Blanchetown, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Blanchetown is a small township in South Australia
, on the (west) bank of the Murray River
, 130 km northeast of Adelaide
. The Blanchetown Bridge is the western-most (and farthest downstream) of the four crossings
of the Sturt Highway
over the Murray River. During the nineteenth century it was an important transportation centre on the lower Murray. In modern times Blanchetown has been described as “a strange mixture of historic buildings and temporary shacks built by holidaymakers on the banks of the river". Blanchetown is widely regarded as the entrance to the Riverland
district.
. The Governor selected the site personally, to replace an earlier settlement of Murrundi (or Moorundee) - five kilometres downstream - which was subject to flooding. Murrundi had been chosen as the base of the Protector of Aborigines
by Edward John Eyre
since 1841.
There had been a ferry
crossing at Blanchetown since 1869 (private before 1879, then Government-run). In February 1876 Blanchetown was described as a “small but ambitious settlement, containing a dozen houses, and having a population of about 50 people”. The buildings in the township were “substantially built of a stone quarried in the neighbourhood”. The post and telegraph office, the hotel and store were described as “the main buildings”.
When land was first sold at Blanche Town it was on the “understanding that a railway should be made there, and some of the allotments consequently fetched as much as £1,200 per acre”. By 1876, however, it was apparent that the railway would by-pass Blanchetown. It was reported that “the inhabitants regard the non-fulfillment of this promise as savouring of repudiation”. The railway line connecting Adelaide with the town of Morgan
, upstream of Blanchetown, was opened in 1878. This development adversely affected the progress of Blanchetown and resulted in a decline of steamer traffic to the town.
, and so the land around it is unsuitable for farming unless it is irrigated using water drawn from the Murray. Upstream of Blanchetown, land above the cliffs on the west bank is mostly used for sheep grazing, while land on the east bank is irrigated for citrus
orchards.
Lock 1 on the Murray River is at Blanchetown. It was the first of the 13 locks and weirs built on the Murray, and was completed in 1922. The lock chamber is approximately 56 feet by 275 feet (17 by 83 metres). The original purpose was to facilitate navigation for trade along the Murray, but by the time the weirs had been built, trade was declining. The primary purposes now are for recreational boating and to maintain water levels for irrigation. The pool upstream of the weir is 3.6 metres above sea level. It is 274 km from the Murray Mouth
.
A bridge was constructed at Blanchetown in 1963. It was the first major prestressed concrete highway bridge in South Australia. In the 1990s it was found to not be structurally sound enough to safely carry B-double
trucks. Until a new bridge could be built, these were diverted from near Monash
via Morgan
and Eudunda
to rejoin the highway at Gawler
, thus travelling further but avoiding the Kingston
and Blanchetown bridges. The replacement bridge was completed in November 1998.
Blanchetown is in the Mid Murray Council
local government area, the South Australian House of Assembly
electoral district of Stuart
and the Australian House of Representatives
Division of Barker
.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
, on the (west) bank of the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
, 130 km northeast of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. The Blanchetown Bridge is the western-most (and farthest downstream) of the four crossings
Murray River crossings
The Murray River in south-eastern Australia has been a significant barrier to land-based travel and trade. This article lists and briefly describes all of the recognised crossing points. Many of these had also developed as river ports for transport of goods along the Murray...
of the Sturt Highway
Sturt Highway
The Sturt Highway is an Australian highway in New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia. It is part of the Auslink National network and is part of the main highway route between Sydney and Adelaide.-Route:...
over the Murray River. During the nineteenth century it was an important transportation centre on the lower Murray. In modern times Blanchetown has been described as “a strange mixture of historic buildings and temporary shacks built by holidaymakers on the banks of the river". Blanchetown is widely regarded as the entrance to the Riverland
Riverland
The Riverland, is a region of South Australia. It covers the area near the Murray River from where it flows into South Australia downstream to Blanchetown.The major town centres are Renmark, Berri, Loxton, Waikerie and Barmera...
district.
History
Blanchetown was originally surveyed in October 1855 as Blanche Town. It was named after Lady Blanche MacDonnell, the wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Richard MacDonnellRichard Graves MacDonnell
Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell KCMG CB was an Anglo-Irish lawyer, judge and colonial governor...
. The Governor selected the site personally, to replace an earlier settlement of Murrundi (or Moorundee) - five kilometres downstream - which was subject to flooding. Murrundi had been chosen as the base of the Protector of Aborigines
Protector of Aborigines
The role of Protectors of Aborigines resulted from a recommendation of the report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on Aborigines . On 31 January 1838, Lord Glenelg, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies sent Governor Gipps the report.The report recommended that Protectors of...
by Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre
Edward John Eyre was an English land explorer of the Australian continent, colonial administrator, and a controversial Governor of Jamaica....
since 1841.
