Lameroo Walk One - Takes you around the north side of Lameroo

Lameroo Heritage Walks | Walk One | Walk Two | Walk Three | Walk Four | Visit Lameroo

Takes you around the north side of Lameroo - approx. 40 minutes

Exit the Craft Shop and turn right …

1 Garage/Mechanical Workshop

Originally this site was a bulkstore for Eudunda Farmers Co-op.

In 1922 JE Anderson, plumber and tankmaker, had a workshop on the site and an agency for Metters windmills. In 1945 the business became a service station and then in the 1980s changed to mechanical repairs and auto electrics and the petrol pumps were removed. The site is now used for private storage.

2 Bakery

From 1908 the original ovens and bakery were operated from the P O’Connor store (point 3). Then the old O’Connor residence was converted to a retail outlet and the baking equipment upgraded. In 1937 the bakery business was sold to Mr SRG Cheney and for the first time Lameroo had a separate bakery. The business changed hands several times and in 1956 was bought by the Pinnaroo baker who closed it down and supplied bread from Pinnaroo. In 1958 Desmond Cheney, son of SRG, bought the shop and it took over a week to gradually fire up the old ovens. A new bakery was built in 1961 with the star from the old one placed on the front of the new building.

3 Brown Transport

In November 1907 a general store was opened by P O’Connor & Sons. It also housed the Post Office and had agencies for superphosphate, machinery and insurance. A bakers oven was installed, a room for a dressmaker added and for a time the CWA held meetings in the rear of the store. In 1909 Eudunda Farmers Co-op bought the stock and buildings and transferred their business from Vardon Terrace. They added to the bakery and installed electric lighting.

After EFCS moved to their new shop in Railway Terrace North in 1937 the shop remained vacant until RJ Kerslake started his machinery agency and servicing business in approx 1939. He had agencies for International tractors and Shell, had mechanics on site and delivered fuel. Mr FA Miller bought the business in 1966 and concentrated on light farming repairs and general engineering. In 1977 he changed to manufacturing hydraulic grain equipment and in 2004 after Miller’s relocated to their Adelaide factory Brown’s Transport commenced their depot on the site.

Turn right into Railway Terrace South and walk to the corner of Poyntz Street …

4 Police Station

The first police officer appointed was stationed in the former Ratcliff home on South Avenue until the police station was built in 1909. Court hearings were also held at the station. The area covered by the policeman in the early days was vast and travel was by horse or train and sometimes by hired private cars. The first police car, a Holden sedan, was allotted in 1974. The current police station was built in 1971.

Cross Poyntz Street, continue along Railway Terrace South …

5 no: 26 Railway Terrace South

One of the few surviving stone structures in Lameroo, this home was built for the Eudunda Farmers Co-op manager.

Turn around, go back and then turn left into Poyntz Street …

6 no: 3 Poyntz Street

At one time this house was occupied by Mr Herbert Mayo a lawyer and then by Dr JC Mayo.

Continue to end of street, turn left into Vardon Terrace …

7 no: 16 Vardon Terrace (on corner)

This is the first doctors residence and was built for Dr Dunstone in 1907. The house has recently been extensively renovated but all the original pressed tin and match lining has been left intact. While working on the house the owners found timbers, obviously brought by rail, with Dr Dunstones name on as the final destination. Dr Halahan was the next occupant and later Dr Richards.

Continue down hill …

8 nos: 8 – 10 Vardon Terrace

This vacant block is the site of the old Trinity Lutheran churches. The first was a timber and iron building in 1909 which was sold and relocated after a new cement block church was built in 1955. After Trinity Church amalgamated with St Johns Church (point 21) the building was vacated in 1966. It was then used as an RAOB Lodge, a kindergarten, a youth club and for Girl Guides and Brownies. The church had to be demolished in the 1990s as it was no longer considered safe leaving just the toilet block still standing.

Turn around and go back up the hill …

9 Telecom Tower (on left)

Radio, TV, phone and emergency service communications tower.

10 Water Towers (on left)

Erected in 1954/1955 each tank holds 60,000 gallons. The tanks were originally erected at Wallaroo for use in a never used power alcohol distillery and were dismantled in sections and brought to Lameroo by road. Reputedly the largest crane in SA at the time was used to lift the sections as they were assembled. The water purification plant at the front of the tower was commissioned in January 2004.

11 no: 18 Vardon Terrace (on right)

This block was surveyed in February 1907 and first sold in April. The first owner, Amos Edwards a labourer, sold it for six pounds fifteen shillings in August to Frank Elsden who commenced as a tinsmith and worked from home. He made water tanks, fittings and gas lights etc. He left the district about 1912 and it is believed the current house was built about 1920. It has the original pressed tin walls and ceilings. The bottle brush tree in the corner of the front garden, although damaged in a storm, is over 80 years old.

Continue down Vardon Terrace …

12 no: 20 Vardon Terrace

This was a boarding house for many years.

13 nos: 24 & 26 Vardon Terrace

These are original old homes in the town, note the small driveways and that the house walls on the western side form the driveway boundary for the next property.

Look left …

14 Hospital and Doctors Residence

Prior to the hospital being built urgent medical cases had to go to Murray Bridge in a special medical car attached to the train which took hours and was very uncomfortable. Following a successful petition to the government a hospital was built in 1911/1912 which served the area between Murrayville (Vict) and Peake. Original staff were the matron, a probationer nurse, a secretary and the town doctor. Fees were six shillings a day for in-patients and between one shilling and two and sixpence for out-patients. The hospital has been rebuilt and extensively enlarged and upgraded over the years and now houses a day centre, physiotherapy room, counselling service, secure geriatric wing, palliative care and emergency facilities etc. The two palm trees at the front of the building were planted in the original garden. The doctors residence next to the hospital was built in the early 1960s.

At the main road look right …

15 Ambulance Station (faces Chandos Terrace)

A public meeting in 1966 voted in favour of forming a Brigade and it was inaugurated in 1967. The ambulance was housed at the hospital until the ambulance station was built in 1976. It is staffed with local volunteers. A Family and Youth Health (FAYH) clinic is held regularly in the building.

Turn left and walk along Chandos Terrace in front of the hospital, turn left into Taylors Road, walk down past garages on left …

16 Nurses Home

This two story building is currently used as offices and for occasional overnight accommodation by visiting hospital staff.

17 Kyeema Aged Care Facility

This eight bed independent living hostel was built with locally raised funds and government subsidies and was opened in 1981. It is usually fully tenanted.

18 Scrub Area (on left)

This scrub is typical of the vegetation found in the area at time of settlement.

Go to the end of the road …

19 no: 10 Taylors Road

This property was used as a brickyard and bricks for the early hotel were made here. The clay pit (now not visible) was used as a swimming hole in the early days. The old timber and iron house can just be seen behind the yellow shed.

Turn round and go back along Taylors Road …

20 Hawkesbury Crescent and Clarence Street Area

This is a former Housing Trust home area but is now all privately owned.

Turn left into Clarence Street and walk to the end …

21 St John Lutheran Church (on right hand corner)

The first services were held in Ratcliff’s Hall and then the Methodist Church as well as private homes. This current site was purchased for twenty pounds and the first timber and iron church, now used as a hall and situated behind the new building, was built by HW Drogemuller a member of the congregation. Pastors from Trinity Lutheran (point 8) and St Johns were involved in the design of the new church dedicated in 1966. The bell was imported from Germany.

Turn right into Adelaide Road, walk to the roundabout, turn left and walk north along Chandos Terrace …

22 WAB Garden

A stone and plaque mark the site of the garden planted by the Lameroo Women’s Agricultural Bureau to commemorate the Golden Jubilee 1917-1967.

23 Mallee Express Depot

This was formerly the ETSA depot.

Continue past the Council Works Depot and cross Enterprise Road and continue north past the empty block and noting the new industrial area behind …

24 Former Butchers House with Abattoir Behind

Now renovated, this house, until quite recent times, was lived in by the town butcher who used the abattoir behind for killing locally grown beasts for sale in the shop on Railway Terrace North.

