Montacute, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Montacute is a small town and suburb in the Adelaide Hills
, South Australia
. The town is located on Fifth Creek, and the mostly-rural suburb extends from Rostrevor
in the west to Lenswood
in the east, bounded on the north by Castambul
and on the south by Norton Summit
and Cherryville
. The small town of Montacute Heights is located on top of the ridge between Fifth and Sixth Creeks.
Copper
was discovered in the area in 1843, and a mine was soon set up. One of the mine's financiers, Sir John Baker
, named the area after Montacute
, Somerset
, which was near his birthplace. Gold was discovered in 1846 and the "Victoria Mine" became Australia's first commercially exploited gold deposit.
The main industries are now orchards and market gardens
. The 200 hectare Montacute Conservation Park
was founded in 1971.
Corkscrew Road, a small road linking Montacute Heights with Gorge Road
via a precipitous route with many twists and turns, is a popular route for cyclists and day trippers
.
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...
, 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 town is located on Fifth Creek, and the mostly-rural suburb extends from Rostrevor
Rostrevor, South Australia
Rostrevor is a suburb of Adelaide within the City of Campbelltown and the Adelaide Hills Council. It is located about 10 kilometres east-north-east of the Adelaide city centre....
in the west to 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:...
in the east, bounded on the north by Castambul
Castambul, South Australia
Castambul is a small locality near Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area.-History:Castambul was originally named Sixth Creek, but was renamed Castambul by Price Maurice after the Kastamonu region in the Black Sea area of Turkey.In the 1850s,...
and on the south by Norton Summit
Norton Summit, South Australia
Norton Summit is a town in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia, located approximately 12km east of the city of Adelaide...
and Cherryville
Cherryville, South Australia
Cherryville is a small town in the Adelaide Hills, South Australia. It was named in around 1840 after the native cherry trees that grew in the area, although some historians claim that it was not named until 1892, when horticultural cherry plantings became widespread in the area...
. The small town of Montacute Heights is located on top of the ridge between Fifth and Sixth Creeks.
Copper
Copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu and atomic number 29. It is a ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. Pure copper is soft and malleable; an exposed surface has a reddish-orange tarnish...
was discovered in the area in 1843, and a mine was soon set up. One of the mine's financiers, Sir John Baker
John Baker (Australian politician)
John Baker was an early South Australian pastoralist and politician. He was the second Premier of South Australia, succeeding Boyle Finniss; however, he only held office for 12 days from 21 August to 1 September 1857 before being succeeded by the third Premier of the colony, Robert Torrens.-Early...
, named the area after Montacute
Montacute
Montacute is a small village and civil parish in Somerset, England, west of Yeovil. The village has a population of 680 . The name Montacute is thought by some to derive from the Latin "Mons Acutus", referring to the small but still quite acute hill dominating the village to the west.The village...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, which was near his birthplace. Gold was discovered in 1846 and the "Victoria Mine" became Australia's first commercially exploited gold deposit.
The main industries are now orchards and market gardens
Market gardening
A market garden is the relatively small-scale production of fruits, vegetables and flowers as cash crops, frequently sold directly to consumers and restaurants. It is distinguishable from other types of farming by the diversity of crops grown on a small area of land, typically, from under one acre ...
. The 200 hectare Montacute Conservation Park
Montacute Conservation Park
Montacute Conservation Park, founded in 1971, is a 200 hectare Conservation park that is located in South Australia approximately 17 km north-east of Adelaide City centre....
was founded in 1971.
Corkscrew Road, a small road linking Montacute Heights with Gorge Road
Gorge Road, South Australia
Gorge Road is a South Australian secondary road, connecting the Adelaide suburbs of Campbellltown and Athelstone with the towns of Cudlee Creek, Chain of Ponds, Kersbrook, Williamstown and Lyndoch...
via a precipitous route with many twists and turns, is a popular route for cyclists and day trippers
Day-tripper
A day-tripper is a person who visits a tourist destination or visitor attraction from his/her home and returns home on the same day.- Definition :In other words, this excursion does not involve a night away from home such as experienced on a holiday...
.