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The Playford area was settled essentially not long after the first
settlement of South Australia in general. In fact one of the
largest original pastoral properties in the area consisting of
20,000 acres called Port Gawler Estate was granted to be selected
by George Milner Stephen. Stephen was the son in law of Captain
Hindmarsh, the first Governor of South Australia. Stephen ended up
being the Colonial Secretary after originally being the Advocate
General and sometimes the acting Governor. The area was firstly
selected because of the fertility surrounding the Gawler River.
Captain William Allen and Captain John Ellis purchased the right
of the title named the Buckland Park property in 1838. The
Buckland Park Homestead which is actually located just outside the
Playford boundary was built in 1842.
Another one of the earliest notable
settlers in this region was Joseph Gould who arrived in Adelaide
in 1839. He bought a substantial amount of land along the Gould
River which is where the Little Para Reservoir is now located. The
Gould Creek Homestead was originally built not long after 1844 and
following 1848 a second storey was added when the property was
passed onto William Kelly who married Gould’s eldest daughter.
In 1977 Bill and Rosemary Harvey the fourth generation of the same
family, were forced to pass on their Homestead to be demolished to
make way for the Little Para Reservoir which was compulsorily
acquired by the E. & W. S.
The word Para is an echo that has been heard numerous times
in the Playford area and for significant reason. The word Para is
a native word which means river or creek which was the early
lifeblood of the settlers who depended upon the rivers and creeks
for survival. Original development was located around these areas
as was already the case with the Kaurna people who are the
original inhabitants of this land.
Although Stephen, Gould and the two Captain’s were
the first notable recorded settlers in the region of Playford the
first real developer of this region was John Smith. Smith’s
Creek has a significant story to tell in regards to the original
development of the Playford area. The Creek stems from the heart
of One Tree Hill between Uley and Yorktown/Blacktop Roads. (Adams
Creek which ends at Fremont Park also stems from the top of the
hill at the T junction across from the Old Inn) All rivers run
from the top of the hill and the development of Playford
originally stemmed along these lines. There was a lot of activity
along Smith’s Creek who is essentially the prominent forefather
of this region. (Smith’s Barn otherwise known as the Elephant
Barn still exists also). In fact Smithfield was originally named
‘Smith’s Creek’ after this Scottish pioneer. He was the
largest original landowner in the central Playford area when he
purchased a number of sections along Main North Road in 1847 and
continued to purchase sections. ‘Smith Field’ as later known
extended all the way up to what we now know as Craigmore.
Elizabeth never officially existed until 16 November 1954 when Sir
Thomas Playford named it in recognition of its British beginnings
and One Tree Hill essentially began in 1851 when the ‘Old Inn’
was built. So essentially what we now know as The City of Playford
began as Smith’s Creek.
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