MANNUM !!!!

It’s been an awesome few days on our trip.

Mannum is a historic town on the west bank of the Murray River in South Australia, 84 kilometres (52 mi) east of Adelaide.

The Aboriginal inhabitants and traditional owners of the vicinity now called Mannum were the Nganguruku (Nganguruga), part of the larger Ngayawung community.^[4] In 1830 the Sturtexpedition passed through the area by boat.

No Europeans visited again until 25 January 1838 when the expedition of Dr George Imlay and John Hill, on horseback from Adelaide, became the first to reach the Murray overland within South Australia.^[5]They noted that the thriving Indigenous population were very keen fisherfolk.^[6]

The first European settlement in the area was in 1840. The first ship (a side-wheel paddle steamer) built on the Murray River was launched at Mannum by William Randell in 1852. A shipbuilding industry continued in Mannum until into the 20th century. William Randell is memorialised by the preservation of the rectangular boiler from the paddle wheeler Mary Ann in the town’s recreation park. His dry dockheld the Marion, an 1897 built paddle wheeler; managed by the National Trust of South Australia as a museum. The Marion left active service in 1950 and spent until 1963 as a boarding house.^[7] The Marion was recommissioned in 1994 and currently operates as a daytrip and overnight cruising vessel along the Murray.

A number of other manufacturing industries were established in the town, and some continue; although not as large as they once were. The largest heavy manufacturing company was David Shearer(later Horwood-Bagshaw) who made farm equipment.

There’s lots more history about this beautiful little town but that would take too long.

Yesterday we did a bit of tourist stuff… went to the Lookout & then to the Falls…

And then onto the Motor Museum…

The evening brought an amazing surprise!!! We won an award !!! I mean seriously this was the biggest surprise and one that was least expected 🤩

All up the trip so far has been awesome 🤩

More tomorrow on today’s adventures 😍