Adelaide developments: What your new suburb says about you
Taking a punt on moving to one of SA’s new communities? Check out our cheeky guide to what your new home says about you.
A state government push to open up new housing in and around metropolitan Adelaide is opening up thousands of new homes in several new suburbs.
Each development will come with its own nuance and personality and thus, with our tongue firmly planted in our cheek, we take a lighthearted look at what your new suburb says about you …
1 RIVERLEA
Where: West of Port Wakefield Rd, south of Port Gawler
Size: 1340 hectares
Proposed homes: 12,000
Palm trees line the wide boulevard that acts as an entrance to Riverlea Estate, but residents here are by no means beach bums. In fact, like most new estates, the local population here is likely to be made up of hardworking young families getting their first foot in the door of SA’s burgeoning real estate market. The ocean is several kilometres away but two large man-made lakes, resplendent with water fountains and huge signs that scream Riverlea create a memorable entry. Residents are only a stone’s throw from Port Wakefield Rd, the passageway to the Flinders Ranges, West Coast and Yorke Peninsula, so don’t be surprised to see them packing their cars for an upcoming camping trip.
2 CONCORDIA
Where: Northeast of Gawler
Size: 995 hectares.
Proposed homes: 12,000
Can’t afford to live in Gawler? Don’t care enough about chardonnay or shiraz to live in the Barossa? Concordia is the place for you. Just north of Gawler, parks on the street will be hard to find at Concordia because most households will be multi-car families who use the Northern Expressway to get to the CBD – but will be beeping their horns with despair when a single broken down vehicle on the same road reduces their commute to a crawl.
3 SELLICKS BEACH
Where: South of Aldinga
Size: 134 hectares
Proposed homes: 1700
Snorkels, flippers and surf boards will take pride of place in the garages and spare rooms for those eyeing off this new area as a potential sea change. The lure of living within a short stroll to the ocean is strong, but anyone planning on joining the hordes of sealovers who like to park themselves and their cars on the sandy beaches in summer will also need a good alarm clock to beat the masses – especially on Australia Day and New Year’s Day.
4 DRY CREEK
Where: Former salt pans in northern Adelaide.
Size: 838 hectares
Proposed homes: 15,000
Can’t afford the flight to Salt Lake City in Utah, or worried about being deported at customs in the US? Fear not, just sign up for a new home at Dry Creek, and you can enjoy the ambience of salt pans without ever leaving Adelaide. You could even establish a niche little salt lamp business from the double garage – using product sourced from the former evaporation ponds just north of the city.
5 SOUTHWARK GROUNDS
Where: Former SA Brewing site, Thebarton.
Size: 8.4 hectares
Proposed homes: 1300
What committed beer lover could go past buying a house and land package in a suburb named after one of SA’s most famous (or infamous) beers? Except this was a beer so disliked it was known for generations as Green Death because of its bitter taste and green label. SA Brewing changed the label’s colour to blue, presumably to escape the moniker, but the nickname quickly became Blue Murder. Hmmm. Oh well, we guess if the name choice doesn’t bring great memories for beer lovers, Southwark Grounds’ Thebarton location is also great for people who couldn’t be shagged trying to get a carpark at the Entertainment Centre.
6 ONKAPARINGA HEIGHTS
Where: Between Hackham and Old Noarlunga
Size: 67.6 hectares
Proposed homes: 1000
Nestled snugly between Main South Rd and Onkaparinga River National Park, the undulating hills of this development mean new homeowners will grow to love (and possibly hate) both retainer walls and terraced garden beds. Wineries including d’Arenberg are only a few minutes’ drive up the road but pet lovers might be scared off by the ghosts of animals past from the former Metro Meats abattoir just south of the Onkaparinga Heights border.
7 GIFFORD HILL
Where: Southwest of Murray Bridge
Size: 1860 hectares
Proposed homes: 17,100
A new satellite city on the outskirts of Murray Bridge that will home to tens of thousands of people… anyone else triggered by deja vu flashbacks to the 1970s? We’re assured that Gifford Hill won’t be a repeat of Don Dunstan’s failed Monarto dream but gee, the similarities are startling. Still, we suppose Gifford Hill includes the recently new Murray Bridge, so maybe this development is worth taking a (ahem) punt on.
8. ROSEWORTHY
Where: North of Gawler
Size: About 600 hectares
Proposed homes: 4000-4700
For generations, the most recognisable feature of the Roseworthy area was Australia’s first agricultural college established there in 1883. College alumni include esteemed winemakers Peter Gago, John Duval, David Lowe, Philip Shaw and Bill Moularadellis, so we don’t think it would be too much of a stretch to suggest that people are flocking to the area in droves simply because it’s a grape place to live.
9. LIBERTY AND EDEN, TWO WELLS
Where: Near Two Wells, north of Adelaide
Size: About 500 hectares
Proposed homes: 3000
Here’s a place for lovers of all things aquatic. In an area named after a couple of underground water sources, these new developments are also on or near a natural flood plain. Two Wells is already home to many successful trotting horse trainers (think Ryan Hryhorec, Shane Loone and Keith Routley) so new developments at Liberty and Eden also offer new residents a chance to “harness” the natural charm of the area – but they’ll need to be conscious of not being too “sulky” (sorry, sorry, sorry).
10. NOARLUNGA
Where: South of Adelaide
Size: 22 hectares
Proposed homes: 626
It’s been more than 60 years since South Adelaide last won a flag in the SANFL and the Panthers have only played finals seven times since switching their home ground to Noarlunga in the mid 1990s. And the wonderfully-named local footy side the Noarlunga cockle divers this year broke a 28-year Southern Football League premiership drought. So it’s fair to say any footy fans planning a move to Noarlunga are either gluttons for punishment or ultimate optimists – we’ll give ’em the benefit of the doubt and go with the latter.
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