Middleton Railway Station on the Goolwa to Port Elliot SteamRanger Heritage Railway Line, Fleurieu Peninsula South Australia
This four storied bluestone mill building dominates the Middleton skyline. Its quoins, parapets and window surrounds are built of local Batson red brick.
*"The large and commodious Steam Flour Mill at Middleton is now completed and has added much to the appearance and importance of this rising township.
The engine is an elegant piece of workmanship and is the first, I believe to be erected in the colony upon the new expansive principle." [Ref: Observer 15-12-1855]
*The Steam Flour Mill was built in 1855 for Messrs W and A Bowman.
The chimney, which has since been demolished, was built of bluestone and bricks from the nearby Batson's Brickyard.
The mill plant was driven by a 12 horsepower steam engine with a tubular type boiler.
The engine was assembled by Messrs. Tuxford and installed by Josiah Oldfield.
Due to the large interior spaces the mill was also used for civic functions. On 23 April 1869 when the railway line from Middleton to Strathalbyn was opened the town’s residents celebrated with a luncheon held in the mill’s storeroom.
The mill was sold in 1889 to Fred Ellis for 1,000 pounds.
*Middleton, the intended junction of the Strathalbyn Tramway with the existing line.
There is already a fair start of settlement in the district, the nucleus of it being Mr Bowman’s flour mill. Around it is a cluster of neat cottages. [Southern Argus 4-1-1868]
*FIFTY YEARS AGO From the Register Friday December 14 1955.
The large steam flourmill at Middle is now completed. The Engine, manufactured by Messrs Tuxford, is the first erected in the province upon the new expansive principle. It is of 12hp with tubular boiler. [Ref: Register 15-12-1905]
*Middleton July 8
One of the largest floods in the district was witnessed on Friday, doing a great deal of damage places, especially to ploughed land in crop.
Traffic in the main road was unable to pass through the town for a time until the water (which was well over the Middleton Creek bridge, and as high as the fences in places) subsided.
Water went through the flour mill and some of the houses. Sand-bagging doorways was the order of the day. The newly planted soldiers’ memorial gardens, and other gardens, suffered.
The train had to go through water a foot deep in the station yard when it arrived. [Re: Observer 22-7-1922]
*At a National Trust meeting at Victor Harbor the early history of the district was discussed.
The very first cargo shipped overseas from Port Victor was flour from Bowman’s Mill. It was destined for Dunedin in the schooner ‘Elizabeth’. [Victor Harbour Times 11-4-1968]
*Railway line marked town's beginning
The section of land on which the town of Middleton is situated was first purchased on October 25, 1849. by Thomas Walker Higgins at an auction held on September 14, 1849, for 17 pounds and one shilling.
When the Goolwa to Port Elliot railway was built a single track was laid down and it was necessary to provide loop lines for the trucks to pass. Two such loops were provided, placed about equidistant from the terminals.
One crossing point was sited at a place later to be called Middleton. The siding was constructed and ready for use in September 1854.
It was from the establishment of this siding that the town eventually grew. Mr Higgins could foresee that a township would be an advantage sited on his land and so he had the area surveyed and laid out as a town in October 1856. He named the town Middleton after family associations in Ireland, although he was born in Sussex.
However, before the survey had been approved, building had commenced in the immediate area. One of the earliest buildings was the store on the main road which was erected in 1854 by Mr Limbert. Subsequent owners were Mr Heggarton and Mr SW Padman.
The largest building in Middleton was, and still is the flour mill. In December 1855, it was reported as being complete. It was built for Messrs W & A Bowman. It was a steam driven mill, power being supplied by a 12 hp engine built by Messrs Tuxford.
Grain ground at this mill, as well as being used locally, was sent up the Murray by paddle steamer and was also shipped first from Port Elliot and later Victor Harbor. In fact the first cargo shipped directly overseas from this latter port was flour ground at Bowman's Mill at Middleton. This was a shipment made to New Zealand. This mill was the largest on the South Coast.
At the same time the mill was being built there were already eight houses in the vicinity. The first school was established in 1856 and has continued until the present day [sic] with the number of students fluctuating as the population increased and later decreased. The first examinations for the 59 scholars were held on October 15 1869, supervised by several prominent townspeople in a new classroom erected by the teacher.
