Milang museum harks back to railway days after River Murray's paddle steamers era in South Australia

Port Milang Historic Railway Museum (inset) recreates links to South Australian Railways network after light rail was used to cart wheat from River Murray paddle steamers to the town's flour mill.
Image courtesy Weekend Notes and State Library of South Australia

Port Milang Historic Railway Museum at the former railway station on the shores of Lake Alexandrina, near the River Muray mouth, also presented the South Australian Light Railway Centre. Opened in 1992, the Milang Railway Museum contains many original South Australian Railways fittings. 

The town of Milang was surveyed in 1853 and built soon after to support the thriving paddle steamer trade along the River Murray. The paddle steamers linked Mannum, Murray Bridge and Tailem and towns further upstream on the river with Milang and Goolwa. River boats brought wheat to Milang where a light railway carried from the jetty to Landseer's flour mill. Other goods from Adelaide were brought to Milang by bullock cart where they were shipped upriver from.

River boat trade to Milang peaked between 1860 and 1880 but reduced sharply when a railway line was built to Morgan. Milang railway line became part of South Australian Railways in 1914 from a junction with the Victor Harbor line at Sandergrove. Its last passenger service ran in 1968, with the line closed two years later.

Old South Australian Railways carriages at Port Milang museum have been converted into a craft shop and a dining car. The museum also features a diesel electric locomotive 351 from the National Railway Museum at Port Adelaide. Loco 351 was fitted with a state-of-the-art driving simulator. This produced realistic sound effects to watch progress on a screen while “driving” the train.