Callington

Callington is named after a copper mining town in Cornwall and lies beside the Bremer River about an hours drive east of Adelaide in the Hills. It began in 1850 and at one time there were no less than five mines in the district they called "The Cornwall of the Colony". Callington has a real place in the mining history of Australia. The Thomas family of Cornwall built a copper smelter in 1848 which was the first commercially successful smelter in Australia. In 1998 a monument was unveiled on the old Princes Highway commemorating the 150th anniversary of its creation. Originally low grade ore was brought in from the Kanmantoo mine a few kilometres away but then a bullock driver John Kiernan cracked open an outcrop with a dray wheel and the green of copper ore was exposed. He went straight to the Mining Claims Office and received a reward of 50 pounds - the equivalent of six months pay - for what he had discovered. The mining began in earnest and soon the Bremer Mining Company was sinking shafts into the ground, some as deep as 190 metres. A town was needed for this rush of miners and so Callington was surveyed in 1850. Naturally it became a busy town with 600 people moving in, including about 140 men and boys who worked the mines.

Like a lot of the smaller mines, Callington had its ups and downs but during its height a water pumping system was used because the main shaft soon reached below the water table. A giant Cornish engine was brought in and day and night it lumbered away using three boilers to run it. The nearby hills were denuded of all timber to fuel the fire. All that remains these days is a chimney rubble and a section of engine house wall. Although the Bremer River is usually a passive affair, it does have its violent moods. The current bridge through the town is the sixth, the previous five all washed away. Another devastating flood hit just before Christmas 1992 when the results of four tropical downpours led to water building up in nearby Kanmantoo's main street. A teenager was washed away and drowned and her body was found near Callington. The town receives the rain because it is in the rainshadow of Mount Barker and the Mount Lofty Ranges and so rather than a steady fall during the year, it usually gets torrential rains that start in the tropical north. The clearing of land by farmers and rabbits has also contributed to massive run off. Since the new freeway was put through the Adelaide Hills, Callington has become more accessible and so many people have taken up living in the area.

Their new homes are near the heritage buildings from the copper mining era such as the hotel, Methodist and Lutheran Churches and the old flour mill. This mill was built by the Thomas brothers in 1858 and had only been operating for a few weeks when their father ran into financial problems and they had to foreclose. It may well be the most impressive stone mill in South Australia - and certainly the most under used. Callington is off the Freeway at the Monarto Zoo exit and the mine ruins are well interpreted for visitors.

Another reason to visit Callington is the old Police Station that has been converted into a lavender garden. The three acre garden is open and lavender products are sold. Visitors can also inspect the old bluestone and sandstone Police Station, stables, cells and courtyards. Devonshire tea and light meals are available. Lavandula is open September to May, Thurs-Sun 10am-5pm. Ph 8538 5138. For more information you can email: info@postcards.sa.com.au