Aldgate, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Aldgate is a South Australia
n town located 21 kilometres south-east of Adelaide
, in the Adelaide Hills
.
The town of Aldgate was supposedly named in 1882 after the local hotel the Aldgate Pump, which was named by Richard D. Hawkins, who had additionally opened the nearby Crafers
Inn. The hotel was named after the pump he had installed outside, and Aldgate
in London
, England
, which is an Old English derivation of old gate.
As the pump became popular to water the horse
s and bullock
teams which passed through the area on their way south to the Echunga
goldfields. By 1870, a small settlement had been established with many buildings remaining to this day. Hawkins claimed at that time that some 60,000 people a year passed through the hotel's doors. The hotel became quite famous. At one point it was described as 'one of the best decorated of its kind in the colony' with 'magnificent chandeliers'
The Hills Land and Investment Company subdivided land in the Aldgate area for settlement in 1882. For a few months in 1883 it was the end of the railway line from Adelaide
. In November of that year, the railway was extended through to Nairne
.
Aldgate is the site of Stangate House and Garden
, a property bequeathed in 1975 to the National Trust of South Australia. The house was built in 1940 and is well known for its stunning gardens.
In the last decade, Aldgate's drainage
system has suffered substantial problems and has been the result of drastic flooding through the main street. One of the worst cases of this occurred at around 8:00 AM 8 November 2005, which left most of the businesses in the main street flooded with significant damage. A recent ongoing project around Aldgate has been upgrading the drainage system.
In 2009 and 2010 the intersection of Mount Barker Road, Strathalbyn Road and Kingsland Road in Aldgate was upgraded and streetscape works were carried out throughout the township. To make way for the roadworks, the pump which was the centrepoint of the town was temporarily removed. It was reinstalled in May 2011 by the Adelaide Hills Council and now sits atop a pedestal on the footpath in the main street.
The new Aldgate Country Fire Service station was completed in August, 2009.
Aldgate is in the Adelaide Hills Council
local government area, the federal Division of Mayo
and the state electoral district of Heysen
.
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
n town located 21 kilometres south-east of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
.
The town of Aldgate was supposedly named in 1882 after the local hotel the Aldgate Pump, which was named by Richard D. Hawkins, who had additionally opened the nearby Crafers
Crafers, South Australia
The town of Crafers is located in the Adelaide Hills to the southeast of Adelaide, South Australia. Although technically considered to be an outer suburb of Adelaide, with many residents commuting to the city to work, locals consider Crafers to be more a suburb of the nearby township of Stirling.-...
Inn. The hotel was named after the pump he had installed outside, and Aldgate
Aldgate
Aldgate was the eastern most gateway through London Wall leading from the City of London to Whitechapel and the east end of London. Aldgate gives its name to a ward of the City...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, which is an Old English derivation of old gate.
As the pump became popular to water the horse
Horse
The horse is one of two extant subspecies of Equus ferus, or the wild horse. It is a single-hooved mammal belonging to the taxonomic family Equidae. The horse has evolved over the past 45 to 55 million years from a small multi-toed creature into the large, single-toed animal of today...
s and bullock
Ox
An ox , also known as a bullock in Australia, New Zealand and India, is a bovine trained as a draft animal. Oxen are commonly castrated adult male cattle; castration makes the animals more tractable...
teams which passed through the area on their way south to the Echunga
Echunga, South Australia
Echunga is a small town in the Adelaide Hills located 34 km south-east of Adelaide in South Australia.The area was initially settled in 1839, with the town laid out in 1849. Gold was discovered in 1852 and Echunga became the first proclaimed goldfield in South Australia. This led to a gold rush,...
goldfields. By 1870, a small settlement had been established with many buildings remaining to this day. Hawkins claimed at that time that some 60,000 people a year passed through the hotel's doors. The hotel became quite famous. At one point it was described as 'one of the best decorated of its kind in the colony' with 'magnificent chandeliers'
The Hills Land and Investment Company subdivided land in the Aldgate area for settlement in 1882. For a few months in 1883 it was the end of the railway line from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. In November of that year, the railway was extended through to Nairne
Nairne, South Australia
Nairne is a small township in South Australia and was founded by Matthew Smillie in 1839. Nairne is about 7 km from Mount Barker, in the federal Division of Mayo and in the state electoral district of Kavel...
.
Aldgate is the site of Stangate House and Garden
Stangate House and Garden
Stangate House and Garden is a historic house in Aldgate, South Australia.- History :Stangate House was first planned in London from 1937-39 by Rev. Samuel Raymond Baron Cornish, the original owner. In January 1940, Adelaide architect Eric McMichael accepted the model and plans made by Rev. Cornish...
, a property bequeathed in 1975 to the National Trust of South Australia. The house was built in 1940 and is well known for its stunning gardens.
Today
Drainage
Drainage is the natural or artificial removal of surface and sub-surface water from an area. Many agricultural soils need drainage to improve production or to manage water supplies.-Early history:...
system has suffered substantial problems and has been the result of drastic flooding through the main street. One of the worst cases of this occurred at around 8:00 AM 8 November 2005, which left most of the businesses in the main street flooded with significant damage. A recent ongoing project around Aldgate has been upgrading the drainage system.
In 2009 and 2010 the intersection of Mount Barker Road, Strathalbyn Road and Kingsland Road in Aldgate was upgraded and streetscape works were carried out throughout the township. To make way for the roadworks, the pump which was the centrepoint of the town was temporarily removed. It was reinstalled in May 2011 by the Adelaide Hills Council and now sits atop a pedestal on the footpath in the main street.
The new Aldgate Country Fire Service station was completed in August, 2009.
Aldgate is in the Adelaide Hills Council
Adelaide Hills Council
Adelaide Hills Council was established in 1997 by the amalgamation of four smaller district councils...
local government area, the federal Division of Mayo
Division of Mayo
The Division of Mayo is an Australian Electoral Division located in the hills, east of Adelaide, South Australia and currently includes the towns of Victor Harbor, Lobethal, Mount Barker, Strathalbyn, Woodside and Kingscote....
and the state electoral district of Heysen
Electoral district of Heysen
Heysen is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after Sir Hans Heysen, a prominent South Australian landscape artist. It is a 616 km² electoral district stretching from residential suburbs in the east and southeast of Adelaide...
.