Ardrossan And District Historical Museum

When Ardrossan folk talk of the sea they look to the land. And amidst the agricultural machinery in the Ardrossan Museum you will see why. At ports like Ardrossan, Yorke Peninsula`s wheat and barley harvests were loaded onto the ketches and coastal steamers, their destination the markets of Britain and Continental Europe.

Ardrossan Museum is located in the former factory of C.H. Smith who was a well-known South Australian manufacturer of agricultural machinery and developer of the Stump Jump Plough. This plough has legendary status in South Australia`s history and is at the heart of the Ardrossan Museum`s displays. It was only by ploughing with this specially designed plough - which literally `jumped` over the mallee tree stumps left in the ground after falling - that farmers could sow a full paddock. With the arrival of this plough, grain production increased so did the need for ports, ships and trade routes.

A small room contains relics from the sailing ship Zanoni, which sank off Ardrossan when caught in a sudden squall on its way from Port Wakefield to Port Adelaide to get clearance to sail to England with its full cargo of wheat. The vessel was built in 1865 and sank on 13 February 1867.

We have the ships bell, spider band from around the mast, crockery, cutlery, galley tiles and a host of other items all in good condition, considering the wreck was not discovered until 113 years after sinking.

A display on the `Mosquito Fleet` the many ketches serving Ardrossan right up to the 1950s shows the dependence of the area on the sea trade.

The original Harbour Masters Office from the jetty has now been renovated and set up as an old time store.

So when Ardrossan folk talk of the land they look to the sea.

 

Category: Galleries, Museums and Collections