History
Journalist Rodney Cockburn, in his popular book What's in a Name asserts that consensus has not yet been reached about the origins of Melrose's name. He gives the explanation that its surveyor named the town after George Melrose, of Rosebank, Mount Pleasant, who assisted him when he was ill. [4] Another explanation suggests a land owner named Alexander Campbell settled in the area in 1844 with his family and named the region after his hometown, Melrose, in Scotland. [5] Historian Geoff Manning found that the town was located on a property claimed by the Mount Remarkable Mining Company and in the 1850s subdivided it into 250 sections of 80 acres (32 ha). Townsites were surveyed at either end, Melrose to the north and Bangor at the southern end. This was in accord with Cockburn's findings, but Manning was convinced that A. L. Elder, a prominent director of the company and a proud Scotsman, named it for Melrose in Roxburghshire. [6]
The first European explorer in the area was Edward John Eyre in 1840; pastoralists settled in the area about a decade later. Copper was discovered and mining started in 1846, but it was not economically viable, and ceased in 1851. The mine was opened again three more times, with the latest closure in 1917.
In 1893 at a time of high unemployment, Wilton Hack founded a communal settlement in the area. At its peak, some 130 settlers were working 1,000 acres (400 ha) of land. By the end of 1895 after a succession of poor seasons around half the settlers had left, and in 1896 the village was closed by the Government. [7]
When it was opened in 1848, the police station in Melrose was not only the first permanent police station in the region, but the base of the largest police district in the world. A constable, two troopers and an Aboriginal tracker were responsible for an area extending to the Timor Sea.
The Wilmington railway line from Gladstone opened near Melrose in 1915 and closed in 1990. The station was almost 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the town. Melrose is also on the Horrocks Highway, formerly known as Main North Road.
Heritage listings
Melrose has a number of heritage-listed sites, including:
Jacka's Brewery
Jacka's Brewery was a family business founded by Joseph Jacka in 1877 in Melrose. Several months prior, Joseph and his brother William had leased the land the brewery still resides upon from Joseph's father-in-law. At the time, the Jacka family also owned the North Star Hotel in Melrose, and were already experienced brewers as they had previously owned a brewery in Auburn. [19]
In 1887 Joseph continued brewing in Melrose while his brother William relocated to Burra. Jacka's brewery was a great success and popular amongst the locals. Within the next decade or so, Joseph was able to buy more surrounding land and extend the breweries premises. At this point, Jacka's brewery was distributing beer to Port Pirie and Port Augusta using custom made wagons, wooden casks and teams of eight horses to traverse the Flinders Ranges. William returned to Jacka's Brewery in 1901 after his brother died, to assist his nephew William J.S. Jacka with running the business. The brewery ceased production in 1934 after World War I and the Great Depression rendered it economically inviable. [20]
The brewery was formerly known as T.B. Marshall's Flour Mill.
Melrose Cemetery
Melrose Cemetery was established in the 1860s. According to the Virtual War Memorial for Australia, the opening of the cemetery is referenced by local newspapers. This includes the South Australian Register's account of a whooping cough epidemic creating several new graves mere months after the cemetery's opening in 1863. Almost a decade later, the South Australian Register again referred to Melrose Cemetery as being "new", as well as a "regular resort for pigs to go about rooting in", suggesting that the council take better care of the grounds. [21]
Tourism and landmarks
Today, Melrose is the base for visitors to the Mount Remarkable National Park and a centre for the local farmers.
Melrose Tennis Club hosts a tennis tournament over the Easter weekend, with finals played on Monday morning. The tournament usually attracts around 200 participants across all the events.
In June, Melrose is home to the Fat Tyre Festival, an off-road bike celebration exploring local bike trails and crowding parades of freak bikes.
In August, Melrose is also home to the King of the Mount [25] trail race. This is a race to the summit of Mt Remarkable, during which runners and walkers ascend over 600 metres (2,000 ft) along a 7.7 kilometres (4.8 mi) trail.
Melrose is home to a caravan park visited by 100,000 tourists every year.
The town also has several sites and associated activities that are popular tourist attractions throughout the year.
Paradise Square
Paradise Square was the first cemetery in Melrose, situated by the Melrose Heritage Centre. According to the Virtual War Memorial for Australia, almost 128 burials took place in Paradise Square until its closure in the 1850s and prior to the establishment of Melrose Cemetery. Several Paradise Square burials were eventually relocated to the new Melrose Cemetery.
