Day 155 - Cowell, 29th November 2025

Despite our late night we set the alarm early as there was still lots we wanted to see.it wasn’t a bad view to wake up to.

We headed out to Hampton, a private township laid out by Thomas Powell in 1857 and named after Edward Hampton, assayer at the smelting works.

It was set out in the style of an English village and had 30 miner’s cottages and a chapel. It was abandoned in the 1960s but the remains are still there. It was pretty cool.






On to Redruth Gail, erected in 1856 at a cost of 3200 pounds.


The gaol provided accommodation for the gaol keeper, turnkey and 30 prisoners, male and female.





The gaol was closed in 1894 and was reopened as Girls’ Reformatory in 1897 before closing for good in 1922.
Its most recent claim to fame is the location of the filming of Breaker Morant in 1979. 


We then headed to the Police Lockup and stables erected at the rear of the first police station in 1847.






The courthouse building looked beautiful but it wasn’t open for us to have a look.


Miss Mabel’s Cottage was next. This cottage was built in 1855 and Miss Mabel was born there in 1883, the twelfth of thirteen children. She continued to live in the cottage until her death in 1983.


Next stop was Malowen Lowarth Cottage, one of the cottages built in 1850 to try and encourage the miners not to live in the dugouts. The other cottages are now used for accommodation.





Back in to the Main Street to check out the Christmas decorations,


and the very naughty elves.


The Tanunda was erected in 1911 as a tribute to King Edward VII.


Last stop in town was the Market Square Museum, once the home and dress shop of tailor, Andrew Wade.




We walked bank to the car, stopping for a pic at the fire station of course. 




What a hidden gem Burra is, full of history and amazing old buildings. So glad we added this in to our itinerary.


On the road again and not far out of town is the abandoned house used for the cover of Midnight Oil’s 1987 Diesel and Dust album. 



It was a big day driving but we finally arrived at Cowell, our home for the next two nights.


We set up, had a cuppa and then went for a walk to explore. We walked down to the foreshore past a beautiful, old hotel.


There is a lovely remembrance park with a tribute to those who lost their life in the wars.




There was also a lifeboat from the trading ketch Leilateah, launched in 1891. In 1957 she was modified and renamed the Milford Crouch. She was wrecked in a fierce storm in 1959 and crew of a nearby ship witnessed her go down. The lifeboat had been going to ruin before someone realised the significance of it and it had now been restored to display at the foreshore.


We walked out along the jetty…







…and got some gorgeous pics as the sun started to go down.





Back at the van we had dinner and sat outside watching Wolf Creek 2. There may be no sleeping tonight. 




















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