The Tod Reservoir Museum and Picnic area was developed by the people of the Eyre region Engineering and Water Supply Department to celebrate South Australia’s Jubilee 50 and was officially opened on 24 April 1986. The Heritage display, housed in one of the original 1922 homes built at the reservoir, now comes under the management of SA Water.
The museum tells the story of the construction of the reservoir and features historic documents, photographs and artefacts as well as models and audio/visual displays. There are also large objects displayed on the verandah of the building and in the grounds. The grounds have a playground, tennis court, free BBQs and picnic area. The area offers opportunities for scenic drives and walks.
Located 27 km north of Port Lincoln, the Tod Reservoir is supplied by concrete channels fed from weirs constructed across the Tod River and its major tributary, Pillaworta Creek. Prior to the construction of the reservoir, the extension of railways through Eyre Peninsula in the early 1900s created a significant demand for water. The Tod River is the only stream on Eyre Peninsula with reliable water flows, so an earth embankment dam was built on it between 1918 and 1922. During construction, three workers were killed in a cave-in, while another four died in two separate blasting accidents. A memorial to all seven men was erected at the picnic area near the embankment in 1982.
The river was named after Robert Tod who discovered it during explorations in 1839. The reservoir is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register. The reservoir is no longer supplying water, due to a steady increase in the salinity of the river.