This book is part of the Barbara Deverson Collection and is shelved in that Collection's bookshelves.
Excerpt from Joan Wachtel’s book — Moorook — Bend in the River
Twenty families, mostly from Port Adelaide, handed in their names to become members of this new community. They took up the challenge and travelled by rail from Adelaide to Morgan. A short walk to the wharf gave them their first sighting of the mighty River Murray. They embarked on the P.S.Gem captained by Hughie King. It was 20 May 1894 when Captain King cut the Gem’s engines and the paddle wheels slowly churned as he turned her to starboard, edging her to the bank — the Moorook Landing at last!
There had been no preparation for their arrival. Here they were scrambling up the bank with their future quite unknown. They lit fires to cheer their children and themselves. They boiled water and drank the gum-leaf scented tea — how good that tea tasted! Was it really smoke that caused those tears? Their nearest doctor was at Renmark — 30 miles away on the other side of this wide river; their nearest hospital, Kapunda — days away. Overland Corner 17 miles away downstream by river on the opposite side was their postal address — all up river mail came through there.
Overland Corner’s notorious era was drawing to a close. In that year of 1894 the Police Station closed its doors for the last time. The hotel licence had expired in 1891.
Local notes
Excerpt from Joan Wachtel’s book — Moorook — Bend in the River
Twenty families, mostly from Port Adelaide, handed in their names to become members of this new community. They took up the challenge and travelled by rail from Adelaide to Morgan. A short walk to the wharf gave them their first sighting of the mighty River Murray. They embarked on the P.S.Gem captained by Hughie King. It was 20 May 1894 when Captain King cut the Gem’s engines and the paddle wheels slowly churned as he turned her to starboard, edging her to the bank — the Moorook Landing at last!
There had been no preparation for their arrival. Here they were scrambling up the bank with their future quite unknown. They lit fires to cheer their children and themselves. They boiled water and drank the gum-leaf scented tea — how good that tea tasted! Was it really smoke that caused those tears? Their nearest doctor was at Renmark — 30 miles away on the other side of this wide river; their nearest hospital, Kapunda — days away. Overland Corner 17 miles away downstream by river on the opposite side was their postal address — all up river mail came through there.
Overland Corner’s notorious era was drawing to a close. In that year of 1894 the Police Station closed its doors for the last time. The hotel licence had expired in 1891.