In 1890 on Arbor Day, 70 trees were planted on the grounds previously occupied by Paradise Square. The trees were replaced by tennis courts in 1925, which were later removed. Today, gardens provide a tribute to the remaining residents of Paradise Square. [21]
Bartagunyah Winery and Estate
Bartagunyah Estate and Winery is located approximately 5 km from Melrose. Its close proximity to the town means the winery is considered one of Melrose's tourist attractions. The land the estate sits upon was originally named by the Nukunu people, an Indigenous Australian community native to the Melrose region. The name translates to 'home of the bardy grubs'. The property itself was originally used for livestock in the 1930s, but in 1997 it was converted to a vineyard and winery. Tourists can participate in wine tasting and several ecotourism activities, including but not limited to mountain biking across ridge top trials, camping with a view of the Willochra Plain, and 4WD tours. [26]
Old Emu Foot has been identified by arborists at the National Register of Big Trees as the largest tree in South Australia, more so for its width than its height. It has also been identified as the largest River Red Gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis) in Australia. Its size was compared with several contenders throughout NSW, Victoria and Western Australia using the American Forests formula. [27]
The tree was nominated as the largest River Red Gum in Australia and largest tree in South Australia by the director of Arbortech, Kym Knight. Knight has estimated the tree's age to be around 400 years. [28] [27]
Old Emu Foot is not considered a tourist attraction as it resides on private property and isn't easily accessible for the general public. It sits roughly 1.2 km from the Melrose Showgrounds in a sheep paddock owned by farmer David McCallum. [27]
It is 35 metres tall, its circumference is 14.82 metres, and its crown is 29 metres. These dimensions afford Old Emu Foot a score of 722 points according to the American Forests formula. [27]
The Ikara–Flinders Ranges National Park, formerly Flinders Ranges National Park, is a national park situated approximately 430 km (270 mi) north of Adelaide. It lies northeast of the small town of Hawker, in the northern central part of South Australia's largest mountain range, the Flinders Ranges, and covers an area of 95,000 ha (370 sq mi) between Hawker and Blinman. It is known for the land formation known as Wilpena Pound, while other well-known features include the Heysen Range and the Brachina and Bunyeroo gorges. The Heysen Trail and Mawson Trail pass through the park.
Mount Remarkable National Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located about 238 kilometres (148 mi) north of the state capital of Adelaide and 25 kilometres (16 mi) east of Port Augusta. It is also the name of the highest peak in the park, with a height of 960 metres (3,150 ft).
Quorn is a small town and railhead in the Flinders Ranges in the north of South Australia, 39 kilometres (24 mi) northeast of Port Augusta.
Peterborough is a town in the mid north of South Australia, in wheat country, just off the Barrier Highway. It was originally named Petersburg after the landowner, Peter Doecke, who sold land to create the town. It was one of 69 places in South Australia renamed in 1917 due to anti-German sentiments during World War I.
Hawker is a town and a locality in the Flinders Ranges area of South Australia, 365 kilometres (227 mi) north of Adelaide. It is in the Flinders Ranges Council, the state Electoral district of Stuart and the federal Division of Grey.
Robe is a town and fishing port located in the Limestone Coast of South Australia. The town's distinctive combination of historical buildings, ocean, fishing fleets, lakes and dense bush attracts many tourists. Robe lies on the southern shore of Guichen Bay, just off the Princes Highway. At the 2021 census, Robe had a population of 1252. Robe is the main town in the District Council of Robe local government area. It is in the state electorate of MacKillop and the federal Division of Barker.
Penola is a town in the Australian state of South Australia located about 388 kilometres (241 mi) southeast of the state capital of Adelaide in the wine growing area known as the Coonawarra. At the 2021 Australian Census, the town of Penola had a population of 1,376.
Semaphore is a northwestern suburb of Adelaide in the Australian state of South Australia. It is located on the Gulf St Vincent coastline of the Lefevre Peninsula about 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) from the Adelaide city centre.
Mount Remarkable is a mountain in South Australia located in the Flinders Ranges about 250 kilometres (160 mi) north of the centre of the capital city of Adelaide and immediately north-west of the town of Melrose, which was once named Mount Remarkable itself, and which is located at its base.
Inglewood is a small town near Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area, and is adjacent to Houghton, Paracombe and the rural districts of Upper Hermitage and Chain of Ponds. At the 2006 census, Inglewood had a population of 264.
Mount Pleasant is a town situated in the Barossa Council, just north of the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, 55 kilometres east-north-east of the state capital, Adelaide. It is located in the Barossa Council and Mid Murray Council local government areas, and is at an altitude of 440 metres above sea level. Rainfall in the area averages 687 mm per annum.
Booborowie is a locality in South Australia. It is located 200 km (124 mi) north of Adelaide.
Wirrabara is a town and a locality in South Australia, about 235 kilometres (146 mi) north of Adelaide. It is located in the Southern Flinders Ranges in the Mid North of South Australia, along the Rocky River. The Horrocks Highway passes through the town. At the 2016 census, the locality had a population of 403 of which 230 lived in its town centre.
Yahl is a south-eastern suburb of Mount Gambier
Mount Brown Conservation Park is a protected area in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia. The park has established walking trails, including a section of the Heysen Trail. The park is managed by the Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources; entry is free. It is located 14 km (8.7 mi) south of Quorn and about 300 km (190 mi) north of the nearest airport at Adelaide.
Flinders Ranges is a locality in the Australian state of South Australia located in the mountain range of the same name, about 380 km (240 mi) north of the state capital of Adelaide, about 86 km (53 mi) north-east of the municipal seat in Quorn and about 131 km (81 mi) north-east of the regional centre of Port Augusta.
Dingley Dell Conservation Park is a protected area in the Australian state of South Australia located in the state's south east in the gazetted locality of Port MacDonnell about 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) north-west of the town centre of Port MacDonnell and about 26 kilometres (16 mi) south of the city centre in Mount Gambier.
Wapma Thura–Southern Flinders Ranges National Park is a protected area in the southern Flinders Ranges in South Australia, proclaimed on 25 November 2021. The area comprises several former conservation parks.
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