Penwortham in the rain

Visited John Horrocks Cottage at Penwortham in the Clare Valley today. Despite the rain preventing us taking the selfguided walking tour around the area, the welcome at the cottage was warmed by the log fire, and coffee and cake supplied by members of the Mount Horrocks Historical Society. John Horrocks arrived in South Australia on his 21st birthday in 1839 and died at age 28 due to a tragic shooting accident involving a camel at Lake Dutton (Lake Gill). He was returned to Penwortham where he was buried in the cemetery of St Mary's Anglican Church. Horrocks lived in a hollow tree while this stone cottage was constructed. It is believed to be the oldest stone building in the north beyond Gawler. His younger and much shorter brother lived here when John went exploring. John established a property called Hope Farm where a manor home was commenced in 1842. Unfortunately this home was demolished in 1914 for the construction of a rail line between Riverton and Spalding. Horrock's father, as absentee land-lord, purchased the land in which the town of Penwortham (named after the hometown in England), was built. Artist ST Gill was a friend of John Horrocks and accompanied him on the explorations he made in the north of South Australia. Janet Morran has been dogged in her pursuit of the history of the Horrocks family you just have to visit the cottage to get the whole picture. A history room in what was the town's butcher shop next to the cottage has been fitted out with lots of information.

Janet has also been instrumental in acquiring a Local History Research room in the Institute building in Watervale. Here people can research family histories, maps, buildings, and browse through a collection of books relating to the surrounding areas.  I learned about Stanley Grammar School at Watervale, now a private home, but once a very large school that taught some well-known South Australians. I also saw notes from the diary of Ann Jacob from Jacob's Creek in the Barossa Valley who married a Horrocks. Truly a gem of a resource in a small country town.