H. B. Crosby, Drapers in the main street of Gawler

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:  

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.

St Peter and St Paul's Catholic Church

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.

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.

A beautiful old house at 12 King Street, Gawler

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.

	Tourist Information
	Gawler Tourist Information Centre 2 Lyndoch Rd P.O. Box 1 Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 6814 Facsimile: (08) 8522 6817
	Motels
	Prasad's Gawler Motel Main North Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 5900 Rating: **
	Hotels
	Criterion Tavern 18 Nineteenth St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1834
	Exchange Hotel 155 Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1889
	Gawler Arms 102 Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3805 Rating: *
	Kingsford Hotel 32 Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1687
	Old Bushman Hotel 10 Cowan St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1001
	Old Spot Hotel 77 Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1043
	Prince Albert Hotel 109 Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1865
	Railway Family Hotel 27 Eighteenth St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1387
	South End Hotel 23 Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1065
	Willaston Hotel 33 Main North Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 1021
	Bed & Breakfast/Guesthouses
	Eagle Foundry Bed & Breakfast 23 King St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3808 Rating: ***
	Gawler Heritage Accommodation 18 Edith St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 4422 Facsimile: (08) 8525 2764
	Cottages & Cabins
	Gawler Cottages 6 Union St P.O. Box 156 Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 2727
	Pophams Accommodation Cottage 25 High St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8523 2399
	Gawler Caravan Park Main North Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3805 Facsimile: (08) 8522 3805 Rating: ***
	Hillier Park Caravan Park Hillier Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 2511 Facsimile: (08) 8523 1131 Rating: **1/2
	Farm & Eco Holidays
	Oxley Farm Fairlie Rd Kangaroo Flat Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3703 Facsimile: (08) 8525 3712
	Caravan Parks
	Gawler Caravan Park Main North Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3805 Facsimile: (08) 8522 3805 Rating: ***
	Hillier Park Caravan Park Hillier Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 2511 Facsimile: (08) 8523 1131 Rating: ***1/2
	Restaurants
	Bamboo Hut Bistro Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8523 1551
	Emily's Restaurant Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 6799
	Fasta Pasta Lyndoch Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8523 2266
	Gawler Mill Nine Dragons Chinese Restaurant Julian Tce Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3633
	Gawler Palace Chinese Restaurant Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 2177
	Gawler Reception & Entertainment Centre Murray St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 6799
	Popham's Restaurant High St Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8523 2399
	The Wheatsheaf Inn Restaurant Sunnydale Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 5762
	Zeebous Restaurant Carlton Rd Gawler SA 5118 Telephone: (08) 8522 3621