Olivewood Estate - Renmark: Ron views the Riverland region of South Australia

Renmark is one of the prettiest towns on the Murray with its grand old pub and the gardens stretching all the way from the edge of town to the River.

On the outskirts of town there's a grove of old olive trees and date palms planted when all of this was sheep country and part of what was called Bookmark Station. Charles Chaffey, the man behind Olivewood Estate planted the olive trees in 1890 - and that's where the story of Renmark's transformation and that of the entire Riverland starts.

Constructed of logs, Olivewood was built in 1889 and still looks slightly out of place compared with the town's other buildings.

"It looks like a Canadian log hut because it was built by the Chaffey boys who were from Canada," said Colin Kubank. "The only difference is the logs used in Olivewood are smaller that what would have been used in Canada."

Colin's Kubank's grandfather managed the original olive crushing plant at Olivewood Estate, which was home to Charles Chaffey one of three brothers who came out to Australia to oversee the first irrigation schemes in Victoria and South Australia.

Today Atlantis, the majestic Cydesdale is hitched up to the replica crusher which the locals built to bring life to an old homestead pivotal to the story Renmark, Berri, Blanchetown, Waikerie and all the other Riverland settlements.

"Olives was one of the first crops planted by Charles Chaffey here in 1890. They processed some of their oil in 1894 and it won quite a few awards."

With his nose to the grindstone, Atlantis does what was commonplace here more than a century ago, when the two senior Chaffey boys George and William were enticed to Victoria in the 1880s. But a parliamentary stoush over the border regarding costs put the irrigation settlement at Mildura on hold and the South Aussies pounced on the Vics uncertainty.

"Premier Downer from South Australia stepped in and offered them land up here in the Riverland or what was then Bookmark Station. That spurred the Victorians into action as well - nothing's really ever changed in the way the states compete."

On the verandah at Olivewood, Colin flicks through what was called the 'Red Book', a flashy tome with seductive images of grapes and orchards sent to the old country to entice workers to what was back breaking and at times soul destroying enterprise.

The workers arrived by paddlesteamer at what was meant to be a veritable Garden of Eden. They were in for a shock. "Some of them came out here with families. There was nothing."

But over time the Murray slowly bestowed it's gift of water on the dry floodplains of the Riverland and the Sunraysia. South Australia's irrigation story starts at Olivewood Estate on the corner of 21st Street and the Sturt Highway on the outskirts of Renmark. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au

Olivewood Estate
Cnr Sturt Highway & 21st Street
Renmark
Open Thurs - Mon 10am to 4pm Tues 2pm - 4pm

Published 6th August 2006