After our morning walk along the creek (lots of birdlife around at this time of day), we went for a drive to Inglewood.
On our way into town, we called into Coolmunda Dam. Completed in 1968, the earth–fill dam structure is 18.6 metres high and 2,286 metres long and holds back 69,090 megalitres of water when at full capacity. It supplies water to the Macintyre Brook Irrigation Scheme, supporting crops of olives, lucerne, citrus, stone fruit, vines, grain crops (wheat, barley, sorghum & corn), as well as being the urban water supply for Inglewood. It's also well stocked with fish, offering anglers the chance to hook several species, including Murray Cod, yellowbelly and silver perch.
We should have come to Inglewood earlier, as there's not much open on a Saturday afternoon. We did, however, visit the Inglewood Heritage Centre and Australian Tobacco Museum - a fascinating place, dedicated to preserving the region's cultural history, specifically its century-long legacy of tobacco growing. Of particular interest was "The Golden Leaf" exhibition, which details the history of tobacco production from the late 1880s to the 1980s. The industry became a significant economic boost to the area and really flourished after World War II due to a large influx of European migrants, particularly from Italy, who brought specialised farming skills to the region. The completion of the Coolmunda Dam also provided essential water for irrigating tobacco crops in the surrounding district and kept the industry afloat until the commercial tobacco production in the region collapsed following the deregulation of the Australian tobacco market in the late 80s.
The museum is quite a little gem and does a great job of displaying Inglewood's heritage - not just tobacco.
Home via Tobacco Road, no doubt where all the tobacco was grown back in the day. We had heard that there was good coffee at the Dreamtime Nursery & Garden Ornaments along this road, but unfortunately, not even it opens on a Saturday afternoon. We'll just have to wait until we get back to camp.
