Peterborough

A railway town at the junction of the Port Pirie to Broken Hill line and the Adelaide to Quorn, Port Augusta, Hawker, Leigh Creek and Marree. The town services an important grain-growing and pastoral region. Its greatest claim to fame is that it is one of only two places in Australia (the other is Gladstone) where three railway gauges met. This particular absurdity was the result of different state governments being unable (or unwilling) to agree on a standard railway gauge.

Where is it?: 250 km north east of Adelaide.





Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre

It is entirely appropriate that one of the main attraction in an old railway town should be the old railway workshop with its displays of steam engines and carriages. Formed in 1977 Steamtown was created to run a steam train service between Peterborough and Quorn with rolling stock dating from 1920s. It runs from Peterborough and Euralia and Orroroo providing visitors with the experience of an old-style railway journey.

The Museum's heritage listed Roundhouse with its 23 bays, a 3 gauge turntable (the only one left in the world) and parts of the original workshops now display a wide range of historic rolling stock, mainly from the original Ghan which passed through the town. After dark, visitors can watch South Australia's first and only Sound and Light Show, from a historic Transcontinental carriage, now transformed into a viewing car and placed on the 27 metre long turntable. Ph. (08) 8651 3355

Heritage features: Ley's Museum; Rann's Museum; Steamtown Peterborough Railway Preservation Society Museum and tourist railway (containing Australia's only remaining triple gauge turntable and roundhouse); Rann's Museum; Gold battery; railway town of Terowie (24 km south east - historic buildings); town of Orroroo (37 km north west - historic buildings, Yesteryear Costume Gallery; Pekina Creek Aboriginal rock art)


Ley's Museum: Located in Queen Street this museum features a display of dolls and collections of bottles, minerals and memorabilia.

Rann's Museum: Located near the corner of Moscow and Cyanide Streets, Rann's Museum displays stationary engines and a collection of historic items dating back to the 1800's which focus on industrial history. It is open daily. For times contact (08) 8651 2969.

Magnetic Hill
The layout of the surrounding land produces the optical illusion that a very slight downhill slope appears to be an uphill slope. Thus, a car left out of gear will appear to be rolling uphill due to gravity. The slope of gravity hills is an optical illusion, although sites are often accompanied by claims that magnetic or even supernatural forces are at work. To get there, take the road from Peterborough to Orroroo. Around 25 km from Peterborough you will come to a T-Junction - left to Jamestown and right to Orroroo. Turn left and travel approximately 1km, when you will cross over a railway crossing. Around 400 metres from that crossing and on the right-hand side of the road, there is a gravel road with a sign 'Magnetic Hill 8 km'. Just follow the signs.


Pekina Creek
Pekina creek provided a permanent supply of water to the town of Orroroo in the nineteenth century. There is a about a 45 minute walk from the park near this waterhole to the Pekina reservoir and back. The walk includes an Aboriginal rock art site, bushland and views over the reservoir. Crumbling ruins are all that remain of Pekina station. In the 1840s Pekina was the northernmost outpost of European settlement in South Australia. It was established by the Chambers brothers but after 18 months without a drop of rain they sold it to Price Maurice. In the 1870s the station was broken up and sold to wheat farmers.

Brief History
Peterborough developed relatively late in the history of South Australia. Land in the area was not taken up by white settlers until 1875 when the Government bought land here and subdivided it. The town had its beginnings four years later when it was announced that the railway to Broken Hill would pass through here. It became a major railway town. By 1880 the Petersburg Hotel and the local Post Office had been erected and the following year the rail link from Adelaide was completed. In 1886 the railway connection to Broken Hill was completed. The town grew rapidly through the 1880s. The public school was opened (1883), the Town Hall erected (1884) and the town was declared a municipality (1886).

Origin of name: originally named Petersburg after Peter Doecke, a landowner who subdivided his land and sold it by auction. The name was Anglicised during World War I when anti-German sentiments were running so high, the Nomenclature Act demanded that all German-sounding names be changed.

Content © 2016 Australia For Everyone | Email us