PETERBOROUGH SA

  Peterborough marks the end of the RM Williams Way. From here one can turn NE and head for Broken Hill in NSW or as I will do, turn SE and head for Vic and the Murray River towns.
  Peterborough, (or Petersburg as it was known until 1918) was settled to service the agricultural and pastoral endeavours of the 1870s. A Mr William Heithersay was the first person to start a business venture up, when in 1878 he built a blacksmith shop. Several other ventures by other people soon followed. There are two theories as to how the town got its name. One is that it was named after Mr Peter Doecke, the original owner of the land on which the town was built. The other, that it was named after 'Peters Store', the first General Store in town.
  Peterborough is also one of only two places in the Southern Hemisphere where you can still see three railway gauges: broad, standard and narrow and played a pivotal role in South Australia's railway history. The Steamtown Heritage Rail Centre and a "Y" Class Locomotive in the main street attest to the Town's pride in it's history. Established in 1875 on the promise of a new line between Adelaide and Silverton in NSW, the old buildings that lined the narrow main street or were tucked away in the backstreets remain to delight.