The Arnold Walk
Mannum Walks
Duration: 1-2 hours
Grade: Easy, relatively flat
John George Arnold, known as George, arrived in Murray Bridge in 1899 with qualifications allowing him to captain any ship throughout the world. he was first employed on the Tyro’ under Captain Murray Randell, but soon became a ship owner and builder in Mannum, obtaining contracts from the government also engaging in salvage work. He subdivided land, built houses for his workers, and was heavily involved in the sporting and community activities of the town. He lived at Esmeralda and later provided some of it’s land from the hospital.
- Start: The Memorial Gates, Mannum Showgrounds, North Terrace. The showground has not only hosted agricultural shows for many years, but was the accommodation base for workers on the water pipeline in the 1950s and today is used by many community and sporting groups.
- Walk up to the junction of Berryman and Ramm Road. Continued up Ramm Road past Anne and Little Anne Streets. Follow the sign pointing right to Murray Park. Walk between the rocks and the small park until you reach Reed Avenue which leads off Elizabeth Street. Turn right. Notice the Mannum – Adelaide Water Pipeline, completed in 1954.
- Cross Elizabeth Street near the pipeline and walk along the dirt track leading to Bormann Avenue. Cross Bormann Avenue and walk down to Neil Street. The Gem ad Mineral Gallery is well worth a visit.
- Continue down Neil Street to Adelaide Road. The Police Station was built in 1980 and replaces the earlier one which stood on the site of the present motel opposite the Ferry.
- Turn right and continue past the Police Station. Note the Leisure Centre and Council Chambers across the road.
- Continue to King George Street. Near the pedestrian crossing you will notice the Horwood Bagshaw factory, originally the second Shearer factory, opened in 1910.
- Continue on Adelaide Road past the Aminya Complex (begun in 1990 to provide homes for the aged) to the Hospital entrance. Before 1920, a number of private facilities cared for the sick, the injured and those needing maternity care. A public meeting in 1914 resulted in a committee that oversaw the building of the hospital which opened six years later. Funding came mainly from the community with a subsidy from the Government. Dr. Sprod guaranteed the 525 pounds required to build an operating theatre.
- Continue to the War Memorial. Plaques on the Memorial foundation, and on the wall, provide information.
- Walk past the Memorial to the green lamp post. This location provides a good view of Esmeralda, once the Arnold family home.
- Return up the hill and turn left into Parker Street. The Mannum to Adelaide water pumping station opened in 1998. It’s worth noting the buildings and streets which have been cut into the river cliffs around Mannum.
- The Parker Street loop will return you to the Adelaide Road. Turn left. Turn left again into King George Street. At the corner of Chandler Avenue are two small identical buildings with concrete pavement frontage. These were the ‘Four Square’ Store and Male’s Butcher Shop which accommodated the needs of many residents, especially during the building of the water pipelines to Adelaide.
- Cross the road to Arnold Street. You will notice the ‘Seven Sisters’, a group of seven identical homes build by George Arnold in 1911 to accommodate his workers. This area is part of a large subdivision of Arnold’s land which he bought in 1908 and registered as ‘Mannum South East’ in 1910.
- Continue along King George Street to North Terrace and turn right to return to the Showground Oval.
