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Secrets of Wedge Island: A Forgotten History

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by Dave Walsh (subscribe)
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Event:
Hear about this little known island off South Australia
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Loading Wool at Wedge Island 1940 (Image: State Library SA B76451)


Wedge Island is a small island of about 10 square kilometres near the entrance to Spencer Gulf in South Australia. Named in 1802 by Matthew Flinders, the island has a permanent lighthouse and is usually uninhabited but has been used for a variety of things over the years .

During World War 2 the Royal Australian Air Force set up a radar station on Wedge Island, one of several top secret radar stations in South Australia.

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Sketch of Wedge Island Radar Station (Image: Morrie Fenton)


The remarkable secrets of Wedge Island in the middle of Spencer Gulf are explored in a new novel written by Anne Winckel. Set in 1943 with World War 2 raging and the Germans invading Europe, the Japanese in the Pacific – trouble was also brewing at home on the island.

Winddance is a teenage fiction novel based on a farming family living on Wedge Island.

Join Anne Winckel at the Maritime Museum as she shares her ancestors' stories of island life, the stories of those who lived there during the war years, and her reflections on how they all inspired her writing.

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The Steam Powered Tug Nelcebee - Oldest Powered Ship in Australia


This book launch is an event that is part of South Australia's History Festival, and helps to bring our state's rich history to life. It is a free event with snacks and drinks available for purchase. All proceeds will go towards restoring the South Australian Maritime Museum's historic steam powered cargo ship Nelcebee - the oldest powered ship in Australia.

It's not recorded whether the Nelcebee actually visited Wedge Island, however it travelled in the area often on its coastal run.

For more information about this event go to the History Festival website where you can make your booking online for this free event. The bookm launch takes place on Tuesday 8 May at 6:00pm Maritime Museum doors open at 5:30

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Why? Come to a book launch and help save the Nelcebee
When: 6pm
Where: South Australian Maritime Museum, 126 Lipson Street, Port Adelaide SA 5015
Cost: Free!
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