The award-winning tourist attraction officially opened in 1973 after about eight years of planning by some dedicated locals.
It aims to rekindle memories of the hard-working pioneers who settled in the area.
The village features 45 replica buildings and displays including a blacksmith store, school building, general store, Loxton’s first newspaper The Clarion, a chapel, and a telephone exchange.
An irrigated fruit block, typical of those owned by the region’s WWII soldier settlers featuring older varieties of grapevines, stone fruit trees and citrus is also at the site on the northwest corner of town boarding the River Murray.
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In 2019, the Loxton Community Heritage Group took over management of the tourist attraction from the District Council of Loxton Waikerie, and one of its biggest tasks was to keep the village safe during the 2022/2023 River Murray flood.
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Under the guidance of the Loxton Historical Village’s curator Roselyn Sincock and the SA History Trust, dozens of locals donated their time to relocate treasured memorabilia to higher ground before the waters rose in December 2o22.
Sincock, 83, had to record what items were packed into about 200 boxes, where these were stored, and what part of the village they needed to be returned to.
“Everyone was eager to make sure that we did not get flooded out,” she said.
Loxton Community Heritage Group chairperson Paul Kaesler said fortunately the local council was able to increase the height of the existing levee and also extend it to prevent the flood waters from entering the village.
He is grateful the council understood the important contribution the Loxton Historical Village makes to the region’s tourism industry and community and protected it from the rising river.
However, the high water table and seepage from the flood meant that water got into the underground power cables and some buildings including the toilets were damaged.
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As a result, the Loxton Historical Village was closed for more than three months while repairs were undertaken, and items were returned to the buildings.
Sincock said the closure of the tourist attraction impacted financially on the Loxton Community Heritage Group and the local economy.
Since the flood almost 22 months ago, the hardworking Riverland volunteers have focussed on boosting the museum’s profile.
Kaesler said it has taken a while to spread the message that the River Murray region and the village is open for business again.
“We had to slow down because of the flood and some tourists may not yet be aware that things have returned to normal,” he said.
The village runs working and ‘Village Alive Days’ several times a year.
These events feature volunteers in period costumes, operational displays, and demonstrations of machines, stationary engines and tractors.
The days include free cart and horse rides, kids’ craft games and food and market stalls.
Volunteers also coordinate education programs for schools providing students with a taste of what life was like in the Riverland and Mallee during the early years of settlement.
The village also hosts community events and fundraisers and is a popular destination for vintage car clubs.
The next ‘Village Alive Day’ will be held on 26 October from 10am to 4pm and will be combined with its annual garden day, as part of the Riverland Rose and Garden Festival, which runs from 18 October to 27 October.
