Before and after: Aerial photos reveal the growth of Adelaide’s suburbs

From razed earth to sprawling developments – stunning aerial photographs reveal just how much our suburbs have changed in the past decade. See the photos.

South Australia’s suburbs are booming and aerial photos released from Nearmap put in perspective just how much Adelaide is growing.

While the state’s population growth may be sluggish with an increase of only 4 per cent since 2015, many those making the move are opting to branch out from inner-city living.

Despite a growth rate lagging eastern states, the population has increased by about 12,100 each year for the past five years and SA is pegged to hit 2 million by 2038 according to the latest Planning, Transport and Infrastructure Department report.

More than 75 per cent of South Australia’s live in five metropolitan regions – Inner Metro, Adelaide North, Adelaide West, Adelaide South and Adelaide Hills.

Those areas are tipped to grow by 22 per cent by 2041.

These images, courtesy of Nearmap, show where all those new people are choosing to call home.

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

Aldinga

A couple of decades ago Aldinga wasn’t really considered part of Adelaide, let alone a top beachside suburb, but some major developments and local pride has seen its popularity soar.

Just 43km and about a 45 minute drive from the Adelaide CBD, the coastal suburb saw a 58 per cent population increase between 2006 and 2016, and has only grown since.

The vast expanses of one of the state’s newest schools, $240m Aldinga Payinthi College, has created a place for the new families to the area to get educated locally.

It was also revealed late last year a further 1000 new homes would be built on a freshly released parcel of land south of the school.

Bowden

Bowden rapidly went from industrial hub to burgeoning suburbia when a major 10ha development was listed in the western suburbs location after the state government purchased part of the site in 2008.

A major marketing campaign, including a royal visit from Prince Charles followed, and within 10 years the once desolate monolith that was the Clipsal factory became an inviting inner-metropolitan suburb attracting families and cashed up young professionals.

Plant 4 Bowden, the areas brightest retail hub, followed and the residents came in their droves.

The 2006 census tallied the population of the City of Charles Sturt’s blossoming metropolis at 648, and the development was expected to see that number eventually increase by more than 440 per cent.

Brompton

Like its fellow Charles Sturt comrade and immediate neighbour Bowden, Brompton saw a post 2010 population boom growing by more than 40 per cent in a decade.

For 30 years between the 1940s and late 70s Brompton was known as the home of a world-famous speedway that was home to Australia’s first demolition derby, but in the 40 years on it has become one of the state’s fastest growing suburbs.

Croydon

While the suburbs around it have gone from strength-to-strength in terms of population, Croydon has seen a drop in its population since the mid 2000s.

But the imagery shows why that might be – a suburb-transforming upgrade to South Rd.

The Northern Connector proved to be one of the largest road infrastructure upgrades in SA history and wiped out houses in its wake.

Davoren Park

In the space of 10 years Davoren Park has transformed itself.

The Eyre Sport Park, a $5.5m investment, sprung up along Womma Rd, while what was once an uninhabited wasteland along the same road has been transformed into something like a suburb of its own.

Despite the repurposing of the land, the northern suburb has actually saw a reduction in its population from the mid 2000s until 2016.

About 6792 people now call Davoren Park home, just 12 more in 2006.

Elizabeth Park

While Elizabeth might have copped its fair share of flak over the years, the 4120 residents living in Elizabeth Park have seen their home undergo significant growth in the last decade.

It’s one of the fastest growing populations in the state with about 1000 new Elizabeth Park locals joining the ranks since 2011.

Predictions show the population is only set to jump by 100 in the next 14 years, but a consolidation of infrastructure in the area will no doubt sway opinion about the northern suburb everyone is quick to slander.

And the region doing its best Kensington Gardens impersonation by building its own 26 new tennis courts might even sway some eastern suburbs residents to look north.

Lightsview

With the pinch of inner-city living hitting the northern suburbs, something had to change in SA.

Along came a proposal to transform a tired and empty lot of land just 10km from the centre of the city into one of the state’s most successful redevelopment projects.

The RenewalSA site, which was responsible for the development, boasts the suburb received the “highest honours awarded to developments in the nation”.

Situated across 100ha and comprising of more than 2000 allotments (and counting), Lightsview now boasts a population of something like 6226 – though the exact number is not yet known as the suburb is so new it was not even considered in the last census.

Seaford Meadows

Like Aldinga, Seaford Meadows was once considered a beachside suburb low on the list of luxury.

And like Lightsview, a desolate area of the once flattened region was picked by RenewalSA as an area where suburb, housing and population growth could flourish.

Located close to a major shopping centre, train station and minutes to the beach, the choice has proven to be a fruitful one.

In 2011 Seaford Meadows was home to 1652, now more than 4670 people call the suburb home – a staggering increase of more than 180 per cent.

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.

McLaren Vale

Sellicks Beach

Salisbury Plain

Willunga