Riverton
Small township which was once part of the transport route from the copper mines to the coast.
Riverton is 96 km north of Adelaide. It is characterised by an attractive tree-lined main street (Torrens Road) and a large number of interesting historic buildings ranging from the delightful old railway station to the cottage and outbuildings of August Scholz.
The first Europeans into the area arrived in the 1840s. James Masters, an innkeeper and pastoralist, sent his shepherds, with herds of sheep, into the Gilbert Valley and they roamed across the land taking advantage of the good supplies of grass. The district was surveyed in 1853 and farmers were sold 32 hectare lots of land. The real change, and the real development of the town, occurred with the discovery of copper at Burra and Kapunda.
Copper was first discovered at Kapunda by Francis Dutton in 1842 and it was discovered in the Burra district in 1845 by two shepherds, William Streair and Thomas Pickett. The Burra Mining Company imported Spanish-speaking mule drivers from Uruguay to transport copper from Burra to Port Wakefield. At the same time there were dozens of bullock drivers (mostly Irish) bringing copper to Port Adelaide through the Riverton. The mules were obviously faster as the bullocks were only capable of doing 9 miles (14.5 km) a day consequently a series of tiny towns grew up at 9 mile intervals along the route. These were the evening watering holes for the bullock drivers who took the copper ingots to Port Wakefield and then brought coal (much of it from Newcastle-on-Tyne) back to fuel the smelters at Burra. The route was Burra through Saddleworth and Riverton and so on until it got to Port Adelaide. This saw the town grow as saddlers, wheelwrights and blacksmiths arrived to service the copper wagons. Not surprisingly the first building constructed in Riverton was a pub (unlicensed) which was opened in 1853 to provide alcoholic relief to the thirsty bullock drivers. The following year a store, Post Office and Telegraph Office were opened and James Masters and Matthew Moorhouse named the new settlement, Riverton.
The railway line arrived in 1869 and subsequently the handsome railway station and refreshment rooms were built from local bluestone.
Today the town is very much focussed on the main street which is the main artery from the north to Adelaide. It is a pleasant service town for the surrounding area and the visitor should make a point of seeing the Railway Station (one of the most elegant in Australia) and going for a walk down the main street.
Things to see:
Heritage Walk
There is an excellent Heritage Walk through Riverton. Produced with the help of the local historical society it lists 39 buildings and locations of interest. A more abbreviated version of the full Heritage Walk can be undertaken if you park your car outside the Scholz Park and walk up and down the main street. The highlights on the main street include:
Scholz Park Museum
August Scholz established a wheelwright business in this tiny cottage in 1872. In 1886 he bought the blacksmith's shop next door. The complex, now pleasantly located in a small park with some old equipment outside, remained in the Scholz family until 1966. After that the buildings were taken over by the District Council, restored and opened as a Museum in 1981. Access to the buildings can be had by enquiring at the Information and History Centre over the road.
Information and History Centre
Built in 1879 this was the original English, Scottish and Australian Bank and residence. It has been the Information Centre since 1997. 21 Torrens Road, telephone (08) 8847 2705, facsimile (08) 8847 2500. Open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday 11.00am - 3.00pm
Post Office
A little further down the road, on the same side as Scholz Park, is the Post Office which was completed in 1876. It is now privately owned but the old Post Office facade remains unchanged.
Riverton Arms Hotel
Further down the street is the Riverton Arms Hotel, a single storey old historic building which was built in 1855 by Frederick and John Hannaford and was a popular stopping point for the bullock drivers. It was licensed in 1857 and is now on the State Heritage Register.
Community Hall
Continue further down the street and cross Elizabeth Street. The Community Hall was erected in 1874 with the upper storey being added in 1879. The stage was added in 1914.
Riverton Gallery
This was originally an ironmonger's shop and residence. It was built in 1866 and is now a successful gallery which includes the works of Australian artist, Rob Hannaford.
Mounting Stone
Cross over the road and head back towards Scholz Park. On the corner of Masters Street and Torrens Road is an old mounting stone where people would alight from horse drawn carriages and women would get onto their horses with some dignity.
Railway Complex
Return to Scholz Cottage, head east down Elliot Street and then cross over Frederick Street and continue on Jean Street. At the end of the street you will come across the beautifully preserved Railway Complex. This building was completed in 1875 and added to in 1905. It gained notoriety when, on 22 March, 1921, it was the scene of an assassination. A passenger who was travelling on the Broken Hill Express from Adelaide fired a number of shots into the dining room and Percy Brookfield, a Member of Parliament for Broken Hill, was shot and killed when he tried to disarm the gunman. If you know where you're looking you can still see the bullet holes in the walls.
Holy Trinity Church
Head out of town to the north and just beyond the 9 hole golf course you will see the Holy Trinity Church. It was built in 1857-58 by James Masters - his wife Elizabeth laid the foundation stone. Slate was shipped from England to roof the church and in the early days there were candles placed at the end of each pew. The building is on the State Heritage Register. It has a Memorial stained glass window and a cedar staircase.
Saddleworth
This small settlement came into existence in 1844 and was named Saddleworth by James Masters who had grown up in Saddleworth, Yorkshire. There is the Saddleworth Historical Museum with a good collection of local memorabilia. A quiet little town. The museum is in the centre of town in an old, disused department store. A pleasant stand of gum trees greets the person travelling into Riverton from the north.
St Aidan's Anglican Church
The church at Saddleworth is perched on top of the hill. It is a beautiful old church with a Norman spire.
Tourist Information
Clare & Gilbert Valleys District Council Office
4 Gleeson St
Clare SA 5453
Telephone: (08) 8842 6400
Hotels
Hotel Central
41 Torrens Rd
Riverton SA 5412
Telephone: (08) 8847 2314
Rating: *
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