Edinburgh, South Australia

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Edinburgh
Adelaide,  South Australia
Australia South Australia location map.svg
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Edinburgh
Coordinates 34°42′S138°37′E / 34.700°S 138.617°E / -34.700; 138.617
Population376 (SAL 2021) [1]
Postcode(s) 5111
LGA(s) City of Salisbury
Federal division(s) Spence
Suburbs around Edinburgh:
Penfield Penfield Edinburgh North
Penfield Edinburgh Elizabeth
Elizabeth South
Penfield Direk
Salisbury North
Salisbury
Elizabeth Vale

Edinburgh is an outer northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Salisbury. The suburb was created in 1997, on land straddling Penfield and Salisbury, that was compulsorily acquired by the Commonwealth Government in 1940 in order to manufacture munitions for the war effort during World War II, and later used for a number of defence-related establishments.

Contents

The suburb is dominated by the RAAF Base Edinburgh, but also includes the industrial precinct of Edinburgh Parks.

History

The area, as with all of the Adelaide Plains, lies within the traditional lands of the Kaurna people. [2]

Salisbury Explosives Factory

Once a rural area, this changed in 1940, after a large amount of land in the area between Penfield and Salisbury was compulsorily acquired by the Australian Government's Department of Munitions in 1940 to establish a munitions factory. [3] [4] Construction of the Salisbury Explosives Factory (officially, the No.2 Explosives and Filling Factory; colloquially "the Munitions") [5] began in November 1940. The architect Herbert Jory was engaged by the Department of Munitions to oversee the building of the factory, which at its height employed 3000 labourers and tradesmen seven days a week. The factory was completed within a year. [6]

The factory was one of many facilities created to ensure supplies for six munitions factories established across Australia by the national government during World War II. The site was chosen because of "its strategic position and its proximity to rail transport, and to a water supply and labour". [6] The factory complex included 1,405 buildings, and during wartime employed between 3,000 and 6,000 people. [5] A new railway line serviced the facilities. [7]

Other defence establishments

The LWRE and laboratories became the Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) in 1955, the Defence Science & Technology Organisation (DSTO) in 1974,[ citation needed ] and the Defence Science and Technology Group (DST) in 2015. [8] It is now an industrial suburb, but is still dominated by RAAF Base Edinburgh, the DST Edinburgh site, with a few remaining sheep-grazing paddocks.

Suburb (1997)

The suburb was created in 1997 when it was split from the suburb of Salisbury, when the Australian Government decided that the Australian Department of Defence would rationalise the then "DSTO Salisbury" site and sell off about 70% of the site, and surrounding "Defence-owned" crown land, to form the "Edinburgh Parks" industrial estate.[ citation needed ]

Description

In addition to the RAAF base and the DST Group site, the suburb is home to several of defence contractors, a number of automotive component and parts manufacturers (which supported the Elizabeth Holden manufacturing plant until it closed in 2017), and other industries (for example, a major Coles Supermarkets distribution centre), as well as the Penfield Golf Club golf course, a model railway track, a model boat facility, a pistol range, gemology clubrooms, and a few remaining flocks of sheep.[ citation needed ]

Edinburgh Parks

The City of Salisbury's website stated in 2013: "Edinburgh Parks is one of Australia's largest advanced industrial precincts and has more than 300 hectares of fully developed land available... It is a "$1.9 billion investment and comprises four precincts designated for aerospace and manufacturing, defence technology, logistics support and automotive industries... Edinburgh Parks industrial blocks are among the best value industrial land in Australia. The site is ideally located in a major industrial growth corridor connected by Adelaide's new northern super highway system." [9]

Organisations established in the area include BAE Systems Australia, DHL Inghams, Detroit Diesel, Coles Supermarkets Distribution Centre and Lockheed Martin Australia. The City of Salisbury estimates that over 3,000 jobs have been created in the area through the creation of Edinburgh Parks. [9]

The "Invest Northern Adelaide" website, a collaboration of the cities of Playford, Salisbury, and Tea Tree Gully, makes similar glowing claims. [10]

Related Research Articles

The Defence Science and Technology Group (DSTG) is a part of the Australian Department of Defence, which provides science and technology support to Defence and defence industry. The agency's name was changed from Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) on 1 July 2015. It is Australia's second largest government-funded science organisation after the CSIRO and its research outcomes have supported operations for over 100 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Elizabeth is an outer northern suburb of the Adelaide metropolitan area, South Australia, 24 km north of the Adelaide city centre. It is located in the City of Playford. At the 2021 census, Elizabeth had a population of 40,343.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Salisbury</span> Local government area of Adelaide

The City of Salisbury is a local government area (LGA) located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia. Its neighbours are the City of Playford, City of Tea Tree Gully and City of Port Adelaide Enfield.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Elizabeth South railway station</span> Railway station in Adelaide, South Australia

Elizabeth South railway station is located on the Gawler line. Situated on the border of northern Adelaide suburbs of Elizabeth South and Edinburgh, it is 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Adelaide station.

