The cottage is named after a previous early settler owner: Charles Melbourne Bates - A Farmer & Penneshaw Postmaster. Charlie was married to Nellie Bates who passed away in 1951, Charlie lived on until 1971. Charlie had the mail contract to deliver mail from Penneshaw to Cape Willoughby.
Charlies' original farm on Rifle Range road was called "The Kipsie."
Charlie also carted all the stone for the now restored Penneshaw Hotel



Charlies father was Joseph (Harry) Henry Bates. Harry arrived aboard the Melbourne in 1858 as a 12 year old. His parents moved to Penneshaw in 1860. In 1870 Harry began delivering the mail from Cape Jervis to Cygnet River once a fortnight. To do this Harry sailed a small sailing skiff called the Lilly May accross to the mainland, he then walked to the Talisker Silver mine to pick up the mail from Adelaide. Once back on Kangaroo Island he sorted the mail and deiivered it via his horse Champion to Cygnet River. For this arduous work he was paid about 98 pounds a year.


In 1876 Harry took up an area to the east of Penneshaw now known as Baudin Conservation Park. Charlie Bates continued the farming tradition in this area with some of his family members until the 1960's. Following the death of Vincent Bates the farming area was purchased by National Parks and Wildlife SA. The park was officially dedicated in April 2002 We have a photo of his cottage and more information here

Charles father Harry was a son of Ephraim Steen Bates with whom Harry returned from Victoria on the 'Melbourne' Hence Charlie's second name. E S Bates and family arrived on the island in 1858 from England, spent a year at Cygnet river, went to Victoria and after a year there returned to KI.  E S Bates was the first private landholder to take up farming land in the Penneshaw area purchased from the government.

Although not a relative the Bates name had been associated with Kangaroo Island since 1824 when George (Fireball) Bates arrived on the sealing vesel Nereus.

George was born at Old Saint Lukes London in 1800 and was living on Kangaroo Island before any official permanent settlement existed in South Australia.
George assisted Col. William Light when the South Australian Company official colonists disembarked from the Duke of York in 1836.
George was truely one of South Australia's first arrivals from England.