Musgrave Manor at Stansbury: Amber relaxes on the Yorke Peninsula region of South Australia
The popular little holiday town of Stansbury on the Yorke Peninsula began life as Oyster Bay. An easy 200 kilometre drive from Adelaide, Stansbury sits on the eastern side of Yorkes - down towards the heel.
Way back in the 1840s native oysters were abundant in the waters but thanks to chronic over fishing the industry didn't last. Thankfully, the oysters are back and the waters of Gulf Saint Vincent now yield plump pacific oysters in an industry a little more sophisticated than those early days. Today's oyster farmers have wetsuits and speedboats….
Like a lot of Yorke Peninsula's coastal towns, the jetty played a big part in the town's development as local farmers developed markets for their grain.
Susan Hanrahan, Stansbury historian: "Originally the ketches would come in at low tide and they'd drive out with a horse and dray alongside and off load it and that got difficult so they decided that jetties and wharves were a good idea."
Stansbury was no exception - but the jetty we enjoy today isn't the first. The original 1875 jetty stretched into the bay from about where the pub is today… and when its time was up it, removing it proved to be quite a challenge. Come World War Two the army thought they could do with some bridge demolition practice.
Susan Hanrahan, Stansbury historian: "That failed dismally. There were more windows cracked in the town than there was jetty demolished. And so they got piles of firewood and lit it up and virtually burnt it to the ground."
To find out more about the old jetty's colourful ending and the rest of Stansbury's history, pop into the local museum in the old school and residence in North Terrace. Here, you'll also learn about Stansbury's other major industry - lime burning. A model of a limekiln shows how the rocks containing the lime were burnt before the lime was bagged and carted into town. There were as many as fifteen lime burning kilns in the district and at it's peak, 2-thousand bags a week were being shipped across to Adelaide to be used in building mortar in Adelaide houses. An industry that lasted until the 1950s.
It was hot, backbreaking work and no doubt the cool waters that lap the town's foreshore were a favourite spot. But thankfully, we don't have to work up a sweat to enjoy the charms of Stansbury. And one place to do it from is Musgrave Manor, a holiday house high on the hill overlooking the bay.
Musgrave Manor is the pride and joy of Camel Paxton who designed it all to revolve around the open plan designer kitchen. Carmel: "The whole theme of the house is as a gathering place for family and friends."
It's a sprawling five-bedroom house, which sleeps 10 and, wait for it - there are eight TVs! Outside, in keeping with the seaside location there's drive through boat access, a boat wash, fish cleaning sink and campfire pit.
There is a serious side to all this. Carmel says Musgrave Manor came after a health scare that made her reassess her priorities.
Carmel: "Five years ago I went to the local breast bus that came to Yorketown and they diagnosed me with breast cancer. I said 'no way'. I think when you get that to look that in the face and you could be dead tomorrow you stop and reassess everything to do with life. Family and friends are number one. So, my husband and I built this home with that as our main thought - we wanted to provide a gathering place for family and friends to come and relax."
And at Musgrave Manor - there's certain plenty of room to just that. It's on Musgrave Lane on the outskirts of Stansbury. Prices start at $500 per night flat rate - but remember it sleeps 10 so it only works out to $50 each. If you have any further questions please email info@postcards-sa.com.au
Musgrave Manor
Musgrave Lane
Stansbury
Bookings: 0417 855 064Published 26th April 2009
