The name of the Horseshoe Inn (or, just 'Shoe' as locals would call it), comes the fact of the horseshoe bend of the Onkaparinga River old Old Noarlunga. [The OpenStreetMap shows that quite well, when zoomed 'a notch'.]
At this site is a large 'Historical Marker', with imformation about the Inn and the history, with some of the relevant history transcribed here:
"The original Horseshoe Inn operated on this site from July 1840 to May 1889. It was renamed the Horseshoe Hotel from May 1889 to September 1932. It did not trade as a hotel between September 1932 and December 1983, being then re-licenced as 'The Horseshoe (South Australian Historic Inn)' until it was destroyed by fire on New Years Eve 1987.
"From its early days it was a popular rest stop for bullock drivers and teamsters carting goods between Adelaide and all places south as far away as Victor Harbor. As the country was opened up and people began to move south, a thriving horse coaching centre grew around the hotel.
"The Hotel played a major role in this development as it provided John Hill & Co. with considerable stabling facilities for horses and coaches. With the coming of the railway to Willunga in 1915, the horse coach trade declined through Noarlunga and the operation was transferred to Willunga.
"In 1933 the building began a period where it traded as an Ampol petrol station, bootmaker and harness repair shop. In 1983 it resumed trade as a hotel and had a very popular restaurant right until the whole complex was destroyed by fire on New Years Eve, 31 December 1987.
"… Materials have been salvaged from the fire-ravaged ruins of the Horseshoe Inn building and have been put to use in the park, for example red-orange bricks as pavers, large burnt timbers, fire blackened concrete and limestone rocks for walling." [ex- the 'waviform' signage under the shelter awning]
The website listed below has a photo of the Horseshoe Inn, gutted by fire, before being demolished - from the City of Onkaparinga Library.
Visited: 0808, Monday, 28 May, 2018