Mallyons on the Murray: In the Riverland region of South Australia
On a picturesque bend in the Murray upstream from Morgan there's a reminder of the earliest pastoral days on the River. A former hotel and coach stop is now a stopping off point for travellers who love their food as mother nature intended it.
Just down the way from the verandah of the one of the area's first pub's Riverland sunshine and water from the Murray have combined to turn dry stoney terraces into rows of peach, nectarine and fig trees. And throughout the year Rita Builder has an endless supply of vegetables. Now the broad beans are in season and soon Nick Builder's nectarines will be ready for picking. All of these homegrown goodies will find their way onto the menu at "Mallyon's on the Murray".
The appeal of this spot is obvious. But Rita and Nick weren't just taken with the view. The soil here hadn't been cultivated for ten years when they moved in and was chemical free making it ready for organic certification as Rita explains:
“Organic farming is basically farming which is free of chemicals. We use no chemicals on the property so that means there's no weedicides or pesticides used and all of the elements that we use are based from natural trace elements. Nothing is damaging for the ground or humans.”
What isn't sold to organic food wholesalers around the country makes it's way onto the tables of those who dine at Mallyon's on the Murray. The lemons make their way into Rita's meringue pie. And the other organic produce into all the other dishes on the menu like the Overlanders Lunch - a reference to the days when this very barn was an isolated stop over for those who herded sheep and cattle, overland from New South Wales to Adelaide.
“The barn was built in 1841 or around that time for the Overlanders. The Overlanders were bringing their cattle to the river. Then they'd have somewhere to stop and have a bit of a drink and something to eat. The hotel was built in 1860 by the Brand family… The same family who built the Overland Corner Hotel and it was a Cobb and Co station.”
Many would have stayed in what is now Nick and Rita's home but back in 1860 it was called "The Rest and Be Thankful Hotel" and later Mallyon's Public House. For a time it would have offered a welcome drink and a break for the woodcutters who lived in a nearby camp.
“This river was alive with steamers around that time and they needed a ready supply of cut fuel to pick up along the way. So these people would cut the timber and lay it on piles so it was easy for the steamers to come up to the bank load up and move on again.”
It seems everyone who's ever spent time here ultimately pays their way including the ducks who've cleaned up the snail problem and are now taking care of other unwanted guests.
“They also serve another purpose. At night they are wandering around the property and they're keeping the kangaroos and the rabbits out and the foxes. So they work for their money.”
They're a talking point for the locals and tourists who drop into Mallyon's. And here the guests are likely to be served by visitors from even further afield like Hikomi Eike and Makato Sugimura from Japan. They're called Woofers, an acronym for Willing Workers On Organic Farms. They spend four months here, helping with every aspect of organic farming in exchange for accommodation and for them it's the ideal trade.
“Lovely family, lovely place, beautiful view.. Everything perfect.”
And at Mallyon's on the Murray you can enjoy the family, the place and the view in a perfect setting along with Rita's lovely organic food.
The Cafe is located just off the Morgan to Renmark Road about 18 kilometres east of Morgan. It's open every day except Tuesdays and Wednesdays. For more information visit their web page
