Miscellaneous

This is the place where I intend to put everything that has no other logical home on our website. Here you will find all manner of snippets of information relating to many and varied subjects, much of it taken from our extensive library collection.

Motor Vehicle Registrations

Did you know that the Registration numbers of motor vehicles, their owners and the places of residence of the owners used to be printed in the newspaper? Whilst transcribing some Fleurieu related items from The Register recently, I found this one among a long list of others:-
6216, Bruce Barker, Mt. Barker, 25-30 Pullman

Oddities in Law

In 1915, three women – one from Adelaide, one from Pt Adelaide and one from Aldinga, were fined 10/- each for wearing unprotected hat pins in public! Does this mean then, that it was okay to wear them in private?

Sir Douglas Mawson

On Sunday 21 July 1929, a few months before his departure on the epic adventure that took him to the South Pole and back, Sir Douglas Mawson and the member of parliament Mr. Anthoney, had been visiting some wineries and other industrial sites on the Fleurieu. During the return journey to Adelaide, the car that he was driving was involved in an accident on Tapley’s Hill Road, in close proximity to the O’Halloran Hill post offce. Sir Douglas pulled out to pass a wagon loaded with timber, and as he overtook the vehicle, his car came into contact with another car, being driven by a Mr. Hunt. Both Mr Hunt, and Sir Douglas Mawson were required to attend court at Morphett Vale in September of that year, to answer charges in relation to this accident. Sir Douglas left on his Antarctic Exploration journey only a few days after he attended that court session. Mr Hunt and his passenger received abrasions and minor lacerations when their vehicle overturned; Sir Douglas and his passenger escaped unscathed, save for some minor cuts from broken glass, sustained by Mr. Anthoney. Mr. Hunt was fined for his involvement in the accident, since he had been in the wrong.
[Melbourne Argus, Monday 22 July 1929 and Saturday 14 September 1929]

Old Reynella township.

An historic village, with original housing and businesses, set up along with the Reynella Winery, as the fully restored horse changing station being a rest changeover for travellers from Adelaide. The Hotel is mainly original but modified. On the eastern side of this the original Main South Rd, are original cottages modified to modern standards with tenants

Also the very old haberdashery shop, privately owned, which has worldwide appeal to shoppers for the high quality clothing and other apparel for sale. (more info later).

Rapid Bay Pioneers

This photo and text of the Tarran family of Rapid Bay on the Fleurieu Peninsular may be rather blurred, but is worth entering into this page, as the House still exists, as a storage building/barn on the property at the base of the Hill on the right. The current owner lives in a newish home adjacent to the original house