Murrayville to Kapunda

Tuesday, June 3:

We left Murrayville bright and early and were soon at the SA border. We had been careful about not carrying any fruit and didn’t realize the border quarantine also applied to vegetables. Oh well. We’ll know next time. After driving through Pinaroo we headed north to Loxton where we stocked up on fruit and veg. We then set off on what on the map looked like a short cut but turned out to be a long way around. We always enjoy crossing the Murray River on the ferry which we did at Swan Reach. Still we travelled roads we hadn’t been on before and ended up at the Kapunda Caravan Park which is run by a nice young couple. We had the choice of site so chose to look our across the dam servicing the adjoining golf course. Kapunda is full of history and will keep us busy for a couple of days.

Distance travelled:  325kms

Wednesday, June 4:

Headed to the Visitor Information Centre for literature about the place. It is in an old building and utilizes both the basement and first floor and is also the library. Downstairs is the former cellars of Thomson the merchant who had the building built. Here the centre has an array of wooden cartons stacked like cupboards. You open each one and read the story or what the video. It covers, the history, Sir Sydney Kidman and other founders, the copper mine, sport etc both of the past and today. We also watched an interesting video about the town’s founders and the establishment of the town. Upstairs is an art gallery hung with local artists’ works which were very good.

Then it was off on the drive around tour which highlighted the various buildings and gave a brief history on each. We spent over an hour at the copper mine walking the 1.5km trail around it. The signage is well done and gives one a real feel of what it must have been like when the mine operated at its peak in the 1870s.

We finished the tour at the Kapunda Museum. While Wal went and had a coffee and a wander I spent 2 hours in the museum which was full of everything. It seems people in Kapunda didn’t throw anything away – music, record playes, band instruments, photography, wedding dresses, currency, medals, council ledgers, mining equipment, the church pulpit and communion rail etc. In the basement of the former Methodist church, was a general store, school room, printing presses, kitchenalia, fridges,  ambulance stretchers etc. Out the back were buggies, tractors, trucks and farm equipment.  A massive and comprehensive collection.

I’m amazed there seems to be no humidity controls but the place seems to work very well. There’s no room for short term exhibitions.

The air vent chimney at Kapunda.

A view across the works.

 

I couldn’t get over the quality of the old homes which have been lovingly looked after and the preservation of the main street. A real credit to the townspeople and the shire.