| Willunga Adelaide, South Australia |
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Willunga
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| Population: | 2,104 (2006 Census)[1] | ||||||||||||
| Established: | 1840 | ||||||||||||
| Postcode: | 5172 | ||||||||||||
| Location: | 47 km (29 mi) from Adelaide | ||||||||||||
| LGA: | City of Onkaparinga | ||||||||||||
| State District: | Mawson | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division: | Kingston | ||||||||||||
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Willunga is a town south of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Onkaparinga local government area. It is 5 km away from the wine growing region of McLaren Vale and is approx. 47 km from the Adelaide CBD. At the 2006 census, Willunga had a population of 2,104.[1]
Willunga is connected to the town of McLaren Vale by a cycle path running along a former railway line and is only a short distance from the beaches of Aldinga. Willunga is home to many festivals, including the start and finish of the fourth leg of the Tour Down Under, the Fleurieu Folk Festival and the Almond Blossom Festival.
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Willunga Post Office opened on 14 July 1839.[2]
The main township of Willunga is located on Main and Aldinga Road. Being one of South Australia's earliest towns, Willunga is a character-filled, small country town which attracts many visitors. This is reflected in its many businesses. There are four churches (An Anglican, Catholic and Uniting along with a Bethesada Movement church). The Willunga Uniting Church hosts the Willunga Christmas Tree Festival with over 50 trees and Community Carols in the Park.
Willunga has an eighteen-hole golf course with a restaurant open to the public. On the same property is the Willunga Bowling Club and the Waverley Homestead, home of a community arts organisation called STARS.
Most of Willunga's large events are held on the Willunga-owned Recreation Park (Willunga's halls and meeting rooms, oval and grounds), located near the town square. The Willunga National Trust, opens its old courthouse and slate museums on weekends and Tuesdays. Its grounds host the Band of SA Police Twilight Christmas Concert.
Willunga hosts a leg of the Tour Down Under cycle race (including King of the Hill) every summer. Other attractions are the Willunga Farmers' Market (which won Best Farmers' Market in Australia 2008) held every Saturday morning; the Willunga Quarry Market, Willunga Artisans' Market and CWA Teas, Cake & Crafts all held second Saturday of each month; and the Willunga Lions Auction usually held the last Saturday of each month except December.
Willunga has many sporting teams. Their football team (the Demons) has won six A Grade premierships in a row (2004–2009), and in the year of 2006 lost only two matches. Willunga also has a football team for students. Willunga has a netball club, a basketball club, tennis club and a cricket club. Also, the township has a soccer club, in the NDJSA league. The senior primary team won their division in 2007 and made it to the Cup Semi-Finals.
The Coast to Vines rail trail finishes at Willunga.
Willunga has its own free monthly newsletter (A4 size - usually 12 pages), two websites (one for events and tourism and one for businesses, services and organisations) and free Calendar Directories, which not only has a calendar with events entered on appropriate dates, but 16 pages of business, service and organisation listings. Willunga Media is run by volunteers, paid for by local businesses, organisations and individuals and promotes Willunga.
Willunga has three schools: Willunga Waldorf Steiner School (K-12), Willunga High & Primary, and a kindergarten. Willunga High School was opened on its present site in 1960.
Willunga was chosen as one of the first five release areas for the National Broadband Network. The town was chosen to demonstrate archetypal FTTH deployment in a regional area with dispersed housing, providing a live test for similar deployments across the future NBN. The construction phase occurred in early 2011 and the first customer service went live on 27 June 2011[3].Raaj Menon's blog, discussing his new service.