| Semaphore Adelaide, South Australia |
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Semaphore Beach |
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| Population: | 2,832 2006 Census [1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1849 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 5019 | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 14 km (9 mi) from CBD | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Port Adelaide Enfield | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Lee | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Port Adelaide | ||||||||||||
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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 Gulf St Vincent and the Woolnough and Swan Terraces. Semaphore is essentially a residential suburb.
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The Semaphore region was first surveyed for sale in 1849, at which time it was an island of sandhills and swamps. In 1851, George Coppin, a prominent publican, theatrical entrepreneur and actor, built a two-storeyed timber hotel on the southern corner of The Esplanade and Blackler Street. A very high flagpole was erected to signal to his "White Horse Cellars" hotel at Port Adelaide the approach of ships, earning the area the name Semaphore,[2][3] often called "The Semaphore".
In 1856, an official government signal station was established at the intersection of The Esplanade and Semaphore Road, where officers would record the details of all vessels in Gulf St Vincent. It was also used to record information on water depth, tides and cargo loading. A Telegraph Office opened in 1856 and became a Post and Telegraph Office in March 1871.[4] 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]
The Semaphore jetty, which was completed in 1860, once stood at 652 m (2,150 ft) in length, but today is 585 m (1,930 ft). It overlooks the Fort Glanville steam train, which operates as a heritage item by the National Railway Museum. 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, 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 birthplace of Sir Ross Smith, the aviator who flew from the United Kingdom to Australia is preserved to this day, [2] at 36 Newman Street .
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 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.
Semaphore Road contains a large number of retail stores. Some are aimed at the large number of summer visitors, with a large range of food vendors, clothing boutiques and gift retailers. Residents appreciate a butcher, bakery, fruit shop, post office, gym, newsagency, supermarkets, chemists and hairdressers.
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Semaphore is part of the state electoral district of Lee, which has been held since 1997 by Labor MP Michael Wright. In federal politics, the suburb is part of the division of Port Adelaide, and has been represented by new Labor MP Mark Butler since 2007. The results shown are from the Semaphore booth for both seats.
Semaphore is mainly a working class middle income earner area, generally considered safe Labor areas, However the electoral district of Lee also encompasses West Lakes and several more 'conservative' suburbs, which has seen the Liberal Party poll strongly in the past.
For Local Government, Semaphore is a part of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.
The 157 and 333 service Military Road, while the 352 and 353 services Semaphore Road. There is a train station in nearby Glanville the Glanville railway station.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Semaphore,_South_Australia Semaphore, South Australia] at Wikimedia Commons