Stroll down memory lane and experience the lifestyles of hard-working pioneers as they struggled to tame this once harsh landscape. See how they battled drought, heat, and rabbit plagues and transformed dry mallee plains into some of the best cereal grain crops in the country.
The stories of early settlers and their families are displayed in over 45 buildings and exhibits. Each building is fully furnished with fascinating displays and memorabilia. Learn how the townsfolk and farmers lived, where they went to church and school, what they bought from the store, and the paddle-steamers that visited regularly.
Experience an operational fruit block, visit the bakery, bank, blacksmith, printer, motor garage, school, Institute, and the dentist – if you dare!
The Village Loxton is exciting and hands-on with creative, stimulating and interactive experiences for schools. The museum recreates a feeling for life in early 19th century inland Australia. Comprehensive programs include a range of hands-on activities within the vast grounds of the Village.
Foundations for the Village were laid in 1970 when the Loxton National Trust built a pug and pine replica of ‘Loxton Hut’.
William Charles Loxton (the town’s namesake) was a boundary rider on Bookpurnong Station and Loxton’s first settler.
Farm buildings are modelled on original structures around the district, including a pine slab shearing shed and stable, and a barn made of mallee stumps.
A bank, once operating at Geranium, and a railway station originally at Yinkanie together with a barber shop and one of the most comprehensive displays of old dental equipment in Australia, are features not to be missed.
The Clarion Newspaper office (Loxton’s first paper) houses antique printing machines. The 1920s style garage, designed by the Riverland Vintage and Classic Car Club, is home to beautiful old cars and motorcycles.
A vast area is dedicated to the Irrigation Museum. On display is a Nissen Hut which was living quarters for returned servicemen and their families. The Hut gives an authentic account of what living conditions were like. A small vineyard and orchard have been developed to show the irrigation scheme.
From its humble beginning, the Village continues to grow. The interest and appreciation shown by visitors highlight what a wonderful tourist attraction Loxton has.