| Mypolonga History - The Early Years | |||
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Mypolonga is a rural irrigation town, situated on the western
side of the River Murray in the state of One of the thoughts on the origin of the name Mypolonga comes from the authority of the late Mr N.B. Tindale, an Ethnologist at the According to Colonel Lights Survey Map of June 10th 1841, a Special Survey of the region was made, and the subsequently granted to J. Morphett, in trust for others. Mypolonga Irrigation Area was proclaimed and Gazetted on the 21st May 1914. The first of the blocks to be subdivided and allotted were those at the South End. The Settlement of Mypolonga was later surveyed by the Government and allotted on the 24th July 1914 while the Construction work on the irrigation project was in progress at the time the area was proclaimed, and would not be completed until nearly two years later. Large gangs of men where set up in camps around the settlement during the construction period. Stores and supplies where most commonly delivered by boat, calling in at various landings along the way. Some of the orchard blocks in development were promising, although in hindsight the blocks were allocated twelve months too early as the big irrigation pumps were in course of installation and wouldn’t be operational until 1915. During this time, the young trees had their leaves denuded by a caterpillar plague and water was in short supply, although some orchards had access to a 6” pipe during 1914. The year 1914 was also a year of disastrous drought. The highland at Mypolonga was an arid wind swept waste, almost devoid of vegetation. Fences were non-existent or in course of erection and the new settlers had difficulty finding the survey pegs to locate their land. The river was extremely low and salty during 1913-14, with very little rainwater available, so the best water procurable was from dugouts or soaks between the bank and the river.
By around 1916, the big engines and pumps were eventually commissioned but they did not throw as much water, or work as well as could be desired. The wooded pipes that carried the water from the river to the irrigation channels would also be of great frustration. It would contract during dry or hot weather, so when irrigation commenced, the seems opened and blow holes appeared everywhere. This continued until 1928 when it was replaced with concrete pipes. With the end of the First World War, a number of settlers sold their leases, mostly to returned soldiers during the years 1919-20. The local men, also discharged from the Army, returned to their blocks again to take up civilian life. At the same time as the orchards were being developed, work was well under way on the reclamation of the swamps. Work began at Mypolonga in April 1909. Reclamation was achieved by construction of levee banks on the edge of the river channel, then pumping out the impounded water. Drainage channels needed to be dug and pumps used to maintain the water table sufficiently low. By the early 1920, dairy herds were becoming established on the newly reclaimed land. A few of the dairy farmers entered their cattle at the Royal Adelaide Show in September 1924, securing prizes for their Freisian cows. To be continued. For errors or corrections, please email me. |
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