Belair, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Belair is a suburb
situated in the southern foothills of Adelaide
, South Australia
.
. Parts of Belair have views of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Plains and the coast. Belair National Park
is one of the major attractions of the suburb, and Windy Point (formerly known as Observation Point) provides a 230 degree panorama making it one of the best lookouts over the city, the plains and the coast.
is a very popular location for feeding ducks, cycling, walking or horseriding through the bush, enjoying the native flora and fauna, having barbecues and playing social games of tennis, football, soccer and 'backyard' cricket. Belair Country Club hosts an 18-hole public golf course adjacent to the National Park.
Belair is also a very popular area for mountain bikers. There are bike trails not just in the National Park but throughout Belair, and steep tracks down the hills face to railway stations on the Belair line, which terminates adjacent to the National Park.
, being his wife Maria's birthplace. Another theory is that it was named in 1849 after Eugene Bellairs, a Government surveyor who lived in the area.
A Belair Post Office opened on 3 April 1859; it was relocated in 1881 to near its present position and the original office renamed Blackwood.
. Belair railway station is the terminus of the suburban Belair railway line.
and an upper primary school situated on Main Road, Belair. The schools have Eco-school
status, and follow the International Baccalaureate syllabus. In 1999 the schools twinned with Momoyama Elementary School in Kyoto
, Japan
. Every two years, during May, a group of students and staff travel to Kyoto. In the alternate year, Momoyama students and staff visit Belair during August. These visits have become an integral part of the schools' Japanese language
and cultural programme.
St John's Grammar School
also has a junior campus adjacent to the railway station and senior campus located towards the west of the suburb. Actors Ben Nicholas
and Sarah Snook
are some of its more famous graduates.
is currently expanding and formalising these tracks. In November 2010 a two-metre-wide bitumen track opened between Caroline Avenue, Belair, and Beagle Terrace, Lynton, providing a viable commuter trail for cyclists as an alternative to the dangerous curves of Belair Road. There are other tracks leading down to Lynton Train Station and Mitcham. Windys, Andos, Gloucesters, Brown Hills, Mark II and DB's are some of the code names for the tracks in the area.
Links to copyright photographs
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
situated in the southern foothills 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...
, South Australia
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...
.
Geography
A leafy suburb, Belair was established during the settlement of Adelaide as a source of timberTimber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
. Parts of Belair have views of the city of Adelaide, the Adelaide Plains and the coast. Belair National Park
Belair National Park
Belair National Park is a national park in South Australia , 13 km south of Adelaide, covering an 835ha area. It was proclaimed in 1891 and was the first National Park in South Australia, second in Australia and the tenth in the world...
is one of the major attractions of the suburb, and Windy Point (formerly known as Observation Point) provides a 230 degree panorama making it one of the best lookouts over the city, the plains and the coast.
Recreational facilities
Belair National ParkBelair National Park
Belair National Park is a national park in South Australia , 13 km south of Adelaide, covering an 835ha area. It was proclaimed in 1891 and was the first National Park in South Australia, second in Australia and the tenth in the world...
is a very popular location for feeding ducks, cycling, walking or horseriding through the bush, enjoying the native flora and fauna, having barbecues and playing social games of tennis, football, soccer and 'backyard' cricket. Belair Country Club hosts an 18-hole public golf course adjacent to the National Park.
Belair is also a very popular area for mountain bikers. There are bike trails not just in the National Park but throughout Belair, and steep tracks down the hills face to railway stations on the Belair line, which terminates adjacent to the National Park.
History
The origin of the name 'Belair' appears uncertain. Gustav Ludewigs, who subdivided the area, may have named the suburb after Bel Air, MartiniqueMartinique
Martinique is an island in the eastern Caribbean Sea, with a land area of . Like Guadeloupe, it is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department. To the northwest lies Dominica, to the south St Lucia, and to the southeast Barbados...
, being his wife Maria's birthplace. Another theory is that it was named in 1849 after Eugene Bellairs, a Government surveyor who lived in the area.
Accessibility
Belair is approximately a fifteen minute drive from the Adelaide CBDCentral business district
A central business district is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city. In North America this part of a city is commonly referred to as "downtown" or "city center"...
. Belair railway station is the terminus of the suburban Belair railway line.
Education
Belair schools consist of a co-located junior schoolJunior school
A junior school is a type of school which caters for children, often between the ages of 7 and 11.-Australia:In Australia, a junior school is usually a part of a private school that educates children between the ages of 5 and 12....
and an upper primary school situated on Main Road, Belair. The schools have Eco-school
Eco-Schools
Eco-Schools is an international program of environmental and sustainable developmental education for schools. Foundation for Environmental Education is the founder of the programme and Eco-Schools is just one out of their five programmes....
status, and follow the International Baccalaureate syllabus. In 1999 the schools twinned with Momoyama Elementary School in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. Every two years, during May, a group of students and staff travel to Kyoto. In the alternate year, Momoyama students and staff visit Belair during August. These visits have become an integral part of the schools' Japanese language
Japanese language
is a language spoken by over 130 million people in Japan and in Japanese emigrant communities. It is a member of the Japonic language family, which has a number of proposed relationships with other languages, none of which has gained wide acceptance among historical linguists .Japanese is an...
and cultural programme.
St John's Grammar School
St John's Grammar School
St John's Grammar School is a Co-educational Anglican school situated in the foothills of Adelaide. It ranges from Early Learning Centre through to Year 12.-History:...
also has a junior campus adjacent to the railway station and senior campus located towards the west of the suburb. Actors Ben Nicholas
Ben Nicholas
Benjamin Nicholas is an Australian actor. He is best known for playing Scott "Stingray" Timmins in the Australian soap opera Neighbours.-Biography:...
and Sarah Snook
Sarah Snook
Sarah Snook is an stage, television, and film actress from Adelaide, South Australia. She has striking red hair and is said to resemble another Australian actress, Cate Blanchett.- Childhood and education :...
are some of its more famous graduates.
Downhilling
There are numerous mountain biking tracks throughout Belair, and the City of MitchamCity of Mitcham
The City of Mitcham is a Local Government Area situated in the foothills of eastern Adelaide, South Australia. Within its bounds is Flinders University, South Australia's third largest....
is currently expanding and formalising these tracks. In November 2010 a two-metre-wide bitumen track opened between Caroline Avenue, Belair, and Beagle Terrace, Lynton, providing a viable commuter trail for cyclists as an alternative to the dangerous curves of Belair Road. There are other tracks leading down to Lynton Train Station and Mitcham. Windys, Andos, Gloucesters, Brown Hills, Mark II and DB's are some of the code names for the tracks in the area.
External links
Links to copyright photographs
- View of the city from Windy Point. (Copyright Mitcham Council)
