National Museum of Australia

The committee, Kerri (Goolwa)

Members of the Angas Bremer Water Management Committee (ABWMC)

The ABWMC is a publicly elected committee of volunteer irrigators formed in 1991 to represent about 160 irrigators in the Langhorne Creek area. These irrigators use a combination of River Murray water drawn from Lake Alexandrina, watercourse water drawn from the ephemeral Angas and Bremer Rivers and groundwater drawn from the freshwater lens that has formed under the Angas floodplain. The main crops are vines, lucerne, olives, turf and potatoes.

Goolwa Barrage, Cassie (Goolwa)

A historical photo of men working on the Goolwa Barrage in the 1920's

Men working on the Goolwa Barrage c1920's

Val's husband worked on the barrages around the Goolwa District before WWII. He was one of the lucky ones that returned home unharmed. Before the barrages were built, there used to be heaps of mulloway around. Trading at the Goolwa Wharf came to an end not long after the end of the war. Val remembers a row of small huts along the road near the Goolwa Barrage which were accommodation for married barrage workers only. These huts had names such as Hot as Zell; Windy as Zell, Sandy as Zell and so on. By the late 1970's only one of these huts remained but today there is no sign that they even existed.

Val Lawrence, Cassie (Goolwa)

Val showing off her magnificent Bougainvillea

Val moved to Goolwa at the tender age of 18 to commence work as a cook at the Corio Hotel, then owned by Mr & Mrs Graham, and stayed. She met her husband in Goolwa and married at the age of 19. They had three sons, one of whom still resides in Goolwa. Val still lives in the same family home and is very proud of her Bougainvillea.

Margaret Brown, Cassie (Goolwa)

Margaret at the Centre

Margaret became the first volunteer with the Heritage Club in 1984, only retiring from volunteering in February 2005 and still drops in for a chat. Margaret and her husband, Ossie, bought land on Hindmarsh Island in 1971 and built themselves an Island Retreat (shack). They remember how they could walk from the Island to Goolwa and back on the Goolwa Barrage - it was a bit scary back then as there were no handrails! In 1981 the Browns retired permanently to their shack and in 1986 they sold up and moved into the township of Goolwa.

John Holmes & Ron Barnett, Cassie (Goolwa)

Photo of John and Ron with a friend, in a workshop

John & Ron in the Shed at The Alexandrina Centre For Positive Ageing (ACFPA)

John and his wife, Marian, moved to Goolwa in March 1997. Ron and his wife, Barbara, moved to Goolwa in April 2000. They ended up as neighbours and have become great buddies, even though there is a 14 year age difference. John decided he would join the Centre to learn the art of leatherworking. He asked Ron to come along with him and they are both now well entrenched in the Men's Leatherwork Group on Tuesday afternoons. This is held in the Centre's shed and you will always hear a lot of talking and laughter coming from the shed throughout the afternoon. Amazingly enough, as the picture shows, the men even have time to produce some very nice leatherwork, under the watchful eye of their instructor, Reg (seated). Ron speaks of Goolwa as another day in Paradise and doesn't know how he ever had the time to work as he is now busier than ever! John wishes he had moved to Goolwa when he retired instead of waiting until 1997. Both enjoy the many pleasures Goolwa has to offer.

Goolwa Ferry, Cassie (Goolwa)

Last trip on Ferry to Hindmarsh Island

Goolwa is the last town along the Murray River and is the gateway to the Coorong, one of the wonders of the world. The Heritage Club, an innovative day centre which was to coordinate necessary services and programs for aged persons, enabling them to remain in their homes as long as possible with a good quality of life, commenced in February 1984. The Club was officially renamed The Alexandrina Centre For Positive Ageing in June 2003 and in October 2004 it celebrated 20 years with the launch of a book, A People's Place - The First Twenty Years. Val, Margaret, Ron and John are involved in various programs at the Centre and all have chosen to reside in the Riverport Town of Goolwa. For these four people, Goolwa provides for all their needs and wants and they can't imagine living anywhere else. Being members of the Centre ensures their social, health and paramedical needs are met and that they are valued members of their local community.

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