Wednesday 20th April 2022
Today we left Wilpena Pound and travelled south west to Melrose, a small town at the base of Mount Remarkable.
We pulled into the caravan park and set ourselves up.
We walked over to the playground to stretch our legs and let Madeline do some playing.
We grabbed some milk from the local and bought some firewood. We had a campfire in the afternoon as it was cold enough for it.
Thursday 21st April 2022
Today was a pretty bland day. Jason took the front battery out to test it under load. It was holding normal voltage. He checked the rear one and it was also holding voltage.
Nonetheless we drove to Port Pirie to buy our battery charger, we had lunch and headed back to the caravan.
The battery charger did a restoration and charge sequence on the batteries. It only took 1 hr to complete. So the batteries turned out to be fine.
In the afternoon Madeline made acquaintance with our new neighbours daughter and son. They were 4 and 6 years old, respectively. She had a fabulous time playing until dinner time.
Friday 22nd April 2022
It was Eva’s 36th birthday today. She woke up to open some cards and have a lovely cooked breakfast.
We had decided to visit the Melrose Museum today and it didn’t disappoint.
The museum housed historic artefacts and books for the Melrose police station and courthouse built in 1862. It also had a federation building containing the history of Melrose, the hardships and stories of its residents. There was a building showing the stables, original cells and some farming equipment as well.
We then went to the local cafe for lunch. We had a very yummy lunch and enjoyed ourselves throughly.
We spent a bit of time in the local rose garden and rest area after lunch.
After lunch Madeline went to the playground to play and then tried out the original swing (suspension) bridge.
Swing bridges were constructed to provide access for residents during times when the creeks were flowing.
We arrived back at the caravan and had tea and birthday cake.
Madeline played again with her friends, Georgie and Xavier for the afternoon.
We packed a little this evening as we are moving on tomorrow.
Melrose
Melrose is the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges. The town was once named “Mount Remarkable”.
Prior to European settlement the Doora Aboriginal group living in the lower Flinders Ranges around Melrose. It was estimated that there were around 900 people in the group.
In 1840 Edward John Eyre discovered, and named, Mount Remarkable during his journey into northern South Australia. On 27 June 1840 Eyre wrote in his journal:
From our present encampment a very high and pointed hill was visible to the NNW. From the lofty way in which it towered above the surrounding hills I named it Mount Remarkable.
Edward John Eyre
Farmers moved into the area in 1844 but the land was borderline desert and the rewards were small.
In 1846 copper was found and mining operations commenced. The Melrose Mine was first worked in 1848 but it was not really profitable.
In that same year the Police Paddock was established. It was reputedly the largest Police area in the world at the time.
The copper mines closed in 1851 with the dissolution of the Mount Remarkable Mining Company.
Old Melrose was surveyed in 1853 as part of a subdivision obligation by the Mount Remarkable Mining Company. This makes Melrose the oldest town in the Flinders Ranges.
In 1856 New Melrose was established as a town which became known as the ‘Emporium of the North’. It supplied properties and mining camps to the north.
The current Melrose Heritage Museum (see picture above) was built in 1862 and comprises the Police Station, Old Court House, cells and stables. At one time it was one of the largest police stations in Australia looking after all the land to the north which, at that time, meant northern South Australia, Central Australia and everywhere to the north coast of the country.
The Melrose mine was again worked in 1873.
By 1880 the local Aboriginal community had been reduced to three men and five women. It had been decimated by disease, dispossession and killings.
The most prominent building in town is the North Star Hotel which stands tall and proud at the top of the main street. Originally nothing more than a simple log cabin it was first licensed in 1854. The present building dates from 1881.
The Melrose mine was again worked in 1907.
The railway was extended to Wilmington in 1915.
The Melrose mine was again worked in 1916-1917.
The railway line closed down in 1969.
Tomorrow
We head to Port Pirie for one night.
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