Mid Murray

Distinguished and Famous people from Mid Murray

🚢 William Richard Randell

William Richard Randell’s working life helped connect Mannum with the growth of Murray River transport. His paddle-steamer ventures carried trade far inland, while a dry dock at Mannum supported the fleet’s maintenance. The enterprise involved considerable risk: the loss of Bunyip and its barges to fire in 1863 was a major financial blow from which he narrowly escaped personally. Later parliamentary interests included irrigation, water conservation and women’s suffrage. The dry dock and the naming of Lock One at Blanchetown preserve different parts of his legacy, linking engineering, commerce and the management of the river.

⚙️ David and John Shearer

David and John Shearer established their Mannum blacksmithing and agricultural implement business in 1877. Their farming machinery developed a wide market, while David also pursued the less usual problem of a steam-powered horseless carriage. Built after years of experimentation, the vehicle was demonstrated in Adelaide in 1900 with special permission to use the streets. Local mallee fuelled its boiler, giving an early motor experiment a distinctly South Australian energy source. David’s aim was to show that the idea worked rather than create a car-manufacturing empire; agricultural machinery remained the more lasting business.