Carey Gully, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Carey Gully is a small town in the Adelaide Hills
region of South Australia
.
The name of the town is taken from one of the early settlers of the area, Paddy Carey, and was originally called Carey's Gully, (This can be seen at the town's War Memorial on a wrought iron sign).
Whilst being named a "gully" the present township actually straddles part of the Mount Lofty Ranges
, separating the valley townships of Uraidla
to the east and Balhannah
to the west. The older settlements in Carey Gully are located down smaller gullies where soil was suitable for agriculture.
Recent decades have seen the decline of the Carey Gully township, with the closure of the general store which also sold petrol. Still in operation are the Country Fire Service
station, the Carey Gully Quarry and a small scale factory building on Deviation Road, housing a boat building business and a traditional carpenter among others.
Greenhill Road is the main route through the town, upon which the hub of the township is located, but in the past much of the town's major establishments were located on adjacent Deviation Road. The road was an ideal location for the township in the past as it was situated on a largely dry, flat area (compared to the steep hills surrounding) and was also a main thoroughfare to the towns of Forest Range
and Lenswood
via Boundary Drive. Deviation Road once hosted a Football oval (Australian Rules Football
) (now a strawberry field) and a general store
which still stands to this day, but is currently a private residence.
The decline of the town has seen it become a much more quiet, idyllic location, attracting people from nearby Adelaide
. The location of Carey Gully makes it cool in summer and provides brilliant views and cool, isolated valleys to those seeking a weekend getaway or quiet retirement.
Agriculture is the main industry with crops of strawberries, apples, cherries and wine grapes being grown. Along with this there are various hobby farm
s throughout the area running livestock such as goats, sheep, cattle, and deer.
Although much of the land is devoted to agriculture, as with many towns in the Adelaide Hills
, Carey Gully has retained a large portion of its natural bushland which boasts many species of threatened and endangered flora and fauna, White's Scrub (national park) being an excellent example. Those wishing to visit these areas should first check if the land is national park, and if not, permission to enter should be sought from the land-owner.
Carey Gully has been affected many times by bushfire, most notably the Ash Wednesday fires
in 1983.
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...
region of 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...
.
The name of the town is taken from one of the early settlers of the area, Paddy Carey, and was originally called Carey's Gully, (This can be seen at the town's War Memorial on a wrought iron sign).
Whilst being named a "gully" the present township actually straddles part of the Mount Lofty Ranges
Mount Lofty Ranges
The Mount Lofty Ranges are the range of mountains just to the east of Adelaide in South Australia.-Location and description:The Mount Lofty Ranges stretch from the southernmost point of the Fleurieu Peninsula at Cape Jervis northwards for over before petering out north of Peterborough...
, separating the valley townships of Uraidla
Uraidla, South Australia
Uraidla is a small town in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia, Australia. At the 2006 census, Uraidla had a population of 461.-History:Once the home of the Peramangk Aboriginal people, European settlement commenced in the mid nineteenth century, a primary school opened in 1871 and the town was...
to the east and Balhannah
Balhannah, South Australia
Balhannah is a town in the Adelaide Hills about 30 km southeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It was established in 1839 as a farming community. The fruit cold store built in 1914 was one of the first in Australia and is still in use. It is on the main interstate railway between...
to the west. The older settlements in Carey Gully are located down smaller gullies where soil was suitable for agriculture.
Recent decades have seen the decline of the Carey Gully township, with the closure of the general store which also sold petrol. Still in operation are the Country Fire Service
Country Fire Service
The SA Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town...
station, the Carey Gully Quarry and a small scale factory building on Deviation Road, housing a boat building business and a traditional carpenter among others.
Greenhill Road is the main route through the town, upon which the hub of the township is located, but in the past much of the town's major establishments were located on adjacent Deviation Road. The road was an ideal location for the township in the past as it was situated on a largely dry, flat area (compared to the steep hills surrounding) and was also a main thoroughfare to the towns of Forest Range
Forest Range, South Australia
Forest Range is a small town in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia.It was settled by gold-seekers in 1854, and during its history over 6000 ounces were produced. As with everywhere else in the Hills, timber-cutting was initially a large industry, which gave way to fruit and vegetable farming as...
and Lenswood
Lenswood, South Australia
Lenswood is a town in the Adelaide Hills area of South Australia.Lenswood is a semi-rural village situated in the Adelaide Hills east of Adelaide city in Southern Australia. The major industries are apples and wine grapes.-History:...
via Boundary Drive. Deviation Road once hosted a Football oval (Australian Rules Football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
) (now a strawberry field) and a general store
General store
A general store, general merchandise store, or village shop is a rural or small town store that carries a general line of merchandise. It carries a broad selection of merchandise, sometimes in a small space, where people from the town and surrounding rural areas come to purchase all their general...
which still stands to this day, but is currently a private residence.
The decline of the town has seen it become a much more quiet, idyllic location, attracting people from nearby 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...
. The location of Carey Gully makes it cool in summer and provides brilliant views and cool, isolated valleys to those seeking a weekend getaway or quiet retirement.
Agriculture is the main industry with crops of strawberries, apples, cherries and wine grapes being grown. Along with this there are various hobby farm
Hobby farm
A hobby farm is a smallholding or small farm that is maintained without expectation of being a primary source of income. Some are merely to provide some recreational land, and perhaps a few horses for the family's children...
s throughout the area running livestock such as goats, sheep, cattle, and deer.
Although much of the land is devoted to agriculture, as with many towns 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...
, Carey Gully has retained a large portion of its natural bushland which boasts many species of threatened and endangered flora and fauna, White's Scrub (national park) being an excellent example. Those wishing to visit these areas should first check if the land is national park, and if not, permission to enter should be sought from the land-owner.
Carey Gully has been affected many times by bushfire, most notably the Ash Wednesday fires
Ash Wednesday fires
The Ash Wednesday bushfires, known in South Australia as Ash Wednesday II, were a series of bushfires that occurred in south-eastern Australia on 16 February 1983. Within twelve hours, more than 180 fires fanned by winds of up to 110 km per hour caused widespread destruction across the states...
in 1983.