Historic Buildings of Robe, South Australia
Old building in Robe, South Australia
Over recent days I have been writing about some of the historic buildings of Robe in the south east region of South Australia. Today I share two more of those lovely old homes in the streets of this delightful seaside town. It amazes me that most of these old buildings are not only being currently used, but that they are in exceptionally good condition.
Old building in Robe, South Australia
Historic Buildings of Robe, South Australia
The old Robe Hotel and Guichen Bay
The town of Robe in the south eastern region of South Australia has many historic buildings. Most of these have been well preserved and are still in use today. One of these buildings is the lovely old Robe Hotel shown in the photo above. It is still very much in active use as a hotel.
Another hotel, the Caledonian, is just a few minutes walk away. I don’t have a photo of that hotel but it has a unique character of its own. One evening during our stay we had a delightful dinner there.
Old houses in Robe, South Australia
Also found throughout the town are many historic houses. These date back to the early days of settlement in the town during the 1840s. Some of these are still occupied as homes for the local people. Many others have been converted into holiday homes, homes providing bed and breakfast for visitors or serve as holiday apartments.
Aquatic Centre, Swanport Reserve, Murray Bridge
Canoes on the River Murray
Over the last few days I have written about the picnic lunch we had at Swanport Reserve recently. This reserve is a few minutes drove from our home and not far south of Murray Bridge in South Australia. This is a popular picnic area which also attracts people who are birders (like myself – see Trevor’s Birding blog), anglers, tourists and people keen on a variety of water sports.
Adjoining the reserve is the Murray Bridge Sailing Club and the Aquatic Centre. The centre is run and staffed by the Education Department and has a dedicated camping area with cabins for visiting students. School groups come from a wide catchment area to use the facilities here. The activities are mainly water based, teaching the students skills in sailing, skiing, small boat handling, surf boarding, rowing and canoeing. The centre is in high demand.
Sailboarders and rowers on the River Murray
I had a small stake in the development of the centre in its very early days. About twenty years ago my class grew some trees and bushes for planting out in the grounds of the centre. We also followed this up with boat trips on the river looking at both the natural environment and the historic background of the use of the river in this part of the country.
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Click on the photos to enlarge the images.
The Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia
Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia
The historic Port Goolwa played a very significant role in the early development of South Australia. When many areas along the River Murray were being settled by farmers there were few ways to get supplies to them. It was just as difficult to get their wool and wheat to the markets.
Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia
Port Goolwa was established in the very early years of settlement. Paddlesteamers took supplies up the River Murray to towns and farmers along the river. They then brought back loads of wheat and wool to Goolwa. Although the mouth of the river was just a few kilometres downstream from Goolwa it was generally unsafe for navigation. Their cargo was unloaded at Port Goolwa and transferred by train to Port Elliot where sea going ships carried the goods to other ports in Australia or to the growing European market. Economically this was vital to the growth of the new colony of South Australia. In the 1850s Victoria was in the grip of gold rush fever and South Australia was able to forge ahead supplying the other rapidly growing colonies.
Cockle Train, Goolwa, South Australia
Australia’s first steel railway line was built here from Port Goolwa to Port Elliot a few kilometres to the west. Today this historic line still has steam trains running regularly, but now the cargo is tourists from all over the world. The so-called Cockle Train takes its name from the abundance of the shell-fish cockles found along the beaches near here.
Schedule of services:
The Cockle Train now runs from Goolwa to Port Elliot and on to Victor Harbor. The trains run three times each way every day during Easter, long weekends and during most school holidays. It also operates every Sunday throughout the year.
Link:
- Steamranger Heritage Railway – more details on prices, schedules and bookings, as well as other historic trains in South Australia.
Port Goolwa, South Australia
Port Goolwa, South Australia
Port Goolwa played a very important role in the early development of the young colony of South Australia. As the areas near River Murray were settled in the 1840s and 1850s, paddleboats started trading up and down the Murray-Darling river system.
They would travel upstream with supplies for the farmers and graziers along the rivers. They would then bring back items produced in these farmlands, mainly wheat and wool. Port Goolwa became, for a few decades, one of the busiest ports in Australia.
A railway was built to Port Elliot and goods transferred to ocean going ships. Some paddlesteamer captains braved the treacherous and ever shifting sands at the mouth of the River Murray just a few kilometres from Goolwa.
Links: