Random thoughts and observations
We made a day trip to historic Burra in the Mid North today, about 170km from Adelaide.
Burra grew rapidly after the discovery of copper in 1845, but declined from the 1880s until a wool industry-inspired resurgence.
Burra declined again as Australia fell off the sheep’s back, but is now rising once more as a well-preserved heritage town.
When you live as close to the beach as we do it may seem strange to drive 82km to a beach, but that’s what we did today.
We went to Middleton on the Fleurieu Peninsula between Goolwa and Port Elliot. We took the Goolwa road from Mount Compass.
The town is mainly holiday homes, as far as I can tell, but apparently it has a permanent population of 818, according to the 2006 census.
The Old Port Elliot Council Chamber is a tiny building, constructed in 1879.
Port Elliot was proclaimed by the Governor of South Australia, Sir Henry Young, on August 28, 1851. He named the town in honour of his friend, Sir Charles Elliot, who was at that time the Governor of Bermuda.
A great future was envisaged for the port, with the construction of a horse-drawn railway from Goolwa to Port Elliot.
Yesterday I visited the South Australian Aquatic Sciences Centre at West Beach where significant research is undertaken to ensure the sustainable growth of the state’s aquaculture industries.
Core skills include aquaculture nutrition, genetics and propagation, micro-algal production, marine and freshwater ecological research, environmental assessment, oceanography, aquatic biosecurity and fisheries biology, assessment and modelling.
Living in Adelaide it’s hard not to get caught up a little in the excitement of the Tour Down Under, which will be held from January 15-22, 2012.
The Tour Down Under was first held in 1999 and has grown year every year to become the biggest cycling race in the southern hemisphere.
The TDU is a festival of cycling, with a range of associated events that create a party atmosphere across South Australia.
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