Trevor's Travels

The old blacksmith in Terowie South Australia

No Comments »4th August, 2015; Category: Historic places, Museums, South Australia

Old blacksmith at Terowie, South Australia

In the 1880s through to the early 1900s the township of Terowie in the mid-north of South Australia was a bustling place of activity. The town was an important railway centre for many years as the state thrived and expanded. The town also served a growing farming community there and further afield. Consequently, the town blacksmith opened in 1884 and operated by one Thomas Taylor, was an important business in the district.

I find it interesting that the building has been maintained and obviously restored to something of its former state. It shows a certain, commendable level of care and pride on the part of the current owners – or perhaps the community which desires to preserve the interesting history and heritage of the town. One source I found states that the blacksmith building is now a museum. It was closed when we went through recently.

One interesting and significant element of the town’s history occurred during World War 2:

Terowie became a large military camp in 1941 -1946. In March 1942 General Douglas MacArthur gave his first Australian press interview in Terowie after leaving the Philippines. His most famous statement was “I came out of Bataan and I shall return”.

Further reading:

South Australian History – Terowie
South Australian Tourism site
The historic town of Terowie
Terowie – from the website of The Age newspaper – much information about the buildings and sights of the town.
Historic photos of Terowie – an extensive collection of photos of Terowie

The photo below shows the interior of the blacksmith in its heyday in 1909:

Hidden Waters Emporium, Terowie

No Comments »1st August, 2015; Category: Clare Valley, Historic places, Shopping, South Australia

Hidden Waters Emporium, Terowie, South Australia

In recent days I have been posting photos of some of the old buildings in the historic town of Terowie. Terowie is in the mid-north of South Australia between Peterborough and Burra and north-east of the Clare Valley. In its heyday it was a bustling railway town and an important service centre for the surrounding rural properties. These days it is a sleepy residential backwater with only a handful of the former businesses still operating.

On our recent drive through the town – one needs to take a detour off the main highway – I took the photo above of the Hidden Waters Emporium. I always smile when I see such a modest building have the title of “emporium”. The word for me conjures up images of very large stores selling a large variety of items, a bit like our department stores of today. It speaks to me of grandiose structures, not tiny buildings like the one shown in the photo above.

The definition of the word can vary depending on which dictionary you consult. Some define it along the lines I have described, while others are content to leave it at describing any store which sells a variety of items. I know nothing of the history of this particular “emporium” except that there are several references online to it being a second-hand shop in the past. One of those references is here in the National Library of Australia. The entry there shows a photo of the shop in operation as a second-hand outlet.

Sadly, this fascinating building seems to be well past its prime and is only used as a storage place for some junk.

Update: Since writing this article I have discovered where the “Hidden Waters” name is derived.

Terowie, whose name is derived from a local Aboriginal word meaning ‘hidden water’ was originally a watering pause on a stock route from the north-east of South Australia.

Terowie Lubritorium, South Australia

No Comments »30th July, 2015; Category: Historic places, South Australia

Former lubritorium in Terowie South Australia

Terowie is an historic town in the mid-north of South Australia, between Burra and Peterborough. We paid a short visit to the town recently after visiting family in Peterborough. One of the old buildings which caught my attention is shown in the photo above.

I can’t find any reference to who C.B. Nourse was, but in the heyday of the town when it was a thriving service centre for the surrounding rural district, this business must have also done very well.

Times change and the town is now a quiet backwater, with very few businesses still open. Many old buildings have been abandoned and are deteriorating and the population has dwindled.

The wording on the fascia board is of interest to me. A “lubritorium” is obviously an establishment where motor vehicles are lubricated, maintained and repaired. While the term is in common use in the United States it is less so these days in Australia, though I seem to remember when growing up in the 1950s that it was far more widespread in usage here in Australia too. These days we tend to use “service centre” or even “garage” instead.

Historic Terowie, South Australia

No Comments »28th July, 2015; Category: Historic places, South Australia

Main street of the mid-north town of Terowie

On out way home from a recent visit to family in Peterborough we called into the historic town of Terowie in the mid-north of South Australia. This old town is about a 20 minute drive south of Peterborough and normally we take the by-pass route. On this occasion we went into the town in order to take some photos of the old bank building there. A friend asked us to take a few photos because her camera failed to download the photos she had taken on a visit last year.

Terowie was surveyed in 1877 and was soon settled and became a thriving town. The growing network of railways in South Australia ensured that the town would – for a time – thrive. It soon became a bustling town and served the growing rural community in which it was based. Now it is a sleepy, quiet town, far removed from the hustle of former days. Here you can read more about its history, and some of the people who lived and worked there.

I will post more photos in coming days.

Advertising on the side of the local store in Terowie

Map of the town on a sign in the main street

Old Town Hall in Peterborough

No Comments »26th July, 2015; Category: Historic places, Museums, South Australia

Old Town Hall in Peterborough, South Australia

The magnificent building shown in today’s photograph was the original town hall in Peterborough in the mid-north of South Australia. It was built in 1884 as a private building. From 1889 it was used as the Town Hall until the new, current Town Hall was opened in 1927 – you can see the current town hall to the left of the old building.

This building, in addition to serving as the town hall, has been variously used as a museum, library, courthouse and even a skating rink. It is now a private residence. You can read more about this building here.