Swan Hill Pioneer Settlement

Today we had decided we would spend at the Swan Hill Pioneer Village.  While talking to John and Maryanne at the Observatory, Maryanne had mentioned that she worked in the blacksmith shop in the village, and told us about some of the things we could experience there.

We arrived at about quarter past 10 and left at about 4.30 having still not seen everything.  This place must surely be one of the most underrated, under advertised tourist attractions Victoria has to offer.  We had seen similar attractions like ECHUCA’s Pioneer Village, and BALLARAT’s Sovereign Hill, both well known and advertised everywhere, but of SWAN HILL’s Pioneer Village we knew nothing, yet this was as good as, if not better than both of them.  Naturally it is on a very similar theme to ECHUCA, both being based on the history of the Murray River, but we felt SWAN HILL’s was much more informative and ‘user friendly’.  Its pioneer village reconstruction was much better than Sovereign Hill’s, which apart from its gold panning, would run a very poor second.

Complimentary with our admission price were free rides in a vintage Dodge Convertible car,

and free rides in a horse and Buggy,

both of which gave very informative running commentaries as you travelled throughout the village.  Similar services were available at Sovereign Hill and ECHUCA, but theirs was on a user pay basis.  Needless to say Cameron helped himself to several rides of both, especially the old Dodge.  He quickly made good friends with the drivers, and got the honour of being invited to ‘sit up front’, both in the Dodge, and as ‘shot gun’ on the Horse and Buggy.  I swear I could see smoke coming out of his camera on a couple of occasions.

Almost every exhibit had a very informative placard in front of it, so you could learn not only exactly what you were looking at, but also its history and use.  Something that neither ECHUCA nor Sovereign Hill had. We took the opportunity of being photographed while dressed up in Period Costume, an experience that Cameron absolutely loved,

and Cameron had a ‘Wanted’ Poster made with his name on it.  Bernard, the guy running the printing shop, just happened to be Dutch, and he soon struck up a conversation with Christel, and they were soon comparing notes about ‘home’.

There was a huge shed where all the machinery was powered by belts driven from one steam boiler.  Cameron obtained his ‘First Class Steam Engine Driver’s Certificate  Of  Competence,’ from there, after successfully blowing the steam Whistle three times.  He had wandered off on his own and done this while Christel and I were busily viewing something else.  We had heard the whistle blowing but didn’t realise it was Cameron ‘earning’ his Certificate.

We enjoyed a 1 hour cruise on a paddle steamer and before we knew it, it was getting near closing time and we still had heaps to see.  Luckily our admission entitled us to a two day visit so there was no doubt in our minds we were coming back.  There was still so much to see.

By now there was hardly anybody about. Christel and I were standing outside one of the shops, preoccupied with planning our next day’s visit, when we suddenly realised Cameron was again no longer with us. 

We found him way down the street, sitting on the footpath, ‘chatting with the drivers of the old Dodge Car, and the Horse and Buggy, and also the guy who had been riding a Penny Farthing Bike through the village, and another guy who had been driving a vintage tractor around.  They had obviously all sat down for a chat at the end of their day, and Cameron had decided to join them. By the sounds of their laughter, he was keeping them all well entertained.  A boy mixing it with the men. 

There had obviously been a fair bit of Kiwi versus Aussie bashing going on between them, and when we arrived we got a hard time about kiwis and our relationships with our sheep.  According to them, Kiwis have recently discovered two new uses for sheep.  They can be shorn and eaten.  We learnt their names were Sput, who drove the horse and buggy, Aaron who looked after and drove the tractors, and Josh who rode the penny farthing bike. We didn’t get to learn the name of the driver of the Dodge.

Sput, the guy that drove the horse and buggy, and reminded us a lot of Nigel Smith, was a particularly hard case, and reckoned I was the first kiwi he had ever seen who wasn’t walking around without his gumboots on. He was raised on a back country farm in the Mallee country, and was a real country boy at heart. While he was taking us for our ride around the village, he got the horse to stop in front of one of the shops and told us,” the old girl who runs this shop is always complaining about me and me horses”.   Then the horse lifted its tail and dropped a pile right in front of the shop.  He yelled out ‘Present for ya luv”, and we moved on. Presumably it was all part of the entertainment!!  Needless to say we are looking forward to tomorrow’s visit.

Thursday, and Cameron was chomping at the bit to get back and see ‘his mates’ at the Pioneer Village.  What better incentive did we need to make sure his school work was done quickly?

Back at the village we joined a conducted ride around the village. 

The driver and tour guide just happened to be Bernard, the Dutchy from the printing shop.  He made a great display of advertising the fact that he had some people on board who ate ‘fush and chups’.  As we drove past the Black Smith Shop, Maryanne from the observatory put her head out the door and saw us and yelled out a greeting.  We were starting to feel like part of their family.

After the ride we continued to look around the village.  Cameron soon disappeared to catch up with his ‘mates’.  We checked out the tractor display, about 50 vintage tractors of various ages, which Aaron the tractor driver, proudly told us all went. 

He then spent about 20 minutes trying to get one old girl to start, before finally giving up and getting another one started.  He drove it out of the shed, and then asked Cameron if he would like to sit in the driver’s seat. 

We also spent some time marvelling at all the overhead belts and pulleys in the machinery shop.

We went and visited Maryanne, from the Observatory, at the Black Smith shop.  Again she gave us a warm welcome. It was a bit strange seeing this lady, who the night before had been so involved in her astronomy, in the midst of all the dust and dirt of a Black Smiths shop, fully attired in her Black Smiths gear, pumping the bellows, and belting red hot bits of steel into horseshoes and nails. She asked Cameron if he would like to make a nail, and then helped him belt the red hot steel into a nail shape.  A very proud boy came out of the Black Smiths holding the nail he had just made.

Christel and Cameron disappeared while I was busy looking at something, and the next thing they came around the corner having another ride with Sput on his horse and buggy.  He was busy telling the crowds that he had stolen Christel and was showing her off.  When he spotted me he yelled out.  Here’s her husband.  He’s from New Zealand.  He’s looking for a sheep.  Bastard!! 

Soon after Cameron came and told us that Josh, the guy who rode the penny farthing bike was going to play his didgeridoo for us.  Josh soon arrived, grabbed his didgeridoo, and gave us a demonstration of his skills. Josh proudly told us that the didgeridoo was a gift from his parents, given to him when he was 13 yrs old.  His parents had made and decorated it for him, and he obviously treasured such a fine gift.

By now we had seen and done virtually everything there was to do and see.  When we told Cameron we were leaving he was quite sad and had to run off and say goodbye to all his new friends.  We were all starting to feel like part of the place.  Such lovely friendly people.   There was no doubt Cameron had won over many friends with his good manners and outgoing personality.  We felt very proud of the way he had conducted himself.  We had an especially warm farewell from Maryanne.  What a lovely lady.  Please come and see us if you are ever back in New Zealand.

Well that was our visit to The SWAN HILL Pioneer Village. A place we found purely by chance as it was never in our original travel plans to visit SWAN HILL.  What a fantastic place, such friendly people, and so under advertised.  Wake up SWAN HILL.  This place should be putting you on the map. If you are ever in Australia, make sure to call in and see it, and say Hi to Cameron’s friends.