COROMANDEL VALLEY
Coromandel Valley is situated approximately 16 km south of the City of Adelaide. It is described as a sancturary in the hills1, due to it’s semi-rural, rustic and heritage character.
A Very Brief History of Coromandel Valley
The valley was originally the home of the Kaurna people who moved up to live in the Hills during summer to escape the heat of the Adelaide Plains. The first European settlers were runaway sailors who fled their ship The Coromandel in 1837. These sailors however did not settle for long in the valley. The first European settler was James Chambers in 1837. Over the next two decades families settled in valley and initiated agricultural and grazing activities. Families with a historical link to the valley include; Turner, Winn, Murray, Gill, Matthews and Ackland.
The population increased during the 1870s and 1880’s and churches, schools and roads were built and other transport links were developed linking Coromandel Valley with Adelaide and Clarendon to the South. A few historical buildings and monuments remain including the institute, churches, jam and biscuit factory, bakery and general store.
The jam and biscuit factory was established by Alexander Murray and Son. In the 1860s 200,000lbs of biscuits were produced and large quantities of jam, with over 60 people finding regular employment. Much fruit was sourced from the valley including apricots and stone fruit. The factory closed in 1900 and changed the lifestyle and livelihood of many residents in the valley. The fruit industry is still alive in the valley with well established apple and pear orchards flourishing.
Blackwood developed following the closure of Murrays. Over the course of the twentieth century and particularly during the 1960s migration and population growth contributed to the urbanisation of the Valley. Sub-division of agricultural plots led to significant residential development, however the Valley has continued to retain much of the semi rural identity characterizing Coromandel Valley.
Please click on links for more historical information on Coromandel Valley
Flinders Ranges Research : Coromandel Valley
City of Mitcham: Coromandel Valley
Reference
1. Winter M. Sanctuary in the Hills: a history of Coromandel Valley, South Australia, since 1837. New Creation publications Inc, 1987.