BALAKLAVA
Balaklava is another crossroads town
that may be encounted traveling between Port Wakefield and Auburn. Off
the main travel route but still a rich agricultural region.
Balaklava is an interesting and very
different town. No square/grid like street setup at Balaklava. No. A
series of hub and spokes
determine
the street design at this small town. What a delightful change. Early
history probably drove this planning quirk. 
The name of the town was originally spelled Balaclava. The reason for
the change is presumed with confusion with the now suburb of Balaclava
in Melbourne.
The first European settlers in the area were James and Mary Dunn who
opened a hotel in 1850. The town was laid out by Charles Fisher in
1869 and named it after the Battle of Balaklava He built large grain
stores on the tramway from Hoyleton to the nearby port, intending to
encourage farmers to settle near the town. The first Hotel erected in
the township of Balaklava was the Balaklava Hotel, later called the
Royal. Thomas Saint borrowed the finances from Thomas James Manton and
applied for the Hotel Keepers License on 17/11/1870 and was granted
license No.17 of 1871 on 04/04/1871.
The immediate economic future for Balaklava is uncertain. Rapid road
transport is decimating and marginalizing some towns and centres.
Balaklava amongst them.
The United ,
Catholic
and Anglican
Churches are all 150 year vintage buildings. Just fabulous.
The two hotels likewise are century plus establishments and going
strong. _small.JPG)  
The Balaklava Museum is located near the Catholic Church.
The Balaklava War Memorial is a modest but meaningful acknowledgement. 
Balaklava should be a consideration for a stop over, but bear in mind
there are limited power spots at the destination park. 
Heritage diary 
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