History in my backyard

I have been awash with history lately. After our excursion to the pioneer village at Tailem Bend recently which I so enjoyed, Steve and I strolled around Victor Harbor to view the heritage buildings closer to home. Steve does a monthly column for the local newspaper The Times on walks around the Fleurieu Peninsula. He's covered quite a few walks over the two years he has been writing the column  but they have mostly been out-of-town bush walks. This time we were right in the heart of Victor Harbor.

The National Trust has published an informative brochure that gives a brief indication of a building's background along with a thumbnail photo, so it was easy to follow the route and learn about the rich and diverse history. With buildings dating from 1850s to the 1930s in nearly every street, there's a lot to see.

We set off on a perfect winter's morning with a weak sun lighting up the buildings but not offering much warmth.  So it was beanies, gloves, scarves and winter coats for us.

Here's some background info just to fill you in on on where we are.

Background
Victor Harbor sits on Encounter Bay, named by Matthew Flinders in 1802 on his exploratory expedition. In 1837 the captain of the HMS Victor anchored off-shore and named the site after his ship. But it was not until 1863 that the town was laid out.

As in so many places in Australia, a lot of the old buildings have been demolished over the years. Yet the town retains much of its built heritage. Victor Harbor has always been a favoured summer holiday resort for people from Adelaide and the town had numerous holiday homes and boarding houses, some of which are still standing.

The buildings
I'll start with my favourite strip: Railway Terrace. Built opposite the railway station, these tiny buildings housed a bootmaker, a baker and confectioner, refreshment rooms and other businesses that catered for the growing town and surrounding farming district. It's a pity this precinct is a bit dull now, but crying out for a bit of life. Bring back the 'refreshment rooms' I say!

Though not that large, this is perhaps the most stylish of our buildings. It is, of course, the Town Hall, the centre of so many formal and social functions.

For those who like architectural interest here's a shot of the top of the building.

Here's an a example of one of the boarding houses that were so popular at the turn of the century and well into the 1920s. It was built as a residence in the early 1900s. It was added on to and became a guest house called Warringa. Today, it's the Anchorage Hotel.

The old Post and Telegraph Station was built in 1905. It was from here that the town's first telephone service began operation. Today it houses Steve's barber!

Here is a photo of it  in its early years looking very bustling and important (and quite different to  now).

We strolled on reading the informative blue plaques on many of the buildings. I wouldn't have minded being the headmaster in 1912. This was his residence. The sun was in the wrong spot so the photo doesn't do justice to this large and elegant building.

A building I really liked looks nothing like its original form. This was the first bank in the town. It was built in 1865 in what was then the busy commercial hub, being near both the railway and the port. Here is a photo of it being built.

And now...

The National Trust looks after this building, one of the earliest in Victor. It was built in 1866 for the harbour master, and later was the residence of the station master. 

 And finally, a relative newcomer, is the Ozone Theatre built in 1923. I love the art deco style of the interior, the comfortable seats with plenty of leg room and the wide aisles.

There's plenty more to see but, for now, we're off to do some whale watching.