.
Although the township is small, Baird Bay has garnered considerable tourist attention due to its Australian sea lion colony, with local tour guides giving interactive swimming sessions with the sea lions and dolphins. This has become one of the main tourist attractions on the Eyre Peninsula. The isolated town has very limited facilities, with only a few houses, a camping ground and boat ramp. The nearest town for supplies is Streaky Bay, around away.
The remote waters of Baird Bay are also excellent for recreational fishing, as well as a number of other water based activities such scuba diving and snorkelling.
The 2016 Australian census which was conducted in August 2016 reports that Baird Bay had a population of 3 people.
Baird Bay is located within the federal division of Grey, the state electoral district of Flinders and the local government area of the District Council of Streaky Bay.
