Church ruins
Yongala Station. Early pastoralist Daniel Cudmore of Ireland took out the Yongala pastoral run in the 1847 covering an area of 42 square miles. He added another 33 square miles to this run in 1854. He also had other leasehold runs at Wilmington and Renmark (Paringa), some in partnership with his brother James Cudmore. He made a fortune from the Yongala run and it became a major pastoral estate. Daniel Cudmore sold his Yongala runs in 1869 to Alexander McCulloch. The government resumed the run in 1870 for closer settlement and McCulloch was left with just 11 square miles. Alexander McCulloch died in 1890. The Hundred of Yongala was declared in 1871 with Yongala town gazetted in 1876 and the first farmers settling near the town in 1872. Meantime Yongala station continued to exist further to the south of the town with 11 square miles of leasehold land which soon became freehold land owned by Alexander McCulloch. McCulloch purchased the leasehold from Daniel Cudmore in 1869 then when the government resumed it around 1872 and offered it for sale he purchased 53,000 acres to maintain Yongala station. This land was purchased by the South Australian government in 1900 from the trustees of Alexander McCulloch’s estate as he had died in 1890. The land was then subdivided and sold to farmers in 1902 with the establishment of the Canowie Belt district which was also known as Yongala Blocks. This well-watered land is flat, although at high altitude, and is ideal for cereal growing. Yongala station still exists as a large district property with its grand homestead and old stone sheds and barns. The manager of Yongala Station for McCulloch was offered the homestead and the homestead block of around 1,000 acres in 1902. The name Yongala crops up in SA several times. The Adelaide Steamship Company a steamer named the Yongala and there is a Yongala Avenue at Tranmere. Canowie Belt. In 1902 Yongala pastoral estate was subdivided for farms and the settlement of Canowie Belt emerged with several churches and a tin and iron hall in two separate locations separated by a couple of miles – one at a junction of five roads near Yongala pastoral station and one on the main Jamestown-Whyte-Yarcowie Road. At the crossroads the tin and iron Canowie Belt public hall opened in 1909. In 1940 it was taken over by the local Council but it is no longer used as a public hall. The Baptists erected a tin church at Canowie Belt intersection in 1904. It was later removed and a fine stone Baptist church was erected nearby in 1918. Sadly it closed in 1964 and is now used by a local farmer for storage of old vehicles and equipment. The roof has gone and the building is deteriorating quickly. The Presbyterians erected a tin church at Canowie Belt in 1908 directly opposite the Canowie Belt government primary school. The building contract was let to a Mr Rosie who charged £145 for building the tin church. It closed in 1965 as the rural population declined and it is now used to store hay. The Canowie Belt primary school was built in 1904 but school began in 1901 at Canowie Belt in the Yongala Station woolshed. The fine government school on the Main Road was completed in 1904 but it is now a residence. A plaque outside of it tells the story of its history. It opened with 53 pupils with the first enrolment being Ethel Cooper. The first teacher at Canowie belt was Hubert Moss and the last Ian Ramsay. When the school was closed children were bussed to Jamestown. Farmer Kupke donated the land for the Canowie Belt Baptist Church at the crossroads and farmer Schultz donated the land for the Canowie Belt Presbyterian church on the Main Road. A small stone Lutheran church was built at Canowie Belt in 1912. It was west of the pine trees near the crossroads. It closed in 1966 but has since been demolished. No other public and only one private building was ever erected at Canowie Belt.