The Plains of Playford  -  Penfield through to Virginia  
             
 
               
The three main early settlements on the plains were Smithfield, Penfield and Virginia. I have already discussed Smith Field at the Introduction so I will mainly focus on Virginia and Penfield in this section. All three of these townships were established around the same time and were renown for their common crops of wheat, oats and hay. In fact the first major building in Virginia was called the Wheatsheaf Hotel which was built in 1854 and like Penfield the township was established three or four years on. 
Daniel Brady was a wealthy Irish settler who initially bought 54 blocks so he could establish the township called Virginia which was named after his home town in Southern Ireland. At the time the area was thick bushland which needed to be cleared to grow wheat which was the first major crop to be grown. The need for hay came later to feed the ever increasing amount of horses required for transportation and to assist with general development.  
     
Like One Tree Hill, Virginia became a stop off point for travellers who were coming to and from Adelaide. Likewise the Smithfield hotel was the central hub for travellers because it became a railway station for the Gawler to Adelaide railway. The station was open 24 hours a day with a resident stationmaster. In 1857 John Smith built a two storey hotel to service the new railway line and general farming community. Smith also built a granary to hold the cereal crops that farmers brought in to be transported on the rail service. Later on Smithfield was renown for its hay production and associated hay carting services to provide the feed for the growing number of horses in the region.   
 
 
The area of Penfield today is hidden away behind Davoren Park and Stebonheath Road which essentially marks its boundary which also separates the rural area from the residential. The region is sparsely populated with farming and open fields being the predominant view as you travel around the area.
It was settled in the early 1850s and was originally known as Peachy Belt because it was densely covered with Quandong trees which were the native peach to this land. It was surveyed in 1849 and not very long later the first settlers had to clear the land to plant their crops and begin general farming. Some speculation exists over the different spelling of the word Peachy (Peachey?) which remains as a mystery. Some believe the name relates to one of the first surveyor’s whose name was Peter Peachey. It is also possible that different people may have just spelt it a different way also, which may have contributed to the confusion. 

The township developed from the first hotel in 1853 to the official township in 1856 through William Penfold who was the founder. One of the last remaining recognised buildings in the area is Petherton Farm which is located halfway down Petherton Road on the left coming from Elizabeth. It is listed in the State Heritage register and was built in the latter part of the 1850s. Early houses had underground water tanks and wells because there are no real recognizable rivers in the area. The Penfield township was a reasonable size consisting of the usual services, two churches and a racecourse and club built close by. Sadly the township was destroyed and farming families evicted from their land through the Government, which wanted the land to build factories to supply for the military needs of World War Two in 1940. The Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) was formed later on and the Edinburgh Airfield was opened in 1954 to replace the Mallala airport.

     
Penfield has never really recovered the glory of its former days after it was decimated due to military needs. There is no real focal point in the area other than Petherton Farm which can easily be missed along with the many other old houses here and there. Newer houses are starting to sprout up and new housing developments are threatening around its boundaries. You never know Penfield could possibly become ‘Penfold’ if new development infiltrates its boundaries. The former name Peachy belt has resurfaced from the past and old Penfold may just reappear also. The fields of Penfield may just become the roads of future development. Such a fate has already befallen Andrews Farm which was named after John and Grace Andrews who were early settlers at the end of Stebonheath road which was named after the ship that they arrived on at Port Adelaide. Nevertheless in spite of future possible development I have managed to acquire a number of photos of some historical treasures that are scattered here and there on the plains of Playford.