Author(s): Helen Stagg; Geoffrey Blainey (Foreword by); Brayden Dykes (Cover Design by)

Local and Regional Interest

This book celebrates the lives of those who were involved in the works which flowed from the River Murray Waters Act of 1915. The focus is on the first nine locks and weirs which were built by South Australia over a period of twenty years. Combining oral history and archival research, Helen Stagg shares stories of the construction communities whose itinerant lifestyle led to them being referred to as 'the great wandering class'. However, the communities are shown to have been relatively settled with their own school and with an active social and sporting calendar. Dances, silent movies, horse races, carnivals and occasional visiting entertainers provided a balance for the difficult living and working conditions. Health care was precarious and hardship affected many; work-time was reduced, accidents were common and tragedy took a toll but the people faced these issues together. The second part of the book consists of the memories of seven people who were children of lock builders. In addition, there are details of over 500 accidents, petitions signed by the lock families for services and a chronology of events. Today, irrigation and a reliable water supply sustain towns and cities along the Murray River and scores of riverboats enjoy ready transit through the locks. This book provides an insight into the life and times of the resilient people who harnessed the River Murray between 1915 and 1935.