Lake Butler Boat Haven, Robe, South Australia
Lake Butler Boat Haven, Robe, South Australia
In the early days of Robe the fishing industry flourished. One of the problems the industry faced was the wild winter weather. At first they moored the boats out in the bay, but this sometimes proved disastrous during storms. The next solution was to drag the fishing craft over the sand hills to Lake Butler, a natural lake within a few minutes walk of the main street. Here the boats were safe from the ravages of winter storms.
Lake Butler Boat Haven, Robe, South Australia
In 1964 a two metre deep channel was dug to allow the fleet to enter a safe haven year round. There are now many cray fishing and recreational fishing boats moored regularly in this artificial harbour. When I visited recently many of the boats were actually out of the water undergoing annual maintenance work. Some of these can be seen in the distance in the photo above.
Lake Butler Boat Haven, Robe, South Australia
Some of the boats are available for charter for visiting anglers.
The Customs House, Robe, South Australia
Customs House, Robe, South Australia
The old Customs House in Robe, south-east South Australia, was built in 1863. It was in use for 25 years in the early days of the port. During the gold rush era in Victoria many thousands of Chinese immigrants passed through this port. They were avoiding the heavy taxes imposed by the Victorian government of the day. They then employed guides to lead them overland to the Victorian gold fields.
Customs House, Robe, South Australia
The Customs House was also the office of the Harbour Master and Receiver of Wrecks for the South Eastern coast as far as the Victorian border. It is now used as a Nautical Museum.
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
Old houses in Robe, South Australia
While on our holiday in Robe in the south east region of South Australia recently, I enjoyed wandering around the streets looking at some of the old buildings. Many of these historic homes and shops and other buildings were built in the early days of the settlement of the town. This was in the 1840s and 50s.
Old building in Robe, South Australia
Many of these lovely old buildings are still in use today. Some of them are still being used as shops, others are being used as homes. Many have been renovated inside to include many modern conveniences, but from the outside they appear very much as they were when built. Those that have been extended have mostly been done in such a way that the new section blends in perfectly with the original.
Old buildings in Robe, South Australia
One lovely tiny cottage I neglected to photograph. The roof on the front section actually featured wooden shingles. The newer back section had an iron roof.
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.