Revamp: Goolwa breathes new life into historic wharf
CHANGES to the Goolwa wharf are breathing new life into this historic coastal town that not so long ago was ravaged by drought and the global financial crisis.
STEVE Ramsey reckons changes to the Goolwa wharf are breathing new life into this historic coastal town that not so long ago was ravaged by drought and the global financial crisis.
He is part of the renaissance, having opened a new cellar door and live music venue just before Christmas last year that he’s keeping “rustic” as a tribute to the dock’s history dating back to the early 1900s.
His Wharf Barrel Shed once stored wool unloaded from New South Wales and Victorian paddle steamers before it was transported on to nearby Port Elliot aboard a steam train.
Now, Mr Ramsey believes the wharf can be “one of the key drivers” to getting people back to explore the town of Goolwa “where Australia’s mightiest river ends its journey to the sea”.
“We certainly are finding a lot of people are coming to the wharf who haven’t been here for a long time,” he says.
“Most thought there was nothing down here but there is now; there’s restaurants, a brewery and now there’s us.
“There’s only two places in the world where you can travel on a steam train and a paddle steamer, and this is one of them. We can see enthusiasts coming here from all over the world.
“Anything we do to expose this history, this South Australian history, has to be good, but you can come down here just to see the view.
“The council has big plans for revitalising the wharf and we wanted to be a part of it. It’s got so much history but it’s largely unknown out there.”
Mr Ramsey’s start-up is just the beginning for a determined new Goolwa Wharf Precinct Board appointed in April that has managed to lure the former chief of the Rundle Mall transformation, Ian Darbyshire, to its helm.
It comes armed with a comprehensive plan for Australia’s first inland port and a recent million-dollar injection to start work on linking the historic precinct with the town’s main street.
Now there’s talk of more outdoor dining areas, pop-up pizza and ice cream vans and new entertainment ventures.
There’s work already under way to turn the landmark 1859 Goolwa Harbour Masters Residence, that is on a hill overlooking the lake, into four or five-star accommodation of up to 30 rooms.
Mr Darbyshire believes the town at the Murray Mouth is the perfect base for trips to nearby wine regions or the Coorong but “the majority of visitors are day visitors who we’d like to stay a little bit longer”.
It’s all welcome news for the town that was battered by the double-whammy of the global financial crisis in 2007 and the nation’s worst drought that reduced the Murray to a trickle and resulted in water levels dropping alarmingly.
Land prices plummeted and holiday homes in Goolwa and the town’s big hope, Hindmarsh Island, were sold.
Alexandrina Council estimates the town lost 50 per cent of its recreational boats — about 1000, equating to more than $20 million in local spend. By 2011, fewer than half the boats returned and mayor Keith Parkes says that is a concern.
Those businesses that relied on water-related activities lost up to 90 per cent of their income, main-street businesses were down 20 to 40 per cent in revenue and there were widespread job losses.
“During the drought it was funny. Initially it went very quiet but as more and more media showed everyone how bad it was, tourism kept things up for a short time, people were coming to see just how bad it was,” Mr Parkes says.
He says the wharf precinct plan is about fighting back as the local economy picks up.
It capitalises on house construction not only picking up again on Hindmarsh Island, he says, but also the “enormous amount of building taking place throughout the area”.
Last month, Governor Hieu Van Le launched the Fleurieu Heritage Experience where people can travel on a paddle steamer, a steam train and then the horse-drawn tram at Granite Island — all in one trip.
At the wharf’s Steam Exchange Brewery, Gareth Andrews is more cautious.
He has been operating from the railway goods shed for 10 years, has at least four beers on tap for tasting and a whisky-brewing venture started six years ago that is making inroads into the Asian market.
While Mr Andrews believes “the ideas are good”, he says the distance from Adelaide to Goolwa might deter many people, adding that it is also not a matter of “build it and they will come”.
His concerns aren’t shared by locals Charlie Eatts and wife Belinda, who are very confident that such a beautiful spot only needs word getting around for visitor numbers to grow again. “This is the best thing that’s happened to this area,” Mr Eatts says about work at the old wharf.
“Just think about it: if you were in Sydney or another big city, imagine the prices you would pay to have what we have here. It’s fantastic that Goolwa is starting to bring it out,” Ms Eatts says.