Cross over the road to the old cottage …

25 Former Wilson Home

The three Misses Wilson of Scottish descent lived here. Two of them, Miss Lucy and Miss Jean, were great characters and are fondly remembered by many of the older residents of the town.

Now turn left and walk south back towards the roundabout, on your left …

26 Golf Course

The golf course is part of the original water reserve and in this vicinity was Wow Wow well the first permanent water supply for the township. The water was brought up using a horse drawn whim.

The golf course area was set aside as a recreation ground and a football oval, cricket pitch and tennis courts established. There was also a showground and a racetrack circled all the facilities. On a slight rise in the centre of the park some native pines sprang up and these are still growing. In early 1911 a golf course was laid out but could only be used in winter as there was no irrigation to provide for summer greens. By 1917 play was abandoned and did not resume until 1924 with social golf only being played during WWII. After the other sports relocated to the south recreation area following WWI the golf club had plenty of room to expand. Several buildings have been used as the clubhouse with the current one being built in 1979. The Golf Club is justifiably proud of its facilities which are very well used by both locals and visitors.

Walk up Leckie Avenue to …

27 no: 2 Leckie Avenue

This house was originally the National Bank, later used as a private home, and stood on the corner of Chandos Terrace and Railway Terrace North. It was relocated when the new Lameroo Traders arcade was built.

Turn right into Byrne Street and go to the end, turn right into Harvey Street …

28 Railway Housing (opposite)

The cottages here (and behind them on Vardon Terrace) provided accommodation for the railway workers. They are now privately owned.

29 Leckie Avenue, Byrne Street and Harvey Street

This sub-division was established in 1955 on the site of the old water reserve and is named after the three pioneer settlers in the district.

Walk to the end of Harvey Street, turn left into Chandos Terrace and go to the next corner …

30 Corner House (corner Chandos Terrace and Vardon Terrace)

This house was built in 1936 by Dr Cock who operated his surgery from home. He made house calls throughout the district and consulted regularly at Parrakie and Geranium and during WWII he also went as far as Karoonda.

Cross Vardon Terrace, on left …

31 Andy Prentice’s Mechanical Repairs

On this site there was a blacksmith and later Cornish’s agency and egg shed.

Cross to the median strip …

32 Plantation of Sugar Gum Trees

These trees were planted to commemorate the diggers who fought in WWI.

Cross to …

33 Dolly’s Golden Raintree Craft and Heritage Centre

This was built in 1911 and designed as a shop and dwelling with both doors opening onto the footpath. The shop door is recessed and has glazed display windows, there is a cellar under the floor (now unused) and the bullnosed verandah has horse hitching rails attached to the posts. The building was first used as a greengrocery then was vacant until Mr R Thamm commenced as a saddler and leatherworker in 1925. His wife taught piano and also accompanied the silent pictures shown at the Institute. Mr Roberts took over from the Thamms as a saddler and besides mending harness sold push bikes and motor bikes. (Mr Roberts son Jack later became the District Clerk). Later the building was bought as a private home by Mr and Mrs W Vandepeer. After Mr Vandepeer died his wife “Dolly” lived alone and was in the house for a period altogether of 52 years before moving to Pinnaroo.

Early in 1997 the Southern Mallee District Council bought the building to be made available to the Lameroo & District Historical Society. It has been extensively renovated in keeping with the original construction. The front section is rented by the Lameroo Craft Club and the back section houses a permanent display by the Historical Society and leads out to the new museum.

The beautiful old golden raintree in the garden is a feature.

The centre was officially opened by the late Roy Koch, life member of the Historical Society, on Sunday 15th Oct 2000.

This is the end of Walk One. Please take time to explore the Lameroo Museum (Entry is by gold coin donation) and then perhaps enjoy a Devonshire Tea in the Craft Shop.

Lameroo Heritage Walks | Walk One | Walk Two | Walk Three | Walk Four | Visit Lameroo