Nairne was founded by Matthew Smillie (a Scottish Lawyer) in 1839, and named after his wife, Elizabeth Corse Nairne. His original acquisition of 4,000 acres was subdivided into 80 acre lots for wheat farming, with provision for the township, a school, church, etc. and was offered for sale.
Like Mount Barker, flour
mills needed to be established before the land created much interest, and one of
the mills, Albert Mill, just off the main street, still remains. There are many
buildings of historic interest remaining, including the old Police Station, the
Catholic Church, the Miller's Arms Hotel, the railway station, and the
Institute.
At the time of settlement, the Permangk people inhabited the area. One special place
to the Permangk was the Mount Barker Summit,
which we are fortunate to have looking over our valley, and peeking through the
mist on a crisp winter's day.
The Crooked Billet is a house, built by James Shakes in 1845 (who also built one of Nairne's first cottages in Shakes Road), that was used as an Inn from 1851 to 1860.
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The Chapmans factory was established in 1899 and ran through to 2002 when it was shut down due to a relocation to Murray Bridge. They were a slaughter house and made ham and bacon.
The first licensed school was opened in Nairne in 1851, with an enrolment of 33 students. The teacher was Mr John Forsyth. Four years later a second school opened, making two schools in the town. This second school lasted until 1870, when it closed. In 1876, Nairne school received Public School status, and had an enrolment figure of 112.
By November 1957 the enrolments had risen to 216 students, and a new Nairne school building was opened at a cost of 50,000 pounds.
