SILVER TO SEA WAY

Raising the roof at Peterborough

DEBORAH MORGAN, SILVER TO SEA WAY STEERING GROUP CHAIR

work is well in hand at the first site to benefit from the National Trust’s transformative silver to sea way heritage regeneration project – an exciting initiative creating a major new touring route stretching from silverton in New south wales to Port Pirie.

The Silver to Sea Way project is a regional regeneration project to generate economic and social benefits through the use of heritage assets in regional and remote areas. The Trust has been funded by the Australian Government for $6.5m under its Building Better Regions Fund (BBRF) for Stage 1 of the project. Stage 1 follows the original railway line from the Trust’s magnificent Port Pirie Railway Museum and Customs House, to Gladstone Gaol and the Peterborough Roundhouse. A State Heritage Place completed in the early 1920s, the roundhouse comprises a half circle with 23 train stalls and a central turntable. Today, it is the largest and most intact of the roundhouses built by the South Australian Railways. Already a much-visited icon, the building is the first site along the Silver to Sea Way to undergo regeneration works using BBRF funds. In December the Trust marked the commencement of works with an event at Peterborough’s Steamtown Railway Centre. Quenten Agius, Chair of the Ngadjuri Nation Aboriginal Corporation, welcomed guests before Federal Member for Grey, Rowan Ramsey, entertained them with stories of his own experiences along the Silver to Sea Way and spoke to the many benefits this project offers the region. McMahon Services Australia Pty Ltd has been working onsite at the roundhouse since November. The works on the roof include removing some 45 tonnes of asbestos from the site to enhance public safety. A number of steel sleeve joints have also been fabricated by Jamestown Engineering and installed to strengthen the structure. Since that time, the replacement of the roof has progressed quickly, as well as some of the timber columns, knee braces and beams in both the roundhouse and other sheds. At this stage, it is anticipated that the work will be completed by late March. This restoration effort will ensure that the Peterborough Roundhouse remains an important and safe site for generations to come. It will also provide a much-needed boost to the town’s economy, through heritage tourism. The following additional aspects of the National Trust’s endeavours at Peterborough also deserve mentioning.

Recycling and regeneration – a good news story

Demolished a few years ago, despite objections from the National Trust and others, the Mount Gambier Roundhouse was constructed according to a plan similar to that of the Peterborough Roundhouse. In June 2021, the Trust approached the City Council of Mount Gambier for permission to use some of the salvaged timber beams. Much to our delight, the council agreed and most generously donated us as much timber as we wanted for the project. Some of the Mount Gambier Roundhouse timber has already been milled and installed to replace some of the Roundhouse’s ageing beams.

Engaging schools – “Places in Cases”

The Silver to Sea Way project team has been collaborating with St Joseph’s Primary School in Peterborough to produce mini museum displays to encourage students to think about change in their town over time. Working in small groups, students filled repurposed travellers’ briefcases with items related to historic images of Peterborough. The items were selected by the students to represent the smells, sights, sounds and emotions of events depicted in the images. Feedback from students about the program was overwhelmingly positive, with many enjoying the chance to learn more about how their town has evolved. Displayed at the works commencement celebration, the “Places in cases” were much admired by guests too.

Community Engagement – Site Tours

In early February Steamtown staff and volunteers were invited to join a roundhouse site tour. The tour gave them an opportunity to learn more about the regeneration works being undertaken, ensuring that they can share Silver to Sea Way success stories with future visitors to both the site and region. There are also future plans to offer tours to secondary school students from the region, with a focus on career paths linked to the initiative.

Peterborough Town Whistle to blast again!

The role of the whistle was to advise railway workers when shift times were commencing and ending. The Silver to Sea Way project plans to re-install the original steam operated whistle for use on the roundhouse site.

ABOVE:

L - R: Rowan Ramsey MP, Federal Member for Grey, Mike Adler, Project Manager McMahons and Peter Fosdike, Manager Conservation works, discuss the works at the Roundhouse.