RAAF Base Edinburgh is a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) military airbase located in Edinburgh approximately 28 km (17 mi) north of Adelaide, South Australia, Australia and forms part of the Edinburgh Defence Precinct.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salisbury railway station, Adelaide</span> Railway station in Adelaide, South Australia

Salisbury railway station is a railway station and bus interchange in the northern Adelaide suburb of Salisbury. It is on the Gawler line, 20.2 kilometres (12.6 mi) from Adelaide station. Adjoining it is a large park & ride carpark, making it one of the busiest stations on the Adelaide suburban rail system.

Penfield railway line is a defunct railway in northern Adelaide which was built mainly for industrial purposes during World War II. It started just north of Salisbury station on the Gawler line, running north-west, then north, through defence land in what is now Edinburgh. The line served four stations: Hilra, Penfield 1, Penfield 2, and Penfield 3. It was double track for the whole length, with a balloon loop at the end to allow trains to turn around.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penfield 3 railway station</span> Former railway station in South Australia, Australia

Penfield 3 railway station was located on the Penfield line 25.8 kilometres from Adelaide station in the northern Adelaide suburb which is now called Edinburgh. It was built to service the Salisbury Explosives Factory, built between November 1940 and November 1941.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burton, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Burton is a small residential suburb approximately 21 kilometres north of the CBD of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located five km north-west of Salisbury in the flat terrain of the Adelaide Plains. The suburb contains two wetland reserves, including Kaurna Park.

Hendon is a north-western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, 9.8 km from the Adelaide city centre. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.

Smithfield is a suburb in the northern outskirts of Adelaide, South Australia. It is in the City of Playford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">City of Elizabeth</span> Local government area in South Australia

The City of Elizabeth was a local government area located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide and seated at Elizabeth from 1964 to 1997.

Elizabeth South is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Playford.

Elizabeth West was a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia located within the City of Playford. It was established in 1955 as a satellite suburb to the Elizabeth town centre. In 1993, the northern part of Elizabeth West was merged with Elizabeth Field to form the new suburb of Davoren Park. On October 27, 2011, the remaining portion of Elizabeth West, along with some land from Penfield to its west, was combined to create the new suburb of Edinburgh North.

In the Hundred of Munno Para the suburb of MacDonald Park was established by MacDonald Reid Pty Ltd in 1964.

Penfield is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia, in the City of Playford.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Small Arms Ammunition Factory</span>

The Small Arms Ammunition Factories (SAAF) were ammunition manufacturing plants run by the Australian government. Nearly all of their production was for domestic use by their military, the police forces, and government-appointed agents.

The Department of Munitions was an Australian government department that existed between 11 June 1940 and April 1948. Reporting to it was the Factory Board, which was in charge of the six Small Arms Ammunition Factories, along with a number of ammunition and explosives factories across Australia. The Minister for Munitions was responsible for the Department.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hundred of Munno Para</span> Cadastral in South Australia

The Hundred of Munno Para is a cadastral unit of hundred covering the outer northern suburbs of Adelaide north of the Little Para River and the flanking semi-rural areas in South Australia. It is one of the eleven hundreds of the County of Adelaide. It was named in 1846 by Governor Frederick Robe, Munno Para being a term from a local Kaurna Aboriginal people meaning golden wattle creek. This name refers to either the Gawler River or the Little Para River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Defence Explosive Factory Maribyrnong</span> Historic site in Victoria, Australia

Defence Explosive Factory Maribyrnong is a heritage-listed military installation and former munitions factory at Cordite Avenue, Maribyrnong, Victoria, Australia. It was added to the Australian Commonwealth Heritage List on 22 June 2004.

References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Edinburgh (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. O'Brien, Lewis Yerloburka; Paul, Mandy (8 December 2013). "Kaurna People". Adelaidia. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  3. Daina Pocius (28 January 2016). "Penfield township". Playford's Past History Blog. City of Playford. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2016.
  4. Bell, Peter (25 June 2014). "Defence Science and Industry". SA History Hub. History Trust of South Australia . Retrieved 19 January 2021. This entry was first published in The Wakefield Companion to South Australian History, edited by Wilfrid Prest, Kerrie Round and Carol Fort (Adelaide: Wakefield Press, 2001). Edited lightly and references updated. Uploaded 25 June 2014
  5. 1 2 "Explosives and filling factory No.2, Penfield; [or] Munitions Supply laboratories Penfield SA. 1941-1946" (Photo and text). State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  6. 1 2 "Architect Details: Jory, Harrold Herbert (Herbert)". Architects of South Australia. Retrieved 18 January 2021.
  7. Walsh, Dave (6 August 2017). "Forgotten World War 2 Relics in South Australia". WeekendNotes. Retrieved 19 January 2021.
  8. "Stop Press! Name Change" (Press release). 31 July 2015. Archived from the original on 19 September 2015. Retrieved 9 December 2015. As part of the First Principles Review implementation, from 1 July 2015 the Defence Science and Technology Organisation (DSTO) has been renamed as the Defence Science and Technology Group.
  9. 1 2 Commercial & industrial land availability Archived 2 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine , City of Salisbury
  10. Invest Northern Adelaide, Northern Connections