Millicent was first officially proclaimed in the year 1870, after the little township began to develop on the limestone ridge that was located in the Millicent flats once they were drained. The town is named after the wife of one of the early pioneers of the city, Millicent Glen, née Short, who was also the daughter of Adelaide’s first Anglican Bishop, Augustus Short.
The Various Attractions of Millicent
The town of Millicent is also the home of a Kimberly Clark paper mill, with this company being the largest employer for the area. The Kimberly Clark paper mill produces Viva, Cottonelle and Kleenex products for both the Australian and overseas markets.
Millicent’s primary production is its many varied crops, with pine and blue gum plantations covering large areas of the vicinity. It is also the only place where seaweed is harvested and processed in South Australia.
The town is a small one, featuring only one roundabout, one intersection with traffic lights, one radio station, a lake for swimming and a caravan park.
The Living History museum in Millicent has won many awards, and has evolved from an old school house from days gone by. It now provides a sneak peek into the town’s colonial history, offering more than 20 totally restored horse-drawn vehicles for public view, and it is the largest collection South Australia has. The Living History museum also boasts a shipwreck room as well as a replica of Aborigine rock art native to the area, and a T-class locomotive.
South Australia’s Richest Country Race Meeting
The Millicent Cup is held to be the finest country race meeting in all of South Australia, and holds a strange record: being the only club that races at another club’s course, while having its own training track. In recent years the Millicent Cup has started to become of the best attended horse racing events in the entire area, with as many as 25% of the population of the town going out of their way to attend the event. The Penola Racecourse assures punters of an action-packed day of live music, high fashion and fine food as well as some of the best racing in the area.
The Racing Club’s mainly supplies and maintains training facilities for around 50 local horses, and provides back up to trainers from the Naracoorte, Mount Gambier and Penola areas. The only meeting the race club runs each year is the Millicent Cup at the Penola racecourse.
The Features of Penola Racecourse
The Penola Racecourse is located at the centre of the Coonawarra Wine Region, approximately 400 kilometres south east of Adelaide’s central business district where you can enjoy bingo for money .
The Millicent Cup races on its lengths, with the track boasting a circumference of 1835 metres, and a home straight of 280 metres. It has a rounded layout, and sees competitors battling it out over distances of 1200 metres, and negotiating at least two corners. A good barrier draw is vital for this track. Besides the Millicent Cup, The Penola Cup is this track’s number one race meet.