Before and after: Aerial photos reveal the growth of South Australia’s regions

From Whyalla to Gawler and Mount Gambier, the regions are booming and these stunning aerial images show just how fast. See the photos.

Already bursting Adelaide suburbs have forced residents to look elsewhere for housing and regional South Australia has been the beneficiary.

Often called a “race to the regions”, the treechange accelerated by the ability to work from home during from the Covid-19 pandemic has only seen regions growing faster.

The most recent Planning, Transport and Infrastructure report into growth in SA shows 75 per cent of the state’s population live in metropolitan suburbs, but regional locations were becoming more appealing.

The Barossa, Yorke Peninsula, Mid-north, Fleurieu, Riverland, Limestone Coast, Eyre Peninsula and South-West are expected to see population rises of 43,000 by 2041 – that’s an 11 per cent increase.

With house prices in the city soaring, and the offer of a median price less than half that of metro areas in the regions, it is no wonder thousands are looking to spread out.

These images, courtesy of Nearmap, reveal the stark changes seen in regional areas and showcase up to a decade of growth.

Slide the white line left and right to see how these areas have transformed

Gawler

In hindsight, digging a quarry in what was likely to be an expanding part of SA might seem like a bad decision.

But the abandoned quarry along Calton Rd at Gawler has since started to fill in, and the arguable errors of the past look like one day becoming the footings of the houses of the future.

The expansive region boasts one of the highest populations on this list at more than 25,000, a 7000 person increase from 20 years prior.

Nuriootpa

As one of Gawler’s closest neighbours, Nuriootpa has seen a dramatic increase in housing stock available to those who are prepared to look a little further out.

Evidenced by a population boom over the past 10 years – from 5215 to 7377 – Nuriootpa has seen its name become one associated with an affordable alternative to the larger regional hubs.

Located about an hour’s drive from Adelaide, and only 20 minutes from Gawler, the median price for a three-bedroom in Nuriootpa is about $350,000.

That’s $25,000 less than Gawler and $250,000 less than the metro suburbs.

Revitalising the area was highlighted as a key part of the Barossa Council’s “Big Project” – a 35-year plan to capitalise on growth and deliver improved infrastructure opportunities to residents.

Mount Gambier

Best known for the ponderous former volcano Blue Lake, Mount Gambier actually lays claim to being the second most populated city in the state.

Nowadays, The Mount is a thriving regional hub with a population of more than 29,000. When these pictures were first taken, that number was about 25,000.

For three years following the start of the last decade, it recorded one of the strongest regional SA population growth rates.

Though the town is technically in South Australia, it is actually closer to Melbourne than Adelaide by about 10 kilometres as the crow flies.

A 10-year plan released by the City of Mount Gambier Council in 2017 set a population target for the city of 32,000 by 2027 and these images show the building progress of the council’s flagship project – Wulanda Recreation & Convention Centre.

Tanunda

Tanunda might be known as one of the premier wine growing regions in the world, but the need for more houses in regional-northern SA has seen a change in direction.

In mid-2020 plan was hatched to turn a former vineyard into a parcel of land ripe for housing development.

By late-2021, that parcel of land had begun to fruit – providing house-thirsty Tanunda aspirants a healthy swig of new homes.

And how could anyone not be interested by the prospect of having your home nestled in among vineyards and just a short walk from world-class wineries?

Whyalla

Though the population of Whyalla may have hovered around 21,000 for a decade, the city has not rested on its laurels.

It is the fourth most populous place in SA after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Gawler and has been one of the state’s most important ports since iron ore started to be shipped out about 1903.

The late-2021 completion of the $100m Whyalla Secondary College came as a result of the production of more than 650 tonnes of Whyalla steel and was targeted as a way of bringing “21st century school infrastructure to the city.

Port Augusta

While Port Augusta might be a semi-regular on the infamous Sh*t Towns of Australia list, the town’s importance to the country is no joke.

For about 170 years, it has provided an integral link between southern and south-eastern states and the NT and WA.

Though the region has not experienced population growth in the past decade, it has remained as a crucial thoroughfare.

As evidenced by the imagery, works have recently commenced on the only bridge linking southern Australia with WA.

The $200m bridge duplication initially coincided with the Port Augusta council introduce rate hikes, but after community backlash and residents threatening to leave the town amid the construction boom, the council backed down.

The aerial imagery is from Australian location intelligence company Nearmap.

The company provides government organisations, architectural, construction and engineering firms, and other companies, with easy, instant access to high resolution aerial imagery, city-scale 3D content, artificial intelligence data sets, and geospatial tools to assist with urban planning, monitoring and development projects in Australia, New Zealand, and North America.