Willunga, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids WillungaAdelaide, South Australia |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Willunga
Location in South Australia
|
|||||||||||||||
| Population | 2,308 (2016 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1840 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5172 | ||||||||||||||
| Time zone | ACST (UTC+9:30) | ||||||||||||||
| • Summer (DST) | ACST (UTC+10:30) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 47 km (29 mi) from Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Onkaparinga | ||||||||||||||
| Region | Southern Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| County | Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Mawson | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Mayo | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
| Footnotes | Adjoining suburbs | ||||||||||||||
Willunga is a town located to the south of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Onkaparinga local government area, 47 km from the Adelaide city centre. This town has been considered a suburb of the Adelaide metropolitan area, and it is located within the famous McLaren Vale wine growing region. In the 2016 census, Willunga recorded a population of 2,308.
Willunga is connected to the town of McLaren Vale by a cycle path running along a former railway line, and is only a short distance from the beaches of Aldinga Bay. Willunga is home to many festivals, including the start and finish of the fourth leg of the Tour Down Under, the Fleurieu Folk Festival, Almond Blossom Festival, and Willunga Christmas Tree Festival.
Contents
History
Willunga Post Office opened on 14 July 1839. The name Willunga derives from an aboriginal word 'willangga' meaning,'the locality of green trees'.
Tourism
Willunga has an eighteen-hole golf course with a restaurant open to the public. On the same property is the Willunga Bowling Club and the Waverley Homestead, home of a community arts organisation called STARS.
Most of Willunga's large events are held on the Willunga-owned Recreation Park (Willunga's halls and meeting rooms, oval and grounds), located near the town square. The Willunga National Trust, opens its old courthouse and slate museums on weekends and Tuesdays. Its grounds accommodate various events including weddings.
Willunga hosts a leg of the Tour Down Under cycle race (including King of the Mountain) every summer. Other attractions are the Willunga Farmers' Market (which won Best Farmers' Market in Australia 2008) held every Saturday morning; the Willunga Quarry Market, Willunga Artisans' Market and CWA Teas, Cake & Crafts all held second Saturday of each month; and the Willunga Lions Auction usually held the last Saturday of each month except December.
The Adelaide Hills Tarmac Rally is held annually near Willunga.
Walking and cycling trails
The Coast to Vines rail trail finishes at Willunga.
National Broadband Network deployment
Willunga was chosen as one of the first five release areas for the National Broadband Network. The town was chosen to demonstrate archetypal FTTH deployment in a regional area with dispersed housing, providing a live test for similar deployments across the future NBN. The construction phase occurred in early 2011 and the first customer service went live on 27 June 2011.
- Willunga Now and Then Local community history wiki. Accessed 28 December 2014.
Sports
Willunga has many sporting teams, including a football team (the Demons); a football team for students; a netball club, a basketball club, tennis club and a cricket club. Also, the township has a soccer club, in the NDJSA league.
Education
Willunga has three schools serving the town and local area: Willunga Waldorf Steiner School (K-12), Willunga Primary School and kindergarten, and Willunga High School, which opened on its present site in 1960.
Notable people
Notable people who are from or who have lived in Willunga include:
- Fanny Elizabeth de Mole, author and illustrator of Wild flowers of South Australia (1861), the first book on wildflowers in that state
