Monday, August 9, 2010
Great Aussie Adventure - Day 12
The view from my hotel!!Oh my gosh, I woke up today in Port Lincoln and the sun was out and it was kind of warm!! It was actually a beautiful day!!! I went to Lincoln National Park and saw Cape Donington Lighthouse.
And the national park was lovely on the water and everything. There is even a salt lake called Pillie Lake!
Viking Ship cloud Pillie Lake
I saw several emus again, but no kangaroos today. I stopped at the Old Mill in Port Lincoln after leaving the national park. According to a sign at The Old Mill, “Built in 1846, this popular landmark is the oldest standing building in Port Lincoln. It has featured in paintings, photographs and been fondly remembered by visitors to the town.
The foundation stone was laid on 20th April 1846 by Dr Lawson of Port Lincoln. The population of the town was around 89 people. Like many towns, its fortunes had fluctuated, and the proposal of a windmill was popular with the local population. Hand grinding flour was a laborious process and the windmill was seen as an added draw-card for attracting potential settlers to the town. Supply vessels from Adelaide were often subject to delays due to rough weather and a larger, more self-sufficient population was hoped for…
It is not certain why the mill was never completed by the syndicate. It is know that the machinery had been purchased and three internal wooden floors and shaft were installed. A probable explanation was that there was a shortage of wheat grain in the area. The sale of small lots of land to potential farmer settlers had been hampered by the high prices demanded by speculators owning Special Survey Sections.
Along with this was a slowed growth rate in population and possibly a cheaper and easier method of grinding flour available. By 1854, the mill was described as an ‘unfinished ruin for the last five years’ by the Government Reports on Mills in South Australia.
Miss Amy Bishop donated the mill and land to the City of Port Lincoln in 1946. The mills fortunes changed when The Port Lincoln Pioneer and Descendants Club needed a place to permanently display their historic items and saw the potential in the old ruin. The Club lovingly repaired the mill for use as a museum. It was opened on 25th January 1964 as the Old Pioneer Mill Museum and immediately became a popular attraction for many years.
A wrought iron spiral stairway was added to allow access to the roof. This gift from the Bishop Estate Progress Association increased the attraction of the mill as a favoured viewing position of the panoramic views of Boston Bay and beyond…”
On the way back out of Port Lincoln, I drove through Boston Township, so I had to stop and take a photo of the Boston House. On the drive, the scenery was just beautiful. The fields were so green, the sky was so blue and the ocean even was bluer!! Not to mention the white puffy clouds. It was just beautiful!
I ended up in Port Augusta where I am spending the night. From here it is another 4 hours to Adelaide and I was too tired to keep driving. (Plus the ferry is no longer in use!!) Port Augusta is the 'Crossroads of Australia' as it 'bridges the Outback and the Sea'. At one round-a-bout, there is a road sign that points to Alice Springs, Darwin, Perth and Adelaide. For some reason, I just found this cool. I must be right in the middle of Australia, just on the south coast!! Oh and another thing, driving along the peninsulas or even in Tas and Vic, people wave as they are driving. Not a big crazy wave, just raising their hand off the steering wheel or pointing as a hello. It’s all very friendly. (Wish you were here Chris, you’d fit right in being from Kansas and all!!!) After today, I have seen all the South Australia Lighthouses that I can see. There is one that was demolished. Another one is inaccessible, but the top is the at Port Adelaide. And then of course, there are the 4 on Kangaroo Island that I skipped!
Labels:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
About Me
- Laura
- Denver, Colorado, United States
- I'm originally from Colorado, but I've been living in Australia for three years. Before that, I lived all over the U.S.: Washington State, Maine, California, Oregon, Nebraska, North Carolina, Arizona, New Mexico, Pennsylvania, and more... No, I'm not a military brat or a military wife; I was a traveling nurse for 5 years so I moved to a new city every 3 months. During my travels, I became intrigued with lighthouses and started making plans to photograph as many as I could in whichever state I was living (including the two in Nebraska!) My blog is about my trips to various lighthouses, as well as other interesting trips. I hope you enjoy reading, and leave a comment or two!
0 comments:
Post a Comment