Image: Farina Restoration Group
How far would you go for a loaf of bread?
While many are happy to embark on an early-morning crusade to the Central Market, Adelaide Farmers’ Market, or some of the state’s excellent artisan bakeries (think Shadow Bakery, Mascavado, 30 Acres, just to name a few) to get their hands on some hearty, carby staples, this bakery will really test how far you’ll go for baked favourites.
Farina Bakery is firing up the oven once again this May. Located in the dusty, red heart of our great state – about 700 km north of Adelaide – this old town, at the base of Kati Thanda-Lake Eyre, was once a busy little hub that served as a mining centre and stopover for many transport routes. Today, it’s little more than a memory of what once was.
Images: Farina Restoration Group
Old stories passed down from this town paint a picture of what it used to be: a colourful and diverse mix of people from all walks of life – from First Nations peoples to Chinese, European and Afghan settlers. However, after relentless years of drought and dust storms, the town was abandoned, described by a visitor as “the last place on earth God made and then he turned around and threw stones at it.”
A dedicated group of volunteers, however, is working to restore the town to, at least some, of its former glory. And, lucky for us, for eight weeks each year the Farina Restoration Group sets up camp, settles in, and gets to work – not only bringing buildings back to life, but also firing up the crowning jewel of this community, the 130-year-old Scotch oven!
This piece of Australian bread-baking history has earned a reputation for turning out some of the best sourdough, pies and sweet treats in SA, a kind of pastry you can only get from a tiny outback Australian town.
Despite the trek, the town of Farina offers camping facilities, so you can turn your visit into a full family adventure. With numerous Walking SA trails in and around the area, you can spend your days exploring this slice of South Australian history and working up an appetite, so that those once-in-a-lifetime breads and pies will taste even better.
The bakery, built underground in what was a meat store in the 1880s before being repurposed into a bakery, is run entirely by volunteers from across Australia who descend on the town with a mission to preserve history. Every pie sold helps fund the Farina Restoration Group’s efforts to rebuild and protect the town’s heritage – from its cemetery to its railway history and everything in between. Last year alone, the bakery attracted over 12,000 visitors, many of whom camped nearby and explored the broader Flinders Ranges region.
To sweeten the deal, these pies will warm you up from the inside out. The few dollars you spend on pies and pasties go towards protecting Australia’s rich, vibrant, diverse history, allowing us to experience a sliver of Australian history for years to come.
The 2026 season will run from Sat 23 May 2026 to Sun 19 July 2026, making it the perfect family-friendly winter road trip to get out and explore our great country during the school holidays. This remote underground bakery might just be the best thing since sliced bread.
Farina Underground Bakery
Where: Mulgaria Rd, Farina SA 5733
When: 23 May 2026 to Sun 19 July 2026
For more information,click here.
