Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[roverdriver]

If you have missed it, Part 1 of this story is here-

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=118273#118273

From Port Augusta to Ceduna the Eyre Highway shows on the map as 468 k's (290 miles), and after Ceduna the next real town is Norseman, a mere 1,200 k's (745 m) further on. Ceduna is generally considered the 'jumping off' town before crossing the famed Nullarbor Plains. We decided that we would spend the night in Ceduna, and as we had plenty of time to get there, decided to detour to Wyalla on the way.

Wyalla has a fascinating history. Apart from early explorers and odd whalers, there was no proper settlement until 1901. That settlement built up as a port. To the North is Iron Knob, an iron rich hill, and the Broken Hill Propriety Company needed iron ore for use in the lead smelters at Port Pirie. The ore was carted to the place then known as Hummock Hill and shipped across Spencer Gulf to Port Pirie. As with many fledgling settlements in this part of Australia, the greatest problem was potable water, which in the early days was brought by animal power, then by rail. It was always strictly rationed. It was not until 1937 that the pipeline from the Murray River solved the water problem.

Here you can see part of an ore train with the 1937 pipeline in the foreground.



The town grew and smelting of Iron ore for its own product commenced, so that now Wyalla is one of the main steel producers in Australia. Some of the ore is sent for processing elsewhere as well.

Below is a small part of the industrial complex.



During WW2, Wyalla's ship-building came to the fore. Here is the HMAS Wyalla, now forming part of the town's maritime museum.





Also during the war, the town's importance caused a battery to be established in case of attack.



The viewpoint on top of Hummock Hill, allows almost 360 degree views of the harbour, industrial area and township. Here is a full barge heading for a bulk carrier with ore, and an empty barge returning to reload.



After enjoying the sights, we went to another lookout that commemorated the fact that Matthew Flinders and Louis-Claude de Saulce de Freycinet, both exploring the coast at the same time, nearly met each other in 1803.



Somehow, Matthew Flinders names stuck!

From there we went to the Mount Laura Homestead Museum. The main building started off as the homestead for a sheep station in 1922, the front stone-built rooms were added in 1934. Eventually the urban sprawl caught up with it and it is now in the hands of the Wyalla branch of the National Trust.

Corrugated iron meets stone-



The museum contains much of a domestic nature, and also houses some very interesting machinery in the Engine Shed.







There is also a communications museum attached, which, among other things commemorates the East-West overland telegraph line opened in 1877.

We left Wyalla and headed towards Iron Knob. The iron mountain has now been fairly well worked out and mining has shifted further along the range, so the township is quietly dying.

Approaching Iron Knob-



In spite of the decline of the town, there is a very good tourist information center and museum there. I am not sure how long it will be able to keep going, as the Eyre Highway now by-passes the town.

Here is the other side of the hill-



We paused for lunch here, and it was so cold that we ate in the car. Then we set off in earnest for Ceduna.



There are many small settlements along this way, as it it part of a great wheat-growing belt, with wool as another product. There is a railway and dotted alongside it are numerous wheat silos, sometimes with a settlement close by. The next more major town was Kimba, in the heart of the wheatlands and proclaiming-



Which suggested to us that we still had a long way to go.

Our steady progress became somewhat impeded by a couple of wide bodies for those huge mining trucks one sees.



No wonder the car and caravan are cringing as far off the road as they can! After a few miles, the convoy found a place to let the traffic behind to get by so we got back to normal speed again.


By 5.00 p.m. we had arrived in Ceduna, booked into a cabin, I had done my checks on the car, and shortly after my wife served our meal, again from the supplies that we carried. There was a beautiful sunset, so we hoped for tomorrow to be a little warmer than it had been through the early part of today.



Our third day of travelling had been particularly rewarding. Lots to see and enjoy, and we had now covered 1,862 k's (1156 miles) since leaving home.

To proceed to part 3, the link is here-

http://www.oldclassiccar.co.uk/forum/phpbb/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=15985
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[Ashley]

Fascinating stuff! A great read and excellent photos.

[Riley Blue]

Great to see, well done and thanks for posting.
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David

1963 Riley 1.5
1965 Riley 1.5

[peter scott]

Very interesting to see your trip report Dane and quite strange reading of the cold conditions although just last week a friend in Melbourne sent me photos of himself and his Jaguar MkIV at a VSCCA day trial totally shrouded in mist and suggesting that I would feel quite at home there.

Thanks for posting.

Peter

p.s. Are you keeping a log of your fuel consumption?
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https://www.nostalgiatech.co.uk
1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[roverdriver]

p.s. Are you keeping a log of your fuel consumption?

Yes Peter. I plan to give statistics in the last section of the saga. If you can't wait that long, I could perhaps send any info via a P.M.

Dane.
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Dane- roverdriver but not a Viking.

[peter scott]