Nor' West Bend Station: Lisa explores some Riverland reion history in South Australia
As the River Murray meanders its way through South Australia it makes a radical turn south and heads to the southern ocean. It's on this sweeping bend just above the town of Morgan, that Sue and Kevin Pedder have found their little patch of river history. Nor' West Bend was once a sprawling station settled in 1850 by pastoralists, Charles Campbell (after whom Campbelltown is named) and Phillip Levi.
At one time Nor' West Bend covered over 2,000 square miles - stretching all the way from Overland to Burra. But there were plenty of tough times. During the drought of the mid 1860s 16,000 sheep died of starvation or were killed by wild dogs. Donald McLean was the real hero of Nor' West Bend as he introduced fences and irrigation.
Sue Pedder, 'Nor' West Bend Station': "Donald McLean was an overseer and he lived here on the property and worked for a man by the name of Armitage. McLean was interested in fencing and irrigation. And we've got an old cart note from the Bunyip paddleboat delivering wire for McLean's fencing…"
The centerpiece of Nor' West Bend is the homestead but it's crisp white lime-washed stone walls and lush gardens are a far cry from when the Pedders purchased the place just 8 years ago.
Sue Pedder, 'Nor' West Bend Station': "It'd lasted the 150 years pretty well, but then the last owner before us was Albert Brockmeyer who was here for 70 years. Once he died it was left empty and in during those five years it very quickly started to lose the roof and the ceilings. Doors were gone, half the house was alright but the other half was pretty much missing…"
Sue and Kevin set about not just restoring but in some cases rebuilding the house and much of the work they did themselves. They had to - tradesmen wouldn't come this far!
One of the most curious room is the old shop - crammed with an amazing array of items collected through the decades - from clay pipes, to biscuit tins and potions - even 'pink pills for pale people'.
Sue Pedder, 'Nor' West Bend Station': "The sitting room is my favourite room. It's our sitting room and was always the parlour, always the smart room of the house and everybody who has lived here has put their mark on this house. We found about 13 layers of wallpaper on the walls and the original lime mortar had never been painted so right from Levi and Campbell's time it was wallpapered."
They couldn't have picked a better spot to build the house this house because it has spectacular views over the River Murray and the garden. The garden's restoration brought its own challenges because it has to endure punishing conditions - like 50 degree summers and minus 7 in winter.
Kevin Pedder, 'Nor' West Bend Station': "This is the original tank they put in for irrigation. They'd fill it from the river with horse and whim, it would overflow here and underneath all the paving are little channels that flood irrigate out to the paddocks.
"The original two storey woolstore is a great building too. Albert Brockmeyer, who lived here for 70 years, his hobby was badminton so many years this was the local Morgan badminton court."
The old woolstore is still regularly used for indoor bowls, table tennis and even a wedding or two.
Out the back Sue and Kevin have recreated a spectacular garden featuring more than 200 roses.
Sue Pedder: "It's a picking and fruit garden where the owner would come out and get the produce for that season and the flowers for that season and decorate the house."
Kevin Pedder: "There are at least 100 varieties of roses - I know because I had to make the labels."
When they're not working on the house or garden, you'll likely find the Pedders on the river on their own unique little paddle-wheeler - the Gypsy Ellen. Like everyone on the river, they're certainly enjoying the increased flow - courtesy of a wet winter.
Kevin Pedder: "The river's changed. It got weedy for a time and now that the flows are happening it's absolutely fantastic."
You can experience it all for yourself. To mark its 160th anniversary, Nor' West Bend is open all this week as part of the Riverland Rose Festival. The gardens are open daily from 10am until 4pm until Sunday Oct 24, 2010. Entry is $5 per person. Nor' West Bend Station is 9 kilometres from Morgan on the Renmark Road.
Nor' West Bend Station
Open daily 10am-4pm until Sun 24 Oct
9kms from Morgan on Renmark Rd
Ph 8540 3114Published 17th October 2010
