Port Willunga. Historic cottage form the 1850s.
Aldinga/Port Willunga.
Farmers started taking up land around Aldinga in the early 1840s. One of the earliest settlers was George Lovelock and family who settled at Aldinga in 1844. Aldinga was laid out as a small town in 1857 by a farmer who subdivided part of his land. He was Lewis Fidge who created the private town of Aldinga. The town was on the coaching route from Adelaide to Willunga. The first public building that was erected was the Free Presbyterian Church which opened in 1856 just before the town was created. Sadly the church was not well built and due to the cost of repairs needed it closed in 1880 and soon weathered into a pile of rubble. The first school opened in Aldinga in 1856 but it was demolished in 1980 by the SA government. The town had a large flourmill from 1848 to 1905. The Wesleyan Methodist Church was opened in 1863 and still stands. Fund raising for the construction of the church began as early as 1854. The Anglican Church opened in 1865 and still stands cross the main south road. The former Temperance Hotel was built in 1868 and was added to later. It was known as Harts Hotel as a Mr Hart ran the business from 1890 to 1920. It is now a restaurant bar and clothing shop. In its heyday Aldinga had a general store, butcher, bootmaker, undertaker and blacksmith, etc.
The land near Port Willunga was one of the first regions surveyed by Colonel William Light and then sold to farmers from 1839 onwards. Port Willunga was established to provide port facilities for the shipping of wheat and grain from the Willunga Plains and later slate from the Willunga quarries. A local farmer Thomas Martin surveyed and established a private town in 1851. The first government jetty was erected in 1853 and then extended in 1857 and again in 1867 when a new and longer jetty was constructed. Port Willunga grew quickly as a major port. By 1863 it was the fifth biggest port in South Australia in terms of value of goods exported to other colonies. In that year it export over £15,000 worth of goods which were mainly flour and wheat. The port had a harbourmaster and a Sub Collector of Customs. In 1863 the ports bigger than Port Willunga were Port Adelaide, Port Wakefield, Port Augusta and Robe. As an indication of its importance as a port the government commissioned a feasibility study into a horse tramway from Willunga to the port and to Noarlunga in 1858 but that never eventuated. As the town grew fashionable stone houses and cottages were built by the mid-1850s and in 1856 the Lewis Arms Hotel opened. The original stone building was added to as the port grew and business thrived. In 1884 the Lewis Arms Hotel was relicensed as the Seaview Hotel which can still be seen today. Around 1899 the Seaview Hotel became a temperance hotel mainly providing accommodation for holiday makers.
The beach here is also known for the Star of Greece shipwreck of July 1888 when 18 men were drowned. Eleven were buried in the Aldinga Wesleyan Methodist Church cemetery. Then in the early 20th century the port rapidly declined. Its death knoll was the penning of the railway line from Adelaide to Willunga in 1915. In 1916 when a violent storm hit the coast the jetty was destroyed and a few remains of this jetty are still to be seen at low tide. The slate quarries of Willunga began operations around 1842. Much of the slate was shipped to Melbourne for roofing tiles. In its heyday Port Willunga also had a chapel in addition to a general store and a blacksmith.
Port Willunga. Historic cottage form the 1850s.
Aldinga/Port Willunga.
Farmers started taking up land around Aldinga in the early 1840s. One of the earliest settlers was George Lovelock and family who settled at Aldinga in 1844. Aldinga was laid out as a small town in 1857 by a farmer who subdivided part of his land. He was Lewis Fidge who created the private town of Aldinga. The town was on the coaching route from Adelaide to Willunga. The first public building that was erected was the Free Presbyterian Church which opened in 1856 just before the town was created. Sadly the church was not well built and due to the cost of repairs needed it closed in 1880 and soon weathered into a pile of rubble. The first school opened in Aldinga in 1856 but it was demolished in 1980 by the SA government. The town had a large flourmill from 1848 to 1905. The Wesleyan Methodist Church was opened in 1863 and still stands. Fund raising for the construction of the church began as early as 1854. The Anglican Church opened in 1865 and still stands cross the main south road. The former Temperance Hotel was built in 1868 and was added to later. It was known as Harts Hotel as a Mr Hart ran the business from 1890 to 1920. It is now a restaurant bar and clothing shop. In its heyday Aldinga had a general store, butcher, bootmaker, undertaker and blacksmith, etc.
The land near Port Willunga was one of the first regions surveyed by Colonel William Light and then sold to farmers from 1839 onwards. Port Willunga was established to provide port facilities for the shipping of wheat and grain from the Willunga Plains and later slate from the Willunga quarries. A local farmer Thomas Martin surveyed and established a private town in 1851. The first government jetty was erected in 1853 and then extended in 1857 and again in 1867 when a new and longer jetty was constructed. Port Willunga grew quickly as a major port. By 1863 it was the fifth biggest port in South Australia in terms of value of goods exported to other colonies. In that year it export over £15,000 worth of goods which were mainly flour and wheat. The port had a harbourmaster and a Sub Collector of Customs. In 1863 the ports bigger than Port Willunga were Port Adelaide, Port Wakefield, Port Augusta and Robe. As an indication of its importance as a port the government commissioned a feasibility study into a horse tramway from Willunga to the port and to Noarlunga in 1858 but that never eventuated. As the town grew fashionable stone houses and cottages were built by the mid-1850s and in 1856 the Lewis Arms Hotel opened. The original stone building was added to as the port grew and business thrived. In 1884 the Lewis Arms Hotel was relicensed as the Seaview Hotel which can still be seen today. Around 1899 the Seaview Hotel became a temperance hotel mainly providing accommodation for holiday makers.
The beach here is also known for the Star of Greece shipwreck of July 1888 when 18 men were drowned. Eleven were buried in the Aldinga Wesleyan Methodist Church cemetery. Then in the early 20th century the port rapidly declined. Its death knoll was the penning of the railway line from Adelaide to Willunga in 1915. In 1916 when a violent storm hit the coast the jetty was destroyed and a few remains of this jetty are still to be seen at low tide. The slate quarries of Willunga began operations around 1842. Much of the slate was shipped to Melbourne for roofing tiles. In its heyday Port Willunga also had a chapel in addition to a general store and a blacksmith.