The Middleton Hotel on the Main Road was licensed in 1857. This building was set back from the road alignment and became the centre of activity of the township and was in demand until it was finally demolished in the early 1920's.
About the time the hotel was built one of Middleton's industries was begun, a brickyard operated by Mr W Batson. The works were sited between the town and the beach. His two sons continued the business until the 1920's when the yard was closed.
In 1863 a Methodist Church was built on the main road and is still in use.
An important event took place in September 1865. A ploughing match was arranged and as a result of the success of this event, the Southern Agricultural Society was formed the following year. The society arranged an annual day, attracting a great number of people and as a result Middleton became the agricultural centre for that area of the South Coast. In 1869 the nucleus of a show was held in the extensive yards adjoining the Middleton Hotel.
By 1867 the population had grown to about 200. Mr W Bowman JP was appointed the resident magistrate. On June 15 1867, a race meeting was held on the beach. There were two horses in one race and this was followed by a footrace. In the following year a correspondent described the town as a thriving community dominated by Bowman's Flour Mill. Additionally there were a number of dwellings, a store, a post office, a hotel, a chapel, and several workshops which indicated the prosperity of the town and district at that time.
The year 1869 was most significant in the history of Middleton. On Tuesday April 23, the Governor, Sir James Ferguson opened the Strathalbyn to Middleton Railway.
The first sod of the new line was turned on August 1 1868, the Governor Sir Dominick Daly, driving down from Adelaide for the occasion.
The earthworks of this line were much more extensive than on the Goolwa to Port Elliot railway. In addition there were three large structures to be erected. The first was over Currency Creek, a second over Black Swamp, and a third over the Finniss River. The foundation stone of the Currency Creek Viaduct was laid in December, 1866, with great ceremony by Mrs Higgin, the wife of the Colonel of the local cavalry. The foundation stone of the Finniss Bridge was laid by the Commissioner of Public Works with full masonic honours four months later. The Black Swamp Viaduct was erected without any pomp or celebration. Unfortunately for posterity the foundation stone of the Finniss Bridge was swept away in a flood six months after it had been laid with so much ceremony.
After the completion of the Strathalbyn line, the Government decided to lease the system for five years, the lessee paying an annual rental of 1000 pounds. The experiment was not successful and 13 months later the Government resumed control.
The following description of carriages introduced in 1869 proves interesting when compared with today's vehicles. They were built at the Adelaide Workshops and were much lighter than any of their predecessors, weighing only 17cwt. There was accommodation for 30 passengers. The seats of pine were placed transversely, being separated by partitions carried up to roof height. The frames were of blackwood with cedar panelling. The sides were open, protected from the weather being provided by leather blinds, which could be raised or lowered as required.
The average speed for passenger trains was from 8.5 to 9.5 miles per hour. Three hours being taken for a trip from Strathalbyn to Victor Harbor, changing horses at Finniss and Midddleton. It was possible to spend a weekend at Victor Harbor, leaving at 2am on Monday morning and transferring to a Hill & Co's coach at Strathalbyn, arriving in Adelaide about 11am. Travel along this line was fairly safe, only one passenger being killed when he fell from a truck and the wheels passed over his body.
It was possible to be kicked by a jibbinghorse if you happened to be sitting on the front seat. The usual railway accidents occurred: passengers seemed to prefer falling off to alighting in the usual way, while trucks were derailed by obstacles maliciously placed on the line.
They were also derailed in those mysterious circumstances known only to those who work trains. Employees were involved in shunting accidents and one employee lost his arm when a loaded gun, being carried as general merchandise, was accidentally discharged while being removed from under a tarpaulin.
Meanwhile a new store was erected on the corner of Thomas Street and the Main Road at Middleton by Mr Pierce. It was purchased by Mr Padman. the Middleton storekeeper who then owned the original shop on the Main Road. For some years is was the residence of Dr Shand and later became a temperance hotel and finally a guest house.
A blacksmith's shop for shoeing the horses used on the railway was built at the western end of the town while a similar establishment for use by the local inhabitants was erected on the Main Road and this building is still standing. During 1875 the ticket office on the station platform, which was near the Flour Mill, was extended to house the telegraph instruments and in 1878 a ladies waiting room was added for the convenience of passengers using the railway.
