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| H. B. Crosby,
Drapers in the main street of Gawler
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Gawler
Major service centre north of Adelaide
Located on 44 km north of Adelaide and with a
population of nearly 20,000, Gawler is one of
South Australia's largest and most significant
historic towns.
It is likely that the district was originally
settled by the Kaurna Aborigines. The town was
created on 31 January, 1839 and is South
Australia's second country town (after Port
Adelaide). It was named after Governor Gawler.
It was laid out by William Jacob to a plan which
had been drawn up by Colonel William Light the
designer of Adelaide. Light had evaluated the
area and chose the townsite as a gateway to the
state's north. It was also located beside a
river and surrounded by rolling hills. Such was
its pleasant environment that it was nicknamed
the 'Athens of the South'.
In its early years Gawler was sufficiently
distant from Adelaide that it quickly
established a separate identity. This was
fuelled by the economic success of the area and
a boom period which lasted from 1860 until the
end of the century saw the construction of many
attractive and gracious buildings which gave the
town a charm and sophistication.
Today Gawler is a thriving centre in an area
dominated by wheat and vineyards. It is an
important service centre which is now readily
accessible from Adelaide.
Things to see:
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Historic Buildings
Old Bushman Inn
Located on King Street at the northern end of
the main town, the Old Bushman Inn (sometimes
called the Old Bushman Hotel) was erected by the
architect Robert Robertson in the early 1840s.
It is widely accepted that the great South
Australian explorer, John McDouall Stuart (the
man who carved a route from Adelaide to Darwin),
stayed in the hotel on his way north. By the
1880s the hotel was the centre of the town's
social life. Today it is a superb example of an
early Australian hotel.
Light Square
Just along the road from the Old Bushman Inn is
an amusing relic of Colonel Light's obsession
with geometric orthodoxy. Light Square was
created on the town plan to be the site for the
Church of Scotland. The church was never built
but the neat square still stands.
Gawler Congregational Church
Across the square and in Cowan Street heading
south-west is the Gawler Congregational Church,
a stone and brick quoin building which was
completed in 1861. It was to have been completed
in 1851 but the gold rush to Victoria reduced
the congregation to such a point that even the
preacher decided to follow his flock to the
goldfields.
Gawler Court House
Across the street (still in Cowan Street) is the
Gawler Court House. So obsessive was Colonel
Light that he allocated this position for the
Court House when he drew up the town plans in
1839. The building was constructed until 1881.
It is a typical piece of handsome late Victorian
architecture.
St Georges Anglican Church
At the bottom end of Cowan Street, and
dominating the streetscape, is St Georges
Anglican Church. It is a typical church built by
accretion. The foundation stone was laid in
1858, the nave was opened in 1864, the transept
and chancel were added in 1885 and the tower was
completed in 1909. If you enter the church you
notice that on the northern side there is a
stained glass window with the Gawler Coat of
Arms on it.
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| St Peter and
St Paul's Catholic Church
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St Peter and St Pauls Roman Catholic
Church
Continue to the end of Cowan Street and in front
of you is the red brick, twin towered Roman
Catholic church which was completed in 1897. Now
return to the town's main street, Murray Street.
Pioneer Park
This attractive park is located opposite King
Street. It is one example of where Colonel
Light's plan has not come to fruition.
Originally planned as the town cemetery it is
now a pleasant park in easy reach of the town
centre.
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| The old
Flying Fox in H.B. Crosby, Drapers,
Gawler |
H. B. Crosby, Drapers
There is a generation of Australians who
remember the 'flying fox', a wonderful device
which took money from the counter to an accounts
section (usually on a mezzanine level) where the
change was provided. The change and a receipt
then came whizzing back to the counter. By the
late 1980s there were only three left in
Australia - one in Charters Towers (now in the
museum), one in the general store in Winton and
this remarkable one in Gawler. It is located on
the western side of Murray Street. Fortunately,
although it does not suit modern shopping
methods, the store owners have recognised the
value of their 'flying fox'. It certainly
attracts visitors to the store. Something not to
be missed. A unique piece of Australian history.
Today H.B. Crosby's is really 'time stood still'
stuff. They've been filmed by national
television because the store is still preserved
as a remnant of the 1940s. The building,
originally known as Essex House, was constructed
in 1905.
Historic Buildings in the Main Street
In two blocks of the main street south of H.B.
Crosby's there are a run of fine public and
commercial buildings including the Gawler
Institute (1870) which is now the town library.
It is notable for its ground level iron
balustrade which was the first smelted in South
Australia; the Town Hall (1878) a typical
impressive Victorian edifice made from local
bluestone; the National Australia Bank (1881)
which is a typical Italianate style bank of its
era; the Old Spot Hotel; the Gawler Post Office
(1866) with its clock tower famous for its
inaccurate lettering (have a look at the eastern
clock and notice that IV should be VI - the
blame has been attributed to the clock
manufacturers); the Old Telegraph Station (the
oldest public building in Gawler dating from
1859); the Kingsford Hotel (1858); the State
Bank of South Australia - a Victorian
Renaissance building completed in 1911 (well
after the Victorian era); and the South End
Hotel which dates from 1859. There is an
excellent 'Historic Gawler - A Walking and
Cycling Tour' brochure which includes
information on nearly 40 buildings in the town
and provides useful maps of both the centre of
town and the surrounding area.
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| A beautiful
old house at 12 King Street, Gawler
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Just Driving Around
One of the great appeals of Gawler is to just
drive around. There are so many old buildings
and interesting locations which are not listed
on any historic map and yet are worth finding
for yourself. The town truly has an incredible
range of old buildings. Typical of these houses
in 12 King Street which is not listed in any
catalogue of historic houses and yet it captures
perfectly the charming historic quality of the
town.
Dead Man's Pass
This decidedly 'western' name is the result of
Colonel Light and his surveyor discovering a
body in a tree when they arrived at this
pleasant ford in 1837. Until 1849 it was
necessary to cross the ford to enter Gawler. At
that time a bridge was built. Located at the
southern end of Murray Street it is now a
pleasant park beside the river. Ideal for
picnics.
