Johnburgh - ghost town near Orroroo: Ron explores this remnant of our farming history in the Outback region of South Australia
Drive through northern South Australian and invariably the vast expanse is broken up with the remnants of small communities of would be farmers and their families who pushed on a little too far north of Goyder's Line.
When the massive pastoral runs were broken up in the 1870s for closer settlement land hungry immigrants headed north hoping to add to South Australia's reputation as the "Granary of the South". With a bumper wheat crop would come wealth, or so it seemed.
Located about 30 kilometres north of Ororroo - it's fair to say the town of Johnburgh has suffered a pretty severe case of population decline. Today, the two people who've refurbished the old Post Master's residence as their weekender - invariably have the run of the place. But in it's heyday in the late 1870s, the eager hopefuls who came here to where the emus now roam, saw the potential for fields of gold.
The fever for more wheat country was relentless and so the Government held a Royal Commission in 1875 into the possibility of opening up more land north of Goyders line. A local pastoralist who gave evidence at the time said it was a foolhardy idea. But the Government went ahead anyway and so in 1879 the town of Johnburgh was proclaimed. The settlement grew quickly with bumper crops in the first few years - and then - the droughts hit.
Today visitors to the Bendleby Ranges - come to get away from the madding crowd. And at nearby Johnburgh there's plenty of space and isolation to do just that. For Jane Luckcraft and her husband Warren, the ghost town - a short drive from their campgrounds at Bendleby - is a real hit as more and more South Australians tap into the turbulent past of their forbears.
Jane Luckraft: “It makes you think how tough times were and how hard they were especially for the women on the land and how they would cope with the tragedy of a man being killed or something happening to him - you know, what was their future? They had to either carry one or leave.
“And to think that so many just packed up and left after putting in all the effort to build a place like this. I imagine it was heartbreaking but we have a lot of people come who say their family originated here. So there's a great sense of history about it and a connection to it.”
As the cycle of the seasons turned for the worse, those who stayed on bought out their neighbours square mile properties. But even with larger holdings, the numbers measured in rainfall inches didn't stack up. It was enough to drive some to drink - for a short time at least at the Johnburg Pub.
Jane Luckraft: “The pub was very short lived - being built in the early 1900s and then a lot of people in the district signed the pledge when the temperance movement came in. And so that really didn't do much for the publican's business.”
Johnburgh - with its fields of broken dreams - is located a good 300 kilometres from Adelaide. The closest accommodation is at nearby Bendleby Ranges where Jane and Warren Luckcraft have a range of camping and bed and breakfast options. To book contact Jane on 8658 9064. It's open daily. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Johnburgh Near Orroroo
300 kms ex Adelaide
Accommodation at Bendleby Ranges
Contact 8658 9064Published 24th May 2009