There had been a ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
crossing at Blanchetown since 1869 (private before 1879, then Government-run). In February 1876 Blanchetown was described as a “small but ambitious settlement, containing a dozen houses, and having a population of about 50 people”. The buildings in the township were “substantially built of a stone quarried in the neighbourhood”. The post and telegraph office, the hotel and store were described as “the main buildings”.
When land was first sold at Blanche Town it was on the “understanding that a railway should be made there, and some of the allotments consequently fetched as much as £1,200 per acre”. By 1876, however, it was apparent that the railway would by-pass Blanchetown. It was reported that “the inhabitants regard the non-fulfillment of this promise as savouring of repudiation”. The railway line connecting Adelaide with the town of Morgan
Morgan, South Australia
Morgan is a town in South Australia on the right bank of the Murray River, just downstream of where it turns from flowing roughly westwards to roughly southwards. It is about north east of Adelaide, and about upstream of the Murray Mouth. At the 2006 census, Morgan had a population of 426.The...
, upstream of Blanchetown, was opened in 1878. This development adversely affected the progress of Blanchetown and resulted in a decline of steamer traffic to the town.
Industry and Amenities
Blanchetown is north of Goyder's LineGoyder's Line
Goyder's Line is a boundary line across South Australia corresponding to a rainfall boundary believed to indicate the edge of the area suitable for agriculture. North of Goyder's Line, the rainfall is not reliable enough, and the land is only suitable for grazing and not cropping. The line traces a...
, and so the land around it is unsuitable for farming unless it is irrigated using water drawn from the Murray. Upstream of Blanchetown, land above the cliffs on the west bank is mostly used for sheep grazing, while land on the east bank is irrigated for citrus
Citrus
Citrus is a common term and genus of flowering plants in the rue family, Rutaceae. Citrus is believed to have originated in the part of Southeast Asia bordered by Northeastern India, Myanmar and the Yunnan province of China...
orchards.
Lock 1 on the Murray River is at Blanchetown. It was the first of the 13 locks and weirs built on the Murray, and was completed in 1922. The lock chamber is approximately 56 feet by 275 feet (17 by 83 metres). The original purpose was to facilitate navigation for trade along the Murray, but by the time the weirs had been built, trade was declining. The primary purposes now are for recreational boating and to maintain water levels for irrigation. The pool upstream of the weir is 3.6 metres above sea level. It is 274 km from the Murray Mouth
Murray Mouth
Murray Mouth is the point at which the River Murray meets the southern Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth's location is changeable. Historical records show that the channel out to sea moves along the sand dunes over time...
.
A bridge was constructed at Blanchetown in 1963. It was the first major prestressed concrete highway bridge in South Australia. In the 1990s it was found to not be structurally sound enough to safely carry B-double
Semi-trailer
A semi-trailer is a trailer without a front axle. A large proportion of its weight is supported by a road tractor, a detachable front axle assembly known as a dolly, or the tail of another trailer...
trucks. Until a new bridge could be built, these were diverted from near Monash
Monash, South Australia
Monash is a town in the Riverland area of South Australia. It is on the Sturt Highway between Barmera and Renmark. At the 2006 census, Monash had a population of 1,115....
via Morgan
Morgan, South Australia
Morgan is a town in South Australia on the right bank of the Murray River, just downstream of where it turns from flowing roughly westwards to roughly southwards. It is about north east of Adelaide, and about upstream of the Murray Mouth. At the 2006 census, Morgan had a population of 426.The...
and Eudunda
Eudunda, South Australia
Eudunda is a rural town in South Australia, roughly 103 kilometres northeast of Adelaide, established in 1870 after settlers began moving into the area in the 1860s...
to rejoin the highway at Gawler
Gawler, South Australia
Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
, thus travelling further but avoiding the Kingston
Kingston-On-Murray, South Australia
Kingston-On-Murray is a town on the south bank of the Murray River in the Riverland region of South Australia. It was named after Charles Kingston who was Premier of South Australia from 1893-99. At the 2006 census, the town had a population of 257....
and Blanchetown bridges. The replacement bridge was completed in November 1998.
Blanchetown is in the Mid Murray Council
Mid Murray Council
Mid Murray Council was formed in 1997 from the amalgamation of the former District Councils of Mannum, Morgan, Ridley-Truro and part of the District Council of Mount Pleasant....
local government area, the South Australian House of Assembly
South Australian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of South Australia. The other is the Legislative Council. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Adelaide.- Overview :...
electoral district of Stuart
Electoral district of Stuart
Stuart is an electorate for the South Australian House of Assembly. It covers the northeast part of the state extending from just north of the Barossa Valley all the way to the Northern Territory, Queensland and New South Wales borders, and extending west to include Port Augusta...
and the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
Division of Barker
Division of Barker
The Division of Barker is an Australian Electoral Division in the south-east of South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Collet Barker, an early explorer of the region at the mouth of the Murray River...
.