15 July 1844 Toll House

The road to Mount Barker was made a toll road when an Act of the Governor in Council, vesting management of the road in trustees with the power to levy tolls, was assented to on 15 July 1844. The tolls ranged from one shilling for a coach or cart, sixpence for a saddle horse, one penny per head of cattle and a halfpenny per head for sheep. The Act was to remain in force for 14 years, but part was repealed after three and the road was placed under the control of the Surveyor-General. On 17 November 1847 Captain Frome, the Surveyor-General, issued a note stating that no further tolls would be levied from 1 December 1847. The Toll House fell into disrepair and the gates were removed. The building remained derelict until restored by the National Trust. The gates spent some time on the property of Dan Gollen at Strathalbyn. The new owner, H.R. Meyer, presented them to the government but only one could be restored.

Judith Brown, Town Life in Pioneer South Australia, Rigby, 1980, pp14-15.