Riverboat and rail restorers hope to build up a head of steam

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Imagine taking a weekend cruise aboard one of the century-old boats which once hauled milk from up and down the river to the Farmers Union factory, something unique to Murray Bridge.

Imagine children playing on a freshly painted and de-rusted steam locomotive, back on the wharf.

Perhaps a coffee shop could be set up on the platform, with tables and chairs inside railway carriages.

Imagine a steamroller restored and placed in a local playground, or a railway tractor being used to give joyrides along the wharf railway line.

This is the vision held by members of the Murray Bridge Riverboat, Rail and Steam Group.

All they need are a safe place to work and a few more willing hands.

“We want to incorporate some of the town’s and state’s history into things the community can use,” group member Kieran Millsteed said.

“The things that these guys have collected … they’ve been doing this for everyone, for the future of our community.”

That was important when so much of the city’s history had already been lost.

“This was one of the biggest river ports, and if you travel around the state, it’s probably (the one with) the least emphasis on its history,” Mr Millsteed said.

“If you go to Goolwa, to Mannum, anywhere else that had a major port, they’re all about it.”

Under former Mayor Brenton Lewis, the council had made strides in the right direction, group member Steve Moritz said.

A committee had been formed with representatives of the volunteer group, the local historical society and other stakeholders.

The volunteers agreed to hand over ownership of their buildings.

But it took time for the council to settle its purchase of the property – for $660,000 in 2021 – and then to create a community land management plan for the area.

An allocation of $100,000 for improvements to the Riverboat, Rail and Steam Group’s buildings, or construction of a stand-alone building, was never spent.

“Basically everything came to a standstill,” group member Lee Millsteed said.

“The few volunteers we had got frustrated and walked away.

“Now people see nothing happening down here.”

Enough years had now passed that the community was losing faith anything would ever become of the former Shell depot, Mr Moritz worried.

Or worse, he speculated, was the council simply waiting for the group to disband before pursuing its own vision for the property?

New shed would help restoration work get started

The Riverboat, Rail and Steam Group’s number-one need, members said, was the workshop upgrade the council had promised.

Without a safe working environment – and a working toilet, for that matter – it wouldn’t be possible to recruit new volunteers.

The group’s other major need was a growing membership, so it could demonstrate to the council that it was worth investing in.

It was a bit of a Catch-22 situation.

So whether you’re a woodworker, welder or craftsperson of any kind, or whether you just want to cook lunch or post on social media, the group wants to hear from you.

“We need passionate people that want to be involved,” Kieran Millsteed said.

“Your skill set’s irrelevant.”

Membership of the Riverboat, Rail and Steam Group costs $35 per year, and fees are invested in the group’s projects.

“We have jumped through a lot of hoops and hurdles, and we’re now ready … to actually start getting some of the work done,” Lee Millsteed said.

Group members just hope that community members and the council will be willing to dedicate themselves to preserving Murray Bridge’s heritage.

Murray Bridge News has sought comment from the council.