Sunday 13th April

I think I’ve missed some birthdays in the last few days – sorry to you all, and we hope you’ve all had good celebrations.

Our plan today was to visit two of the local towns, but as you’ll see, it didn’t happen that way. After a very pleasant lazy morning (mustn’t get used to these, there’s still so much to do), we set off for Kapunda, a small town on the borders between the Barossa and Clare valleys. To get there, we drove through Greenock and as we left the Barossa, the vineyards disappeared and farmland took their places. The landscape is different too, with great expanses of fields now shorn of their crops and looking very arid, but much more rolling scenery with houses nestled in the dips and on slopes overlooking creeks – or what would be creeks if there was any water in them. This is the second year of bad drought for the region and if the rains don’t come this year, many of the farmers will lose their livings.

As you approach the town, you see a huge statue of a miner set at the side of the road. This is entitled “Map Kernow” and dedicated to all the miners who worked in the area.

He’s not an actual person – the title is the Cornish dialect for “Son of Cornwall” and is a tribute to all. Kapunda was the first viable metal mine in SA, started in 1842 with the discovery of copper, some of the purest found anywhere. The find came at a time when South Australia was nearly bankrupt and it created wealth that built some of the finest houses in the state. Miners from Cornwall were given free passage to the region as their experience was essential. Up to 340 men and boys, mainly Cornish, were employed up till 1878 when the mines closed.

The mining also gave rise to the kind of industries that are needed to support it, many of which still exist today. Some of the men here rose to become very powerful, not just in the state, but in Australia. Henry Hawke started an engineering firm in 1857 and it continued in business until 1984. Sidney Kidman (and no, we don’t know if he was a relative of Nicole) starting with nothing, became the largest landowner in Australia, possibly the world, as he owned more acreage than the state of Victoria. When he moved to Adelaide in 1921, he donated his house, Eringa, to the town to be used as a high school and it is still used as such today.

There are lots of other characters about whom we learned but I won’t bore you with all their details!

We thoroughly enjoyed the Museum and the Mining Exhibition, and talked to several old timers of the town who had plenty tales to tell us. Tom was also able to post the blog and check the e-mails in the Tourist office/library while I wandered round the craft shop, a local display imaginatively set out in wooden crates and took pics. We found a café where I had a very tasty bun and got my face covered in icing sugar and cream, much to Tom’s amusement. We followed the town map and found some of the prettiest cottages – I’ve fallen in love with the wrought ironwork on canopies and round balconies, it’s so decorative.

By this time, the afternoon had disappeared and our visit to the second town was off the cards so we simply meandered our way back here, having added to our combined knowledge of all things interesting and/or trivial. A good day. This is another night in and an early night ready for our wine tour tomorrow. Goodnight all.