New life for heritage-listed station

A FAMILY’S long-time affinity for the region is seeing Riverland farming history now being used as a tourism drawcard.

Establishing NWB, standing for Nor West Bend Station, located in Stuart, just outside of Morgan, had been in the mind of co-owner Lisa Goodland for a number of years.

“The idea was sparked because of Caudo’s Vineyard, as I thought it would be good to have two places on the river, but it’s taken this long to get through everything,” she said.

“We had to get approvals, and then go through heritage, and get licenses, so it’s been years in the making.

“We’re not completely finished, and we still have things we want to do, but we thought if we didn’t open before Christmas, we’d miss the busy period.

“We’re not in retail, so we weren’t really sure what we were in for, but people are still coming out now, and it’s been great.”

Ms Goodland said reflecting the surrounding area’s history, and benefitting the local community, had been personally rewarding so far.

“We’ve hired a lot of people from Waikerie or other places around the area, so supporting local is something we’re passionate about,” she said.

“With the name, when we were doing renovations and putting in a new roof, we noticed on the rafters, they had NWB on the signage.

“It used to be a wool storage shed, so I’m guessing they used to stamp it, and that name helps us keep some heritage behind what we do.”

Ms Goodland said a long-term vision existed to continue developing the site.
“We might shut for a month over winter to do some more building, but we’re unsure at this stage,” Ms Goodland said.

“We’re just going to have to ride it out and see what happens.

“My parents bought the place to be a holiday home, and we were up every weekend doing work on it, and we didn’t want to go home. So we had to make a job, and now my husband David and I are living there full time.”

Ms Goodland said showcasing local history, and utilising the station’s gardens to provide a positive atmosphere, was a goal.

“People love the gardens, and so you can take a picnic rug and sit on the lawns, or even come by boat or car,” she said.

“The adults love it because the kids are happy, and there’s music on, and we’re always looking to make it fun.”

For further information regarding NWB, visit the Facebook page (https://tinyurl.com/yycux85a).