Old Noarlunga (formerly Noarlunga) is a suburb in the Australian state of

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

located about south of the state capital of

Adelaide Adelaide ( ) is the capital city of South Australia, the state's largest city and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to either Greater Adelaide (including the Adelaide Hills) or the Adelaide city centre. The dem ...

. Originally settled around 1840, the town retains its village atmosphere in spite of encroaching suburbia.

Etymology

Contemporary Australian linguists believe the name 'Noarlunga' is derived from the

Kaurna The Kaurna people (, ; also Coorna, Kaura, Gaurna and other variations) are a group of Aboriginal people whose traditional lands include the Adelaide Plains of South Australia. They were known as the Adelaide tribe by the early settlers. Kaurn ...

''nurlo'' (corner/curve/bend) + ''ngga'' (place). The horseshoe, Old Noarlunga,around 1889

History

In the early years of settlement, the surrounding area was cleared for wheat farming, and a flour mill was built in the town in 1843 along with wharves used to transport produce down the

Onkaparinga River The Onkaparinga River, known as Ngangkiparri or Ngangkiparingga ("place of the women’s river") in the Kaurna language, is a river located in the Southern Adelaide region in the Australian state of South Australia. Rising in the Mount Lofty Ran ...

to Port Noarlunga via barge. The town still has a stone bridge across the Onkaparinga, making the town a focal point for travel further down the coast. In 1846, the

Hundred of Noarlunga The Hundred of Noarlunga is a cadastral unit of hundred in South Australia covering the far south-western Adelaide metropolitan area south and west of the Sturt River and north and west of the Onkaparinga River. It is one of the eleven hundreds ...

land division was proclaimed, extending along the coast from the Sturt River to Onkaparinga, but named after the indigenous term ''nurlo'' (curve) for the horse-shoe bend of the Onkaparinga. In 1850 the

South Australia Company The South Australian Company, also referred to as the South Australia Company, was formed in London on 9 October 1835, after the '' South Australia (Foundation) Act 1834'' had established the new British Province of South Australia, with the Sou ...

laid out the 'No-orlunga Township' at the 'Horseshoe', Onkaparinga River. 1856 saw the formation of the

District Council of Noarlunga The City of Noarlunga, formerly the District Council of Noarlunga, was a local government area in South Australia from 1856 until 1997. History The District Council of Noarlunga was established on 21 August 1856 following lobbying by resident ...

following residents on either side of the Onkaparinga. The new council was formed by excision of parts of both the

District of Morphett Vale A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or counties, several municipalities, subdivisions o ...

on the north bank and

District Council of Willunga The District Council of Willunga, was a local government area in South Australia seated at Willunga from 1853 until 1997. History The District Council of Willunga was established on 18 August 1853 to govern the Hundred of Willunga and the southe ...

on the south bank. By the 1860s the town had a post office, a council chamber, two churches, a public pound, two hotels, a mill, a brewery and a brickworks. Old Noarlunga became a well known sporting venue, visited by cycling clubs and throughout the 20th century the town was a popular stopping point for tourists on the way to beaches in the region. 1972 saw

Main South Road South Road and its southern section as Main South Road outside of Adelaide is a major north–south conduit connecting Adelaide and the Fleurieu Peninsula, in South Australia. It is one of Adelaide's most important arterial and bypass roads. As ...

bypass the town and in 1978, by council resolution it became Old Noarlunga. Many local residents at the time were not in favour of the townships name change.

External links

* (map) "Plan of Noarlunga on the Onkaparinga River, with street names, allotment numbers and areas designated for a market, chapel, government and school reserves. (The township was from 1978 onwards known as Old Noarlunga.) ..."

Notes

Towns in South Australia {{Adelaide-geo-stub

Etymology

History

See also

External links

Notes