SELF-DRIVE TOURS TOURS FROM MILDURA TO PORT AUGUSTA, SA

Transcription

1 19 th 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. Preamble. SO LET S GET STARTED!! 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 14 th and 15 th 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 19 th October at 11am, be at Peterborough South Australia for the Engineering Heritage National Marker Award presentation a Steamtown. Sunday 22 nd 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. 1

2 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. Inside Millewa A pumping station. Triple expansion steam engine driving centrifugal pumps. Image: source unknown. places/327/download-report 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. Steam Pumping Engine at the Renmark Irrigation Trust office, 149 Murray Avenue, Renmark. Image: Owen Peake. enmark+irrigation&source=lnms&tbm=isc h&sa=x&ved=0ahukewirydjxgijwahxbgz QKHT3MCrsQ_AUICygC&biw=1520&bih=9 21#imgrc=2tTLMq4rlfErPM:&spf=

3 Pumps being installed for irrigation pumping at Renmark, Image: Richard Venus 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 Image: State Library of SA. 3

4 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. 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. 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: End of Day 3. Stay at Burra. 4

5 Day 4. Burra to Peterborough (Thursday 19 th 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 am at Steamtown in Peterborough. Spend the rest of the day in Peterborough. Steamtown Railway Heritage Centre, Peterborough SA Image: TripAdvisor. n.com.au/ 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. Historic image of Pichi Richi Pass. The Pichi Richi Historic Railway still operates through this pass. Image: State Library of SA. / End of Day 5. Stay at Port Augusta 5

6 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. The bulk carrier Clutha Capricorn, bauxite bulk carrier and the largest ship built in Australia. She was launched in 1972 and was metres long. Image: Australian Merchant Navy. More about Whyalla: iaforeveryone.com.au/sa/ whyalla.html 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 22 nd 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. 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: gusta_railway_station 6

7 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. 7

8 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: Groups/Engineering-Heritage-Australia 8