TOURS FROM MILDURA TO PORT AUGUSTA, SA · Adelaide and take the Engineering Heritage walk /drive.....
Transcript of TOURS FROM MILDURA TO PORT AUGUSTA, SA · Adelaide and take the Engineering Heritage walk /drive.....
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19th Australasian Engineering Heritage Conference, Mildura
SELF-DRIVE TOURS
TOURS FROM MILDURA TO PORT AUGUSTA, SA
You can design your own tour from these notes! The length of the tour, the
route you take and the attractions you wish to visit are all optional!
This set of notes is aimed at people intending to travel from the Conference
and Country Weekend in Mildura to Port Augusta for the Trans Australia
Railway centenary celebrations, Sunday 22 October.
SO LET’S GET STARTED!!
Preamble.
The 520 km drive from Mildura to Port Augusta Mildura takes about 6 hours nonstop. The
suggestions below may be all be used and the journey extended up to five days or
sections missed and shortened to two or three. Perhaps you may choose a route for the
forward journey and pick up other suggestions on the return. You may choose to go to
Adelaide and take the Engineering Heritage walk /drive..
The main considerations are;
The weekend of October 14th and 15th October is the Engineers Country weekend
based in Mildura. So, stay the weekend straight after the conference, enjoy some
more Heritage plus fellowship with the Sunraysia Engineers.
Thursday 19th October at 11am, be at Peterborough South Australia for the
Engineering Heritage National Marker Award presentation a Steamtown.
Sunday 22nd October, Port Augusta celebrates the 100 year centenary of the first
passenger to cross the Nullarbor to WA using the Trans Australian Railway (TAR).
Day 1. Mildura to Renmark or Berri.
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From Mildura head, west along the Sturt Highway (A20). After slowing and passing
Cullulleraine (app 55 kms,) turn right, head down the Lock 9 road (caution unsealed after
a few kms). At Lock 9 look around, then walk or drive to the Millewa A pump station. You
can see the tall stack from lock 9. This boiler and 300 hp Thompson triple expansion steam
engine have been restored by the Sunraysia group of EA and other resoration is ongoing.
After this visit, retrace your path back to Cullulleraine and turn right and head west to
Remark along the Sturt Highway. Renmark is approximately 90 kms. Be aware you will be
stopped at the SA fruit fly quarantine station before Renmark. In Renmark, which is
another Chaffey irrigation town, there are various heritage and historic locations
including; the Paringa Bridge, Lock 5, the Argo Barge and other Chaffey and Irrigation
sites.
Inside Millewa A pumping station. Triple
expansion steam engine driving
centrifugal pumps.
Image: source unknown.
http://vhd.heritagecouncil.vic.gov.au/
places/327/download-report
Steam Pumping Engine at the Renmark
Irrigation Trust office, 149 Murray Avenue,
Renmark.
Image: Owen Peake.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=r
enmark+irrigation&source=lnms&tbm=isc
h&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwirydjxgIjWAhXBGZ
QKHT3MCrsQ_AUICygC&biw=1520&bih=9
21#imgrc=2tTLMq4rlfErPM:&spf=15044070
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You may wish to stay at Renmark and look around or stay at Berri, approximately 20 kms
west down the Sturt Highway.
End of Day 1. Overnight at Renmark or Berri.
Day 2 After looking around Renmark and Berri, then head to the Barossa Valley
From Berri, head west on the Old Sturt Highway, turn left down Bookpurnong road,
Then,rtight into Nitschkie road to Lock 4. From Lock 4 head to Lock 3 using Google maps it
is about 30 kms. Lock 3 is at Overland Corner; it is off the Goyder Highway (B64). After Lock
3 continue to head west on the Goyder highway to Lock 2, approximately 50 kms. From
Lock 2 head west again on B64 to Morgan, approximately 30 kms. At Morgan, there is the
Historic Wharf, Museum and Railway station, and the Pump stations for the Morgan
Whyalla Pipelines.
Morgan Wharf in 1900. Image: State Library of SA.
Pumps being installed
for irrigation pumping
at Renmark, 1894.
Image: Richard Venus
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http://maps.sa.gov.au/heritagesearch/HeritageItem.aspx?p_heritageno=16296
From Morgan head south to Blanchetown ,(about 40 km), and Lock 1. Lock 1 has an
Engineering Heritage marker and was the first lock built on the River Murray. From Lock 1
head west on the Sturt highway (A20) to Tanunda in the Barossa Valley, approximately 70
kms. Stay the night or two. (An alternative is to drive direct from Morgan to Burra).
