Padthaway, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Padthaway is a small town on the Riddoch Highway
Riddoch Highway
The Riddoch Highway in south-eastern South Australia branches from the Dukes Highway at Keith and travels south through Padthaway, Naracoorte, Penola, Nangwarry, Tarpeena, and Mount Gambier to Port MacDonnell and nearby Cape Northumberland....

 in the south-east 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...

, halfway from Keith
Keith, South Australia
Keith is a small farming town in the south-east of South Australia. It is approximately 225 km from Adelaide at the junction of the Dukes Highway and the Riddoch Highway. It is sometimes referred to as the 'lucerne capital of Australia' due to the high number of lucerne growers in the region...

 to Naracoorte
Naracoorte, South Australia
Naracoorte is a town in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, approximately 336 kilometres south east of Adelaide and 100 kilometres north of Mount Gambier on the Riddoch Highway .-History:...

. The name is derived from the Potawurutj Aboriginal name for Good Water. Padthaway is in the Tatiara District Council
Tatiara District Council
Tatiara District Council is a local government area located in eastern South Australia, about 100 km north of the Limestone Coast. The name Tatiara is said to mean "the good country", a phrase which dates back to the area's first inhabitants. It is also one of the largest local government...

, the state electorate of MacKillop and the federal Division of Barker
Division of Barker
The Division of Barker is an Australian Electoral Division in the south-east of South Australia.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Collet Barker, an early explorer of the region at the mouth of the Murray River...

. Padthaway is between Naracoorte and Keith, in the Limestone Coast
Limestone Coast
The Limestone Coast is a name used since the early twentyfirst century for the geographical region and tourist region of the southeast coast of South Australia from the Victoria border to the towards the city of Adelaide.-Location and description:...

 region of south-eastern South Australia.

History

Padthaway was the name of the original pastoral station which was established near here in 1847 by a successful Scottish businessman, Robert Lawson. In 1882 the Padthaway Estate Homestead was built by Eliza and Robert Lawson. A notable legend about Padthaway is the ghost at Padthaway Estate, her name is Eliza Lawson but she is not the Eliza Lawson who settled and built the Padthaway Estate in the 1800s.

In 1952 Padthaway became the centre of a soldier settlement scheme. The first vineyards were planted here in 1968 and quickly transformed marginal grazing land into a top wine-producing region. White wines, especially, from the region are regular winners of major awards. These wines may be purchased at the local cellar door sales and at wine retailers around Australia. Agriculture is also strong in Padthaway with onion, olives and seeds being grown along with sheep and cattle which are reared for sale.

Padthaway has a cluster of businesses located in the heart of town including a deli, general store, two rural service centres, an auto and engineering centre, a caravan park, and a park with a playground in the main street, Memorial Drive.

Other public amenities include netball and tennis courts, football oval, town hall, sports complex, medical clinic, playground, skate park and rotunda. The toilets are right near the playground. In 2010 was a new medical clinic was built.

The 984 hectares Padthaway Conservation Park that is situated on a former coastal dune is close to Padthaway. The park has stands of yellow gum, ribbon gum, brown stringybark, manna gums, many acacias and banksias. It is also home to a variety of animals including koalas, birds, rabbits, kangaroos and lots of small insects and bugs. Sometimes a rare orchid called the fire orchid may be viewed in flower.

Sports

Records for lawn bowls being played in Padthaway go back to 1963. Lawn bowls is play in Padthaway on Saturday during the summer time. Padthaway bowling club plays in is the Upper South East association.

The last A grade cricket premiership Padthaway won was in 1993. Padthaway has had a B Grade side most years since. Padthaway came fifth in the competition in 2010-2011. In 2011 there is only one competition which is an A grade side.

Netball has been played in Padthaway since the mid-late 1960s. In 2011 the Padthaway Netball Club, also called the Lions, has more than seven different teams for netball.

The Padthaway Football Club which commenced in 1967 is known as the Lions is the main club of the town, competing in the Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League
Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League
The Kowree-Naracoorte-Tatiara Football League is an Australian rules football competition based in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia, Australia. It is an affiliated member of the South Australian National Football League...

. The football club won an A grade premiership grand final in 1993 against Bordertown.

The Padthaway Tennis Club dates back to 1962 and 1972 when the club laid new concrete courts. The Padthaway Tennis club won many premierships between the mid 1970s and into the late 1980s.Tennis is currently played as a social competition on Wednesday nights for a six-eight week season in the summer before Christmas.

The Padthaway golf course is carved out of scrubland, this tight course is a challenge even for the most professional of golfers. The Padthaway golf club was opened in 1988 and has 9 holes with scrapes.

The community

Apex
Apex Clubs of Australia
The Association of Apex Clubs of Australia is the collective name given to the 330 individual Apex Clubs throughout Australia. An Apex club is a community service club, neither sectarian nor party political, that provides young civic minded people the opportunity to volunteer within the community...

is a community group which operates in Padthaway composed of men between the ages of 18 and 45 who work together to promote social justice and raise awareness of charity causes by fundraising in interesting and creative ways.

Padthaway has an active Women in Agricultural Business group. WAB is a state-wide network with branches throughout SA. WAB is an organisation for women interested in rural, agricultural and business issues. WAB provides the opportunity for self-development and friendship.

Schools

The school was built in 1935 and had a 75 year anniversary in 2010, this event was attended by many past, current and future students and staff and a time capsule was buried on the day. In 2011 Padthaway Primary School has 52 students and 12 staff members. Padthaway Primary School caters for years Reception-7 along with a Child Parent Centre (CPC). At Padthaway Primary School the Student Representative Council (SRC) organises many fundraising activities for students to participate in.

Padthaway Primary School is a school with lots of activities for students such as the Come out, SAPSASA, Youth Environmental Forum, pancake day, Student Young Leaders Day and school camp. SAPSASA events include football, netball, cricket, tennis, cross country, athletics running events, swimming, diving, golf, hockey and skiing.
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