BLANCHETOWN
Blanchetown is the next town encounted
when traveling east on the Sturt Highway. Blanchetown is also a Murray
River resort town with number river recreational opportunities.

Blanchetown was originally surveyed in
October 1855 as Blanche Town. It was named after Lady Blanche
MacDonnell, the wife of the Governor of South Australia, Sir Richard
MacDonnell.
The Blanchetown Bridge is the
western-most (and farthest downstream) of the four crossings over the
Murray River. During the nineteenth century it was an important
transportation centre on the lower Murray. In modern times Blanchetown
has been described as “a strange mixture of historic buildings and
temporary shacks built by holidaymakers on the banks of the
river".Blanchetown is widely regarded as the entrance to the Riverland
citrus district. 
Lock 1 on the Murray River is at Blanchetown. It was the first of the
13 locks and weirs built on the Murray, and were completed in 1922.
The lock chamber is approximately 56 feet by 275 feet (17 by 83
metres). The original purpose was to facilitate navigation for trade
along the Murray, but by the time the weirs had been built, trade was
declining. The primary purposes now are for recreational boating and
to maintain water levels for irrigation.
  
The Blanchetown War Memorial is
located near the RSL on the main road.
The Blanchetown Church is represented
by the Lutheran Church over the river.
The Hotel overlooking the river,
though modern aspects and has heritage classification.
Should the traveler be on the Sturt
Highway a look at the Number 1 Lock has merit.
Heritage diary
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