Snapshots

Cobdogla Station. A bit of history

Cobdogla Station, in South Australia. The first major settlement in the Riverland. Settled by John Chambers in 1842, Cobdogla Station eventually covered the area from Overland Corner to Spring Cart Gully, which is near Renmark, and some sections over the border to Rufus River. They controlled some 200 miles of river frontage. The station specialised in rearing quality horses, these being used for coaching and stock work.

John McDouall Stuart was retained by Chambers to explore for new grazing lands. When Stuart decided to make his exploration to the northern gulf, he went to Chambers for horses. Stuart took 71 horses, many from Cobdogla, and these were the ones he came to rely upon when the non Cobdogla horses failed. I understand that Stuart named Chambers Pillar after John Chambers.

This information was kindly supplied by DENIS WASLEY.

At Cobdogla you can visit the Cobdogla Irrigation Museum, which is home to the HUMPHREY PUMP. The Humphrey Pump is the largest operational liquid piston engine water pump in the entire world.

For more information on the HUMPHREY PUMP, go to www.writesabout.blogspot.com

posted by Bethany @ 11:13 AM