Maureen Andrews, Naracoorte Community News
The Kingston Museum has a fascinating collection of exhibits which tells the story of how transport played a key role in the development of Kingston from an isolated settlement of approximately 140 people in 1860, to a bustling service hub in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century.
Over the first weekend in January 2024, Saturday 6th and Sunday 7th, the Kingston Museum welcomed visitors and locals to share the story of how our transport pioneers, using bullocks, horses, and early motor vehicles, established the links vital for communication and trade.
The town hosted a number of vintage cars, trucks and motor bikes, many with historical links to Kingston’s development.
A most exciting addition to the program was the replica “Cobb and Co.” Stagecoach pulled by four horses. This was very similar to the coaches used in the Meningie to Kingston Mail Stagecoach service of the 1870’s.
The Stagecoach created some excitement for both adults and children.
Over the weekend, it took over 200 hundred passengers on a 3-kilometre route around the town. The stagecoach was sponsored by the Royal Mail Hotel, which was a drop off point and booking office for the original coach.
Approximately 250 visitors bought a day pass to see the museum’s collection, meet our local experts, and hear their first-hand experiences. This allowed them to come and go during the day.
On each day there was a program of guest presenters as well as museum volunteers keen to meet visitors and show them the gems in the collection.
The presenters included Alan Jones, Co-Author of “Her Majesty’s South-Eastern Mails”, the story of how the mail was delivered by pack horse and mail coach in the early days of the colony, and Howard Dicker, whose family established the first motorised freight service between Kingston and Adelaide which they have continued to operate since the 1930’s, Other locals, the descendants of the bullockies, stagecoach operators, carters and carriers, were there to tell family stories and answer questions.
This article appeared in the Naracoorte Community News.
