Hamley Bridge is named after Major-General Francis G. Hamley, Administrator of South Australia, 1868-69.
Hamley Bridge Institute and Soldiers’ Memorial
The main hall of the Institute was erected in 1884, when Sir John Duncan laid the foundation stone. The building was enlarged in 1904, with new rooms at front and rear, and other additions and alterations have been made since. The 1933 description mentions a 'splendid picture gallery (which) is a unique feature for country Institutes', but since then the collection of pictures has been discarded and mostly sold. A stone and marble obelisk in front of the Institute was built as a War Memorial in 1920. The Institute and Memorial form a distinctive landmark closing the view to the west along Hamley Bridge's main street.