End of Day 2 Stay at Tanundra or elsewhere in the Barossa Valley.
Day 3. Barossa Valley to Burra.
There are many wineries around the Barossa, you may want to spend some time exploring
them. From Tanunda to the Barossa (Whispering Wall) reservoir is 25 kms. This parabolic
concrete dam wall is significant and was awarded an Engineering Heritage Marker in
2008; refer to the nomination on the EHA website for more details.
From the Barossa head to Bura is approximately 135 kms via Gawler and Horrocks Way
(A32). You may want to drop into Riverton and have a look at the disused Railway station.
At Burra you may want to get a Heritage pass and explore some of the heritage sights in
the area. Burra may be a good spot to stay for the night and relax.
End of Day 3. Stay at Burra.
Morphetts Engine House, Burra.
There were many Cornish
pumping engines here to dewater
the mines. Burra was a rich
copper mining centre.
Image: Owen Peake.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burr
a,_South_Australia
A portion of a Cornish pumping engine foundation
stone for the cylinder of the engine. This stone is
located in the main street of Burra. The two holes
were for hold –down bolts.
Image: Owen Peake.
More about Cornish engines:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornish_engine
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Day 4. Burra to Peterborough (Thursday 19th October.)
From Burra to Peterborough via the Barrier Highway (A32) and Cleary road is
approximately 90 kms. If you have time, the railway station in Terowie is where there was a
break of gauge station from 5’3 to 3’6’’. The rail line is now disused with all freight
travelling via the standard gauge line from Adelaide to Crystal Brook, then west to Port
Augusta and Perth or east to Peterborough, Broken Hill and Sydney. The Engineering
Heritage Marking Ceremony starts at 11.30 am at Steamtown in Peterborough. Spend the
rest of the day in Peterborough.
End of Day 4 Stay in Peterborough.
Day 5. Peterborough to Quorn to Port Augusta
Peterborough to Quorn is approximately 130 kms. Quorn to Port Augusta is approximately
40 kms via Pichi Richi Pass. At Quorn, you can drop in at the Quorn railway station. Driving
through the pass there are many stone embankments and a few historic bridges.
End of Day 5. Stay at Port Augusta
Steamtown
Railway Heritage
Centre,
Peterborough SA
Image:
TripAdvisor.
www.steamtown.com.au/
Historic image of Pichi Richi Pass. The Pichi
Richi Historic Railway still operates through
this pass.
Image: State Library of SA.
https://www.pichirichirailway.org.au/
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Day 6. Explore Port Augusta and / or Whyalla.
If you decide to drive to Whyalla, approximately 70 kms south from Port Augusta, there is
the maritime museum set around the HMAS Whyalla, the first ship built at Whyalla. There
are various scale models of other ships built at the Whyalla shipyard. Ship 53, the Clutha
Capricorn was the largest Ship built in Australia at 83,000 tonnes.
There is also the lookout at Hummock Hill; at the eastern end of the town. This overlooks
the town, the port, and the steelwork complex.
End of Day 6. Stay at Port Augusta.
Day 7. (Sunday 22nd October) Centenary Celebrations of the Trans Australia Railway (TAR)
in Port Augusta.
Check the Port Augusta council website and the Pichi Richi Railway website closer to the
day for the full detail of activities. Most of the council celebration will be focussed around
the Port Augusta railway station. On the Platform is an Engineering Heritage marker
celebrating the Trans Australian Railway.
The bulk carrier Clutha
Capricorn, bauxite bulk
carrier and the largest ship
built in Australia. She was
launched in 1972 and was
255.4 metres long.
Image: Australian
Merchant Navy.
More about
Whyalla:http://www.austral
iaforeveryone.com.au/sa/
whyalla.html
Port Augusta Railway Station. One of the
most important railway stations in Australia
with destinations to all points of the
compass.
Image: Wikimedia.
More about the Port Augusta Railway
Station:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_Au
gusta_railway_station
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Australia’s two great named trains operate through Port Augusta. Above, the Indian
Pacific in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia on its east-west route between Sydney
and Perth and The Ghan in the Red Centre on its north-south route between Adelaide and
Darwin.
Images: The Indian Pacific: Gold Coast Bulletin; The Ghan: Australian Trains.
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Note:
Many of the above places/objects have formal engineering heritage recognition and
further information can be obtained by accessing the respective nomination documents
downloadable from the EHA Australian Engineering Heritage Register at:
https://www.engineersaustralia.org.au/Communities-And-Groups/Special-Interest-
Groups/Engineering-Heritage-Australia