Although the Blanchetown population is now little more than
250, it
was, at one time, much
larger, but many of the people have moved away since the two
ferries stopped operating.
Blanchetown is now largely by-passed by the majority of travellers. It is only 84 miles from
Adelaide by road and 704 miles by river
from the mouth at the lake below Wellington.
There is a Hotel, a swimming area, a caravan park, camping sites and
a Store. There are
garages on the western bank of the river and the turn-of is opposite
the Service Station
on the highway.
A bridge has been built in recent
years.
Blanchetown is the site of Lock 1, which is the first in the Murray
system. This was
opened in 1929 and named the William Randell Lock in honour of the
pioneer of river
navigation in the 1800's.
Probably the most interesting building in the area is the Hotel
which has been trading
on its present site for 117 years. The Hotel license is actually
older than this because the
license was transferred to the current site from a position
further downstream. The building
itself is a gem of pioneer construction. The rafters were
shaped with a broad axe.
The 6 x 8 inch nails used were hand made. The roof rests on rough
shaped sapling bearers
which still, incidentally, retain their original bark. Mind you,
the bar area has been
modernised to a degree but, fortunately, the licensee, who has an
eye for preserving the
original building, has not in any way changed any other section.
All this is certainly a building
which must be visited by any historical student. There
are many other items of interest
for the tourist, the locations of which can be
ascertained on enquiry at the Hotel.
Blanchetown is where the Murray River’s lock and weir water flow
management system starts.
The system was constructed along the river in
the 1920s and 1930s to help control the water
level so that cargo and
paddle- steamers would always be able to navigate the waterways.
The old
bridge in the town gives an excellent view of Lock 1 and circling above
are hundreds of
hungry pelicans that love to feed on the schools of fish
near the spillway.
Although
Blanchetown’s towering cliffs are famous for the grand views of their
changing
colours, closer inspection reveals fossilised treasures such as
starfish, shells and fish.
Things to do and see
Brookfield Conservation
Park
Nearby is the
Brookfield Conservation Park, a breeding ground for the hairy-nosed
wombats that can be seen grazing on the western side of the river. You
can also see
them on the Morgan road at dusk coming up from their
burrows.
Historical Walk
Blanchetown’s history
is full of quirky stories such as this: the Post Office building
was originally intended to be a railway station, but the rail plans changed and
no
track was ever built. Discover more about its
history by undertaking the Blanchetown
Historical Walk. Pick up a copy
of the booklet from various outlets in the town.
Cellar Door
Burke Salter Wines is a
recently opened boutique cellar door. Call in for tastings
and stay the
night at the adjacent bed and breakfast.
Accommodation
Blanchetown has a
variety of accommodation options including tourism award-winning
Quality
Houseboats – the first fleet to offer ensuites in every room. Nearby,
Bindmurra Farm offers accommodation on its working farm. Places with
absolute
riverfront include Roonka Cottages and the three caravan parks.
Stay the night in a bed
& breakfast or pitch a tent at any of the
numerous locations along the river.
Visitor information
Blanchetown visitor
information outlet and deli hardware
Merivale Street, Blanchetown SA 5357
Phone: (08) 8540 5305
Open: Mon – Fri 7.30am – 6pm
Sat 7.30am – 7.30pm
Sun 7.30am – 7pm
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BLANCHETOWN
