Port Arthur was named after Arthur Musgrave, the son of Sir Anthony Musgrave, Governor of South Australia from 1873 to 1877. It was to be the port for the township of Arthurton which takes its name from the same source.
It is situated in the Clinton Conservation Park which covers an area of 396 hectares; much of this mangrove swamp, which is of particular interest to field naturalists, as it is said to be a breeding ground for many forms of marine life.
In the early days, when the port was active, a hotel was established here. It was at that time that the Sugar gums, now quite tall, were planted.
Directly opposite is the road which leads to the old Yararoo homestead which lies behind the hills and a little to the south. The only building, seen some distance up the road, was the Yararoo storage shed where Williams Fowler kept his wheat and wool while awaiting shipment to Port Adelaide.
