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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

33467

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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