Golden Grove, South Australia

The Kaurna people (pronounced "Garner" or "Gowna") people are the Indigenous inhabitants of the Adelaide region, numbering approximately 650 in 1842. By the time land grants were first sold, European diseases had decimated them and depopulated the hills. Few traces exist of the Kaurna people today, other than in some place names. ^[2]

[edit] European settlement

Golden Grove was founded by Captain Adam Robertson who named it after the last ship he commanded. Captain Robertson and his wife arrived in South Australia in September 1839. He donated an acre (4,000 m²) of land to people of the area in 1853 in order for them to build a school they were planning and allowed it to be named Golden Grove. (In 1859, however, when the postal authorities wanted to name the town Golden Grove, he objected unsuccessfully. ^[3]

Freestone quarries in the area were used from early settlement days to provide building materials.

In 1930, the Golden Grove house and farm were sold. Most of the estate was later purchased by a sand mining company, Boral, in 1972. In 1973 the South Australian Land Commission started to acquire land in Golden Grove and Wynn Vale for housing. In 1983 the South Australian Urban Land Trust contracted Delfin to develop the land. Construction started in 1985 and over 200 allotments sold in the first week, with the last being sold in 2002.^[4]

Two wells located at what is now the intersection of Hancock Road and Golden Grove Road serviced farms and dairies in Golden Grove and Yatala Vale, and provided water for council work and firefighting. The last well was filled in during March 1995 after having been dry for many years.^[5]

[edit] Geography

The boundary of Golden Grove is defined by Slate and Cobbler Creeks to the north, the Cobbler Creek Park to the west, Helicon Drive, Surrey Farm Drive and The Grove Way (including the three-school campus and shopping centre), Golden Grove and Hancock Roads (wrapping around Surrey Downs) and Yatala Vale Road to the south, and Seaview Road and the quarries to the east.^[6]

At the ABS 2001 census, Golden Grove had a population of 8,067 people living in 2,986 dwellings.

[edit] Facilities

The three major high schools in the area are Pedare Christian College, Gleeson College and Golden Grove High School in the suburb's southwestern corner. They are linked together in a complex that also includes the Golden Grove Recreation Centre. Golden Grove Primary School and Pedare Primary Campus are also located in the suburb.

The Golden Grove Village Shopping Centre has a number of retailers, including Big W and Woolworths, as well as fast-food chains, specialty stores and banks. It is also the location of the one of the only 2 Baby Target stores in Australia (the other is located in Victoria).

A police station was long called for in the area, due to many accidents and fights at the Village Taverner, a pub bistro located adjacent to the Golden Grove Village Shopping Centre. A petition with 16,000 signatures made its way to SA Police who finally built the station. Its grand opening will be on December 18.

The 288ha Cobbler Creek Recreation Park is accessible from nearby Gulfview Heights.

[edit] Transport

There is a bus interchange at the Golden Grove Village, which is operated by Adelaide Metro. Proposals exist to extend the Adelaide O-Bahn to Golden Grove, but the route it might take from the Modbury Interchange at Tea Tree Plaza is unknown.