|
| An anchor and
plough - 1878-1978 Dedicated to the
seafarers and pioneers of Port Germein
and District |
Port Germein (including Wirrabara)
Tiny historic wheat-shipping port
Located 251 km north of Adelaide, with a
population of around 200 permanent residents,
Port Germein was once famous for the fact that
it boasted the longest jetty in the southern
hemisphere. The water was so low that a jetty of
1646 metres (you can try and measure it - other
sources insist it is 1676 metres and 1680
metres) was built to cater for the ships which
came to the port to collect the wheat harvest.
Once you arrive in the town you will see
immediately, particularly if you arrive during
low tide, why the jetty is so long.
The first European into the area was Captain
Matthew Flinders who, in 1802, circumnavigated
Australia and, while en route, named Spencer
Gulf after Earl Spencer who, at the time, was
the President of the Admiralty Board.
There is some argument as to how the port got
its name. One source insists that Captain John
Germein discovered the inlet during his
explorations of the coast in 1840 while other
sources claim that it was John's brother, Samuel
Germein, who discovered the inlet while taking
stores to Edward Eyre at the head of Spencer
Gulf in 1840. One thing is certain: one member
of the Germein family is honoured by the name of
the town.
The development of the district as an
important producer of wheat led to the building
of the jetty in the 1880s by John Wishart. The
Port Germein Hotel dates from 1881 and still
evokes a world where clippers from all over the
world came to take cargoes of wheat and where
sailors drank while on their too-brief shore
leave.
The aim of the jetty was to provide a safe
point where wheat from the mid-northern area of
South Australia could be directly loaded onto
ocean going vessels for export to Europe. This
never occurred because most of the ships still
had to moor another 800 metres offshore and be
loaded by wheat which was transferred first to
lighters and then to the ships. It is claimed
that at its peak Port Germein was the largest
grain loading port in Australia.
The port continued to operate until the
1940s. Today it is a quiet holiday town which
comes to life each New Years Eve with the
Festival of the Crab, a celebration of the
excellence of the local blue crabs. The first
festival, held in 1982, was designed to raise
funds to restore the jetty to its original
state.
Things to see:
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The Anchor and Plough
In the main street is an anchor and a plough
with the inscription '1878-1978 Dedicated to the
seafarers and pioneers of Port Germein and
District. Unveiled by John T. Germein, Esq. a
descendant of Captain John Germein on 7 October
1978.'
Continental Hotel
This two storey building on the waterfront was
once a famous local pub named the Pier Hotel
where sailors, local farmers and wharfies used
to meet. It is claimed that one seaman was
murdered in the pub during a brawl. Times
changed and it became a general store but it has
recently been restored to its original hotel
appearance. Next to the Continental/Pier Hotel
is a monument which provides an interesting
depiction of the clippers which used to carry
grain from Port Germein around 1920.
Telowie Gorge Conservation Park
Located 10 km east of Port Germein Telowie Gorge
is a scenic park at the southern end of the
Flinders Ranges which has a community of
yellow-footed rock wallabies living in an
environment characterised by a number of
different eucalypts including the Yellow Gum,
the Sugar Gum and the Red River Gum.
Port Germein Jetty
Prepare yourself for a long walk. The Port
Germein jetty is the longest in South Australia
and, reputedly, the longest in the southern
hemisphere.
Bangor Historic Site.
On the road between Port Germein and Murraytown
is the Bangor Historic Site. This is a really
interesting drive. Beside the river the amount
of stonework which has gone into establishing
the roadway is quite remarkable.
The information on the plaque informs the
visitor: 'The Bangor Historic Site. The Mount
Remarkable Special Survey was purchased in 1846
to acquire mineral rights to a discovery of a
copper ore near Mount Remarkable. When the
special survey was subdivided in 1853 the
township of Bangor was surveyed at the southern
end but it never developed.
A road through the Port Germein gorge opened
in 1879 to allow grain to be carted from the
eastern side of the ranges to Port Germein. The
Gorge Hotel was erected by Thomas Kurner in 1888
as a stopping point for carters. This
subsequently became known as Bangor. Up to 100
bullock and horse teams were camped at any one
time at the creek opposite the hotel. The hotel
closed in 1911 when the extension to railway
greatly reduced the traffic through the gorge.
Several other buildings were erected near the
hotel, including a school, post office, shop and
blacksmith. All have been demolished. A school
opened in 1887 in a building which later became
the hotel stables. The school was relocated in
1905 and a building transported from Port
Germein School; it closed in 1964. The Post
office opened in 1887 and closed in 1931.'
All that is left now are the ruins of the
hotel and a plaque which was put up in 1986
which depicts the hotel. It is still possible to
inspect the ruins and, in your mind, reconstruct
the hotel by looking at the illustration on the
plaque.
Wirrabara
Located 242 km from Adelaide and 36 km from Port
Germein, Wirrabara was originally settled by
Europeans in 1844. It is claimed that 'wirrabara'
is a local Aboriginal word meaning 'creek with
big trees' although other sources claim it means
'running water, rushing winds'. It is a pretty
area which is known for its State pine forests
(and the timber mill) as well as its peach
orchards. In the main street is an old steam
engine used to cut timber in the pine forest.
