Situated at the foot of the Barunga Range, in South Australia’s mid north, in the hinterland north of the Copper Coast, the tiny town of Bute was proclaimed in 1884 and named by the surveyor Jacobs after the Scottish isle of Bute in the Firth of Clyde.
The History group was set up in 2002 by long-time resident Judyth Bettess who is also the co-author with Roslyn Patterson of the book From Stumps to Stubble written in 1984 for the centenary of the town.
The History Group is currently based in the old ANZ building on the High Street and is an archival repository preserving Bute and District history. District records plus photographs and historical documents relating to local family history and the town in general are stored. It is open by appointment during business hours.
The group have also been involved in the heritage trail around the township as well as the Bute Heritage Shed beside the disused railway line.