Semaphore, South Australia

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Semaphore is a north-western seaside suburb of Adelaide of the LeFevre Peninsula 14km (8.4 mi) from the CBD, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Semaphore South, Glanville, Exeter and Largs Bay. The postcode for Semaphore is 5019. It is bounded to the north by Union and Hargrave Streets, to the south by Hart Street and in the west and east by St Vincent's Gulf and the Woolnough and Swan Terraces. Semaphore is essentially a residential suburb.

1 History
2 Landmarks
3 Facilities
4 Transport
5 External links

[edit] History

The Semaphore region was first surveyed for sale in 1849, at which time it was an island of sandhills and swamps. In 1851, George Cobbin built a two-storied timber hotel on the southern corner of The Esplanade and Blackler Street. A very high flagpole was erected to signal the approach of ships, earning the area the name Semaphore.

In 1856, an official government signal station was established at the intersection of The Esplanade and Sempahore Road, where officers would record the details of all vessels in Gulf Saint Vincent. It was also used to record information on water depth, tides and cargo loading information. Further growth led to an establishment of a telegraph and Postal Office in the same year. In 1875, the Time Ball Tower was erected adjacent to the Signal Station. The area was isolated from Port Adelaide by the Port River until 1859 when a wooden bridge, later replaced by the Jervois Bridge was opened. The following year saw the construction of the jetty. The majority of early settlers in Semaphore were crewmen of boats.

The road link to Port Adelaide allowed for more convenient commuting from Semaphore to the commercial area, and contributed to increased residential development in the area, as well as churches, schools and pubs. This was further augmented by the construction in 1878 of a railway, which attracted affluent holiday makers to the seaside. Carnivals, sideshows and open air cinemas were opened, and 1917 a tram service from Port Adelaide was built.

In the mid 1930s, the Great Depression brought a decline to Semaphore, with the tram service being closed down and the functions of the Signal Station and Time Ball Tower being moved to Outer Harbor, while the jetty was shortened due to storm damage, with repairs being unaffordable [1].

[edit] Landmarks

The Semaphore jetty which was completed in 1860 once stood at 652m (2150 ft) in length, but today is 585m (1930 ft). It overlooks the Fort Glanville steam train, which operates as a heritage item. A War Memorial clock was built in 1925 after the First World War. In 1928, a merry-go-round, the largest in Australia, was constructed, driven by an electrical lift motor and gearbox, unlike the predominantly steam driven machines of the era. An octagonal brick tower with two metre thick walls was erected in 1880 to maintain a water supply when the Jervois bridge had to be raised for passing ships, was used until being converted into a residence in 1972. The residence at 26 Newman Street is preserved to this day, being the birthplace of Sir Ross Smith, the aviator who flew from the United Kingdom to Australia [2].

[edit] Facilities

The only school in the suburb is the Catholic Dominican Primary School. The closest public primary school is LeFevre Primary School in Birkenhead and the local high school is LeFevre High School in Semaphore South.

Semaphore's beach is possibly the busiest of those on the LeFevre Peninsula, and it is serviced by a jetty and a Surf Lifesaving Club. It is also served by a council library, and a small cinema, the Odeon Star. There is a rather large number of elderly residents in the area, as evident from the four nursing homes in the suburb.

[edit] Transport

The 333 bus services Hart Street and Semaphore Road, while the 152 services Semaphore Road. There is a train station in nearby Glanville the Glanville railway station. The Semaphore beachfront is also serviced by a Steam Train Line from Semaphore South.

Suburbs of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield