Kersbrook, South Australia
| Kersbrook South Australia | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
  Kersbrook | |||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°47′02″S 138°51′07″E / 34.784°S 138.852°ECoordinates: 34°47′02″S 138°51′07″E / 34.784°S 138.852°E | ||||||||||||
| Population |
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| Established | 1850s | ||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5231 | ||||||||||||
| Location | 36 km (22 mi) from Adelaide | ||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Adelaide Hills Council | ||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Schubert | ||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Mayo | ||||||||||||
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Kersbrook is a town near Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area. At the 2006 census, Kersbrook had a population of 367.[2]
History
The first settlers established farms in the Kersbrook area in the early 1831s due to its relatively gentle slopes. John Bowden, manager of the South Australian Company's dairy farm at Hackney, bought a 32-hectare (79-acre) section and named it Kersbrook after the Cornish farm where he was born. By 1844, Bowden was recorded as having "800 sheep, 62 cattle, one horse, 13 pigs, 16 acres (65,000 m2) of wheat, eight acres of barley, plots of oats, maize and potatoes and a fruit garden".
The settlement itself was created by William Carman, a blacksmith working at a copper mine near Williamstown, who took advantage of the area's location on the busy road to the Barossa Valley and in 1851 built a travellers inn called the Wheatsheaf Inn. By 1858, some settlers had arrived and Carman gave some of his land to build a town. His preferred choice of name was Maidstone after his home town in Kent, but in 1917 the town was officially renamed to Kersbrook as this was the name used by local residents and referred to the original 'Kersbrook' farm of John Bowden. It became a notable agricultural area, especially for fruit.
Kersbrook is a fairly quiet rural town, where most of the old buildings still stand.[3] In January 2015, twelve houses in the town were destroyed as a result of the 2015 Sampson Flat bushfires.[4]
Geography
Kersbrook is located between Chain of Ponds and Williamstown along the Little Para Road, and southeast of One Tree Hill along a separate road.
At the ABS 2001 census, Kersbrook had a population of 314 people living in 120 dwellings.
Facilities
The primary school opened in 1961; and there is a general store and other small stores in the town. Nearby Humbug Scrub and Mount Gawler are used for orienteering[5] and mountain biking in quite steep terrain.
About 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of Kersbrook is the 353-hectare (870-acre) Warren Conservation Park, a rugged nature reserve with views over the Warren Gorge which was dedicated in 1966 and protects a range of rare fauna.[6] There is also a pine plantation nearby, which is now part of the Mount Crawford Forest.[7]
Kersbrook also have a very successful Australian Rules team, who wear double blue and are nicknamed the 'Brookers'. They have produced three AFL players of which brothers Brett (Adelaide Crows) and Roger James (Port Adelaide) have both won AFL premierships; and many SANFL league players.
References
- ↑ Australian Bureau of Statistics (31 October 2012). "Kersbrook (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2011 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 3 February 2016.
- 1 2 Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Kersbrook (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ↑ Adelaide Hills Council - Historical Town Information
- ↑ "Adelaide Hills bushfire: Up to 38 houses destroyed, Kersbrook worst hit". ABC News. Australia. 6 January 2015. Retrieved 7 January 2015.
- ↑ Orienteering map of Mount Gawler accessed 16 June 2005
- ↑ Department of Environment and Heritage - Warren
- ↑ Placenames SA last accessed 16 June 2006