Nearby was a wrought iron goods shed which had been imported to South Australia in pieces and taken to Middleton for assembly. A carpenter’s shop was also established for repairing the railway trucks.
About 1880 stables were erected within the town to house the railway horses. About that time there were seven teams operating on the line. The daily timetable required one team of four horses to leave Middleton hauling four trucks each carrying 30 bales of wool for Victor Harbor.
The day's work was finished when the team returned to Middleton. This arrangement caused a lot of inconvenience and lost time in the working schedules and it was felt that had the stables been established at the terminals trucks and horses could be employed more efficently. However this system continued until the introduction of steam locomotives in 1885.
With the conversion of the line to steam traction and the diversion of the railway from Currency Creek through Goolwa, Middleton lost much of its importance as a railway town. Its role then became that of a popular holiday resort while still continuing as a centre for the surrounding agricultural area.
In 1901 the foundation stone for the Institute, was laid by Mrs R Chibnall on October 19. The building, designed to seat 150 people, was opened on January 15, 1902, by Mr Charles Tucker MP. The new hall now became the centre of social activity of the townspeople.
Mindacowie was built in 1911 [by Mr Abbott for his sisters the Misses Abbott] as a guest house by Misses Abbott and is conducted in this same role today.
The railway station has moved from its original position near the Mill to the present site west of the town in the 1920s. Although Middleton has had to play a minor role in relation to the neighbouring towns of Port Elliot and Goolwa the townspeople have always loyally supported their neighbours in their energetic endeavours to have improvements made and additional facilities provided to promote and develop the whole area.
Meetings were instituted by these residents, who called on their neighbours to attend and support them in their efforts to press the authorities to have new amenities provided in the whole district and on a number of occasions petitions were organised due to the untiring efforts of the people of Middleton even when they were not directly to benefit from the improvements asked for.
The area between the old town and the beach was surveyed for closer development in 1924 by the Basham family and now there are many houses in this section. It has become a pleasant place to live and is enjoyed by a growing number of visitors who can spend a short time away from city rush and bustle, taking in the wonderful view of the endless breakers on the beach. [Ref: Times (Victor Harbor 20-1-1988]
Middleton Railway Station on the Goolwa to Port Elliot SteamRanger Heritage Railway Line, Fleurieu Peninsula South Australia
This four storied bluestone mill building dominates the Middleton skyline. Its quoins, parapets and window surrounds are built of local Batson red brick.
*"The large and commodious Steam Flour Mill at Middleton is now completed and has added much to the appearance and importance of this rising township.
The engine is an elegant piece of workmanship and is the first, I believe to be erected in the colony upon the new expansive principle." [Ref: Observer 15-12-1855]
*The Steam Flour Mill was built in 1855 for Messrs W and A Bowman.
The chimney, which has since been demolished, was built of bluestone and bricks from the nearby Batson's Brickyard.
The mill plant was driven by a 12 horsepower steam engine with a tubular type boiler.
The engine was assembled by Messrs. Tuxford and installed by Josiah Oldfield.
Due to the large interior spaces the mill was also used for civic functions. On 23 April 1869 when the railway line from Middleton to Strathalbyn was opened the town’s residents celebrated with a luncheon held in the mill’s storeroom.
The mill was sold in 1889 to Fred Ellis for 1,000 pounds.
*Middleton, the intended junction of the Strathalbyn Tramway with the existing line.
There is already a fair start of settlement in the district, the nucleus of it being Mr Bowman’s flour mill. Around it is a cluster of neat cottages. [Southern Argus 4-1-1868]
*FIFTY YEARS AGO From the Register Friday December 14 1955.
The large steam flourmill at Middle is now completed. The Engine, manufactured by Messrs Tuxford, is the first erected in the province upon the new expansive principle. It is of 12hp with tubular boiler. [Ref: Register 15-12-1905]
*Middleton July 8
One of the largest floods in the district was witnessed on Friday, doing a great deal of damage places, especially to ploughed land in crop.
Traffic in the main road was unable to pass through the town for a time until the water (which was well over the Middleton Creek bridge, and as high as the fences in places) subsided.
Water went through the flour mill and some of the houses. Sand-bagging doorways was the order of the day. The newly planted soldiers’ memorial gardens, and other gardens, suffered.
