Post by CRacing on Aug 8, 2009 19:47:44 GMT 9.5
The History of the Morgan Township
Karting has been a popular sport for over 60 years and was first introduced as a fun past time for war weary RAAF pilots. The first machines were very simple affairs back in that time. However, the machines and motors of today are as technically advanced as any level of motor sport in the world.
Whether you are looking for adrenalin pumping action, or a fun day out with the family, then Dirt Karting may be just the thing for you.
Karting is competitive and top drivers race extremely finely-tuned machines at high speeds with all the thrills that open-wheeled racing has to offer but without the usual high costs involved. The sport of Karting is fast becoming a very popular past time for both male and female alike. It is an inexpensive way for the whole family to enjoy the thrills of motor racing, catering for children from seven years right through to grandparents!
Located 165 km north-east of Adelaide, Morgan is situated on a bend in the Murray River which is variously known as the 'North West Bend', 'Great Bend' or 'Great Elbow'. There are two ways to enter Morgan from the south. At Cadell it says 13 kms to Morgan on an unsealed road or 19 kms on a sealed road. The sealed road reaches a ferry across the Murray a few kilometres before Morgan. The unsealed road comes to a ferry at Morgan. Both trips are well worth taking.
Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Naralte Aborigines who were described by one early settler as 'very friendly and quickly picked up a smattering of English. They were willing to work ... and attempted to instruct the newcomers in their methods of hunting.' The river provided abundant food and they lived well off a diet of kangaroos, emus, wombats, goannas, lizards, ducks, turtles, fish, snakes and bird eggs. These Aborigines reputedly called the district 'coerabko' meaning 'meeting place of the tribe'.
The first European into the area was Captain Charles Sturt who, being assigned to solve the great mystery of why so many rivers flowed westward from the Great Dividing Range (often known as the question of whether Australia had an 'inland sea') rowed a whale boat down the Murrumbidgee in late 1829 and reached the junction with the Murray River on 14 January 1830. He continued down Australia's largest river passing Morgan in early February and reaching Lake Alexandrina, at the mouth of the river, on 9 February, 1830.
With the development of the river as a major transportation route in the 1850s and 1860s Morgan became an important stopping point for the over Landers bringing sheep to Adelaide.
The town was officially proclaimed in 1878 and named after Sir William Morgan who was Chief Secretary at the time. Town lots were auctioned on 16 May 1878 with some selling for as much as £1540 per acre. The reason for this was that smart investors realised that the arrival of the railway that year would ensure that the town became one of the major transport nodes on the river. They were correct. In a few years Morgan was the second-busiest port (after Port Adelaide) in South Australia loading and unloading both trains and steamers. At its height there were six trains a day leaving for Adelaide and steamers were literally queued up along the banks for loading and unloading.
Slowly the river trade disappeared and the town became a small rural centre and a crossing point for travellers wanting to make their way across the Murray River. Today it is a pleasant, sleepy little town which is used by people who are travelling or holidaying around the Murray.
Whether you are looking for adrenalin pumping action, or a fun day out with the family, then Dirt Karting may be just the thing for you.
Karting is competitive and top drivers race extremely finely-tuned machines at high speeds with all the thrills that open-wheeled racing has to offer but without the usual high costs involved. The sport of Karting is fast becoming a very popular past time for both male and female alike. It is an inexpensive way for the whole family to enjoy the thrills of motor racing, catering for children from seven years right through to grandparents!
Located 165 km north-east of Adelaide, Morgan is situated on a bend in the Murray River which is variously known as the 'North West Bend', 'Great Bend' or 'Great Elbow'. There are two ways to enter Morgan from the south. At Cadell it says 13 kms to Morgan on an unsealed road or 19 kms on a sealed road. The sealed road reaches a ferry across the Murray a few kilometres before Morgan. The unsealed road comes to a ferry at Morgan. Both trips are well worth taking.
Prior to European settlement the area was inhabited by the Naralte Aborigines who were described by one early settler as 'very friendly and quickly picked up a smattering of English. They were willing to work ... and attempted to instruct the newcomers in their methods of hunting.' The river provided abundant food and they lived well off a diet of kangaroos, emus, wombats, goannas, lizards, ducks, turtles, fish, snakes and bird eggs. These Aborigines reputedly called the district 'coerabko' meaning 'meeting place of the tribe'.
The first European into the area was Captain Charles Sturt who, being assigned to solve the great mystery of why so many rivers flowed westward from the Great Dividing Range (often known as the question of whether Australia had an 'inland sea') rowed a whale boat down the Murrumbidgee in late 1829 and reached the junction with the Murray River on 14 January 1830. He continued down Australia's largest river passing Morgan in early February and reaching Lake Alexandrina, at the mouth of the river, on 9 February, 1830.
With the development of the river as a major transportation route in the 1850s and 1860s Morgan became an important stopping point for the over Landers bringing sheep to Adelaide.
The town was officially proclaimed in 1878 and named after Sir William Morgan who was Chief Secretary at the time. Town lots were auctioned on 16 May 1878 with some selling for as much as £1540 per acre. The reason for this was that smart investors realised that the arrival of the railway that year would ensure that the town became one of the major transport nodes on the river. They were correct. In a few years Morgan was the second-busiest port (after Port Adelaide) in South Australia loading and unloading both trains and steamers. At its height there were six trains a day leaving for Adelaide and steamers were literally queued up along the banks for loading and unloading.
Slowly the river trade disappeared and the town became a small rural centre and a crossing point for travellers wanting to make their way across the Murray River. Today it is a pleasant, sleepy little town which is used by people who are travelling or holidaying around the Murray.
Information from www.morgandirtkartclub.com.au/about_us.htm with thanks
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