A & H Doddridge Blacksmith Shop and the power of community

The SAcommunity team of volunteers were busily updating records across the state when they noticed A&H Doddridge Blacksmith Shop and contacted volunteer Leo Leggett to find out more.
 
What is the A&H Doddridge Blacksmith Shop? 
The A&H Doddridge Blacksmith shop is a working museum dedicated to the skills of the blacksmith. The heritage listed blacksmith shop is located at 19 Murray Street, Angaston and boasts over 130 years of blacksmithing on-site, displaying many of the original tools and equipment used to create wrought iron and steel objects needed in early South Australian life.
 
How long has the shop been running?
The shed itself was built in 1876 and is historically significant as an industrial building, as a representation of early blacksmithing and as a working blacksmith shop. These shops were essential in creating the metal objects needed in rural life at the time, ranging from horse shoes for cart and riding horses as well as items for carts, buggies, ploughs and for making tools.
The shop was operated by the Doddridges, and after the death of third generation blacksmith Hardy Doddridge in 1981, the shed was to be demolished, however the community in the district banded together and to purchase the tools and keep the collection together. The museum has now been operating for 19 years with volunteers from the Angaston and Penrice Historical Society and in association with the South Australian Artist Blacksmiths. The Blacksmith Shop is open with a guide and a blacksmith from 1-4pm on Saturdays, Sundays and Public Holidays on the main street of Angaston.
 
How does the Blacksmith Shop help people connect?
We have so many people who are interested in blacksmithing as a creative art. As a volunteer for the last 9 years, I came from generations of blacksmiths and have returned to the craft now I am retired. Whereas one of our other volunteers started as a young girl who began learning when she was 11 and is now 21, she studies at university during the week and on the weekends she creates many different types of medieval art pieces here.
Some blacksmiths create traditional objects or variations on them, with items such as cats constructed from horse-shoes, whilst others bring some of their commissioned art to work on while they are here, forming gates and other metalwork creations. People visiting the shed will often ask about bespoke items and we will match them with a blacksmith who can achieve what they are looking for.
 
How does the shed benefit the area?
The shed generates tourism and brings about economic and social benefits to the region. People from all over Australia and overseas travel up from Adelaide for a tour of the Blacksmith shed. We find that we have just as many people interested in taking up blacksmithing as we do in seeing how these objects are brought to life.
In fact, we open during the week on negotiation for groups and school excursions, and annually for South Australia’s History Festival presented by History SA. We have also been featured twice on the channel 10 children’s program ‘Totally Wild’ to showcase the history of Blacksmithing.
 
What help does the A&H Doddridge Blacksmith Shop need?
The Angaston and Penrice Historical Society is trying to raise $100,000 so that they can purchase the A&H Doddridge Blacksmith property
Recently the Angaston and Penrice Historical Society has been working to raise funds to purchase the A&H Doddridge Blacksmith property and save this Barossa historical icon. They also plan to build an adjoining shed to display more of the ledgers and photographs associated with the shop, dating back to 1872.
You can learn more about the shop from their film https://youtu.be/-gyqTLT_aMo and if you would like to help contact the A&H Blacksmith Shop or visit  their Go Fund Me site.