The train had to go through water a foot deep in the station yard when it arrived. [Re: Observer 22-7-1922]
*At a National Trust meeting at Victor Harbor the early history of the district was discussed.
The very first cargo shipped overseas from Port Victor was flour from Bowman’s Mill. It was destined for Dunedin in the schooner ‘Elizabeth’. [Victor Harbour Times 11-4-1968]
*Railway line marked town's beginning
The section of land on which the town of Middleton is situated was first purchased on October 25, 1849. by Thomas Walker Higgins at an auction held on September 14, 1849, for 17 pounds and one shilling.
When the Goolwa to Port Elliot railway was built a single track was laid down and it was necessary to provide loop lines for the trucks to pass. Two such loops were provided, placed about equidistant from the terminals.
One crossing point was sited at a place later to be called Middleton. The siding was constructed and ready for use in September 1854.
It was from the establishment of this siding that the town eventually grew. Mr Higgins could foresee that a township would be an advantage sited on his land and so he had the area surveyed and laid out as a town in October 1856. He named the town Middleton after family associations in Ireland, although he was born in Sussex.
However, before the survey had been approved, building had commenced in the immediate area. One of the earliest buildings was the store on the main road which was erected in 1854 by Mr Limbert. Subsequent owners were Mr Heggarton and Mr SW Padman.
The largest building in Middleton was, and still is the flour mill. In December 1855, it was reported as being complete. It was built for Messrs W & A Bowman. It was a steam driven mill, power being supplied by a 12 hp engine built by Messrs Tuxford.
Grain ground at this mill, as well as being used locally, was sent up the Murray by paddle steamer and was also shipped first from Port Elliot and later Victor Harbor. In fact the first cargo shipped directly overseas from this latter port was flour ground at Bowman's Mill at Middleton. This was a shipment made to New Zealand. This mill was the largest on the South Coast.
At the same time the mill was being built there were already eight houses in the vicinity. The first school was established in 1856 and has continued until the present day [sic] with the number of students fluctuating as the population increased and later decreased. The first examinations for the 59 scholars were held on October 15 1869, supervised by several prominent townspeople in a new classroom erected by the teacher.
The Middleton Hotel on the Main Road was licensed in 1857. This building was set back from the road alignment and became the centre of activity of the township and was in demand until it was finally demolished in the early 1920's.
About the time the hotel was built one of Middleton's industries was begun, a brickyard operated by Mr W Batson. The works were sited between the town and the beach. His two sons continued the business until the 1920's when the yard was closed.
In 1863 a Methodist Church was built on the main road and is still in use.
An important event took place in September 1865. A ploughing match was arranged and as a result of the success of this event, the Southern Agricultural Society was formed the following year. The society arranged an annual day, attracting a great number of people and as a result Middleton became the agricultural centre for that area of the South Coast. In 1869 the nucleus of a show was held in the extensive yards adjoining the Middleton Hotel.
By 1867 the population had grown to about 200. Mr W Bowman JP was appointed the resident magistrate. On June 15 1867, a race meeting was held on the beach. There were two horses in one race and this was followed by a footrace. In the following year a correspondent described the town as a thriving community dominated by Bowman's Flour Mill. Additionally there were a number of dwellings, a store, a post office, a hotel, a chapel, and several workshops which indicated the prosperity of the town and district at that time.
The year 1869 was most significant in the history of Middleton. On Tuesday April 23, the Governor, Sir James Ferguson opened the Strathalbyn to Middleton Railway.
The first sod of the new line was turned on August 1 1868, the Governor Sir Dominick Daly, driving down from Adelaide for the occasion.
The earthworks of this line were much more extensive than on the Goolwa to Port Elliot railway. In addition there were three large structures to be erected. The first was over Currency Creek, a second over Black Swamp, and a third over the Finniss River. The foundation stone of the Currency Creek Viaduct was laid in December, 1866, with great ceremony by Mrs Higgin, the wife of the Colonel of the local cavalry. The foundation stone of the Finniss Bridge was laid by the Commissioner of Public Works with full masonic honours four months later. The Black Swamp Viaduct was erected without any pomp or celebration. Unfortunately for posterity the foundation stone of the Finniss Bridge was swept away in a flood six months after it had been laid with so much ceremony.
After the completion of the Strathalbyn line, the Government decided to lease the system for five years, the lessee paying an annual rental of 1000 pounds. The experiment was not successful and 13 months later the Government resumed control.
The following description of carriages introduced in 1869 proves interesting when compared with today's vehicles. They were built at the Adelaide Workshops and were much lighter than any of their predecessors, weighing only 17cwt. There was accommodation for 30 passengers. The seats of pine were placed transversely, being separated by partitions carried up to roof height. The frames were of blackwood with cedar panelling. The sides were open, protected from the weather being provided by leather blinds, which could be raised or lowered as required.
The average speed for passenger trains was from 8.5 to 9.5 miles per hour. Three hours being taken for a trip from Strathalbyn to Victor Harbor, changing horses at Finniss and Midddleton. It was possible to spend a weekend at Victor Harbor, leaving at 2am on Monday morning and transferring to a Hill & Co's coach at Strathalbyn, arriving in Adelaide about 11am. Travel along this line was fairly safe, only one passenger being killed when he fell from a truck and the wheels passed over his body.
It was possible to be kicked by a jibbinghorse if you happened to be sitting on the front seat. The usual railway accidents occurred: passengers seemed to prefer falling off to alighting in the usual way, while trucks were derailed by obstacles maliciously placed on the line.
They were also derailed in those mysterious circumstances known only to those who work trains. Employees were involved in shunting accidents and one employee lost his arm when a loaded gun, being carried as general merchandise, was accidentally discharged while being removed from under a tarpaulin.
Meanwhile a new store was erected on the corner of Thomas Street and the Main Road at Middleton by Mr Pierce. It was purchased by Mr Padman. the Middleton storekeeper who then owned the original shop on the Main Road. For some years is was the residence of Dr Shand and later became a temperance hotel and finally a guest house.
A blacksmith's shop for shoeing the horses used on the railway was built at the western end of the town while a similar establishment for use by the local inhabitants was erected on the Main Road and this building is still standing. During 1875 the ticket office on the station platform, which was near the Flour Mill, was extended to house the telegraph instruments and in 1878 a ladies waiting room was added for the convenience of passengers using the railway.
Nearby was a wrought iron goods shed which had been imported to South Australia in pieces and taken to Middleton for assembly. A carpenter’s shop was also established for repairing the railway trucks.
About 1880 stables were erected within the town to house the railway horses. About that time there were seven teams operating on the line. The daily timetable required one team of four horses to leave Middleton hauling four trucks each carrying 30 bales of wool for Victor Harbor.
The day's work was finished when the team returned to Middleton. This arrangement caused a lot of inconvenience and lost time in the working schedules and it was felt that had the stables been established at the terminals trucks and horses could be employed more efficently. However this system continued until the introduction of steam locomotives in 1885.
With the conversion of the line to steam traction and the diversion of the railway from Currency Creek through Goolwa, Middleton lost much of its importance as a railway town. Its role then became that of a popular holiday resort while still continuing as a centre for the surrounding agricultural area.
In 1901 the foundation stone for the Institute, was laid by Mrs R Chibnall on October 19. The building, designed to seat 150 people, was opened on January 15, 1902, by Mr Charles Tucker MP. The new hall now became the centre of social activity of the townspeople.
Mindacowie was built in 1911 [by Mr Abbott for his sisters the Misses Abbott] as a guest house by Misses Abbott and is conducted in this same role today.
The railway station has moved from its original position near the Mill to the present site west of the town in the 1920s. Although Middleton has had to play a minor role in relation to the neighbouring towns of Port Elliot and Goolwa the townspeople have always loyally supported their neighbours in their energetic endeavours to have improvements made and additional facilities provided to promote and develop the whole area.
Meetings were instituted by these residents, who called on their neighbours to attend and support them in their efforts to press the authorities to have new amenities provided in the whole district and on a number of occasions petitions were organised due to the untiring efforts of the people of Middleton even when they were not directly to benefit from the improvements asked for.
The area between the old town and the beach was surveyed for closer development in 1924 by the Basham family and now there are many houses in this section. It has become a pleasant place to live and is enjoyed by a growing number of visitors who can spend a short time away from city rush and bustle, taking in the wonderful view of the endless breakers on the beach. [Ref: Times (Victor Harbor 20-1-1988]