Alberton, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Alberton Adelaide, South Australia
Torrens Road, Alberton
Alberton Location in South Australia
Established	1839
Postcode(s)	5014
Area	0.9 km2 (0.3 sq mi)
Time zone	ACST (UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACST (UTC+10:30)
Location	12 km (7 mi) from Adelaide city centre 2 km (1 mi) from Port Adelaide
LGA(s)	City of Port Adelaide Enfield
County	Adelaide
State electorate(s)	Cheltenham
Federal Division(s)	Hindmarsh
Suburbs around Alberton: Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Port Adelaide Queenstown Alberton Rosewater Queenstown Cheltenham Rosewater
Footnotes	Adjoining suburbs

Alberton is a suburb located in the western part of Adelaide, South Australia. It's about a 20-minute drive from the city centre. This area is part of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It shares borders with other suburbs like Rosewater, Queenstown, Cheltenham, and Port Adelaide.

History of Alberton

Alberton has a very interesting history, just like nearby Port Adelaide. On March 7, 1839, a company called the South Australian Company divided a large piece of land. This land was sold as 'The Town of Albert'. It was named after Prince Albert, who was married to Queen Victoria. Over time, people started calling it 'Albert Town', and then 'Alberton'. This name became official around the year 1900.

Early Settlement

By late 1840, many workers were needed at the Port. Homes were also needed for these workers. Because of this, Alberton quickly grew to have 61 houses and 235 residents. The original plan for 'Albert Town' included four public squares. Two of these squares are still used today. St George's Square became the location for an Anglican Church. St Andrew's Square was later divided and became the site of the Trinity Uniting Church. St Patrick's Square and Company Square are still public parks today.

Many streets in Alberton were named after the first people who bought land there. Other streets, like 'Prince', 'Queen', and 'King' Streets, show the area's connection to its English past. The Alberton Post Office first opened its doors on January 1, 1855.

Local Government Beginnings

In 1864, the District Council of Queenstown and Alberton was formed. This council helped manage local services for residents in Alberton and Queenstown. Later, in 1898, this council joined with the Corporate Town of Port Adelaide.

Sport in Alberton

Alberton is a well-known place for sports. It is home to the Australian rules football club Port Adelaide. This team plays in the national Australian Football League (AFL). They also play in the local South Australian National Football League (SANFL).

The Alberton Lawn Bowls Club started in 1903. It is the second oldest lawn bowls club in Adelaide. It used to rent part of the Alberton Oval. In 1997, it began renting from the Port Adelaide Football Club instead.

Famous Landmarks

Alberton Oval

Alberton Oval is a major sports ground located on Queen Street. It is used for Australian rules football and cricket games. The oval can hold up to 15,000 people. Its seated grandstands can hold 2,000 spectators.

Alberton Oval is also where the Port Adelaide Football Club trains. It is also where their main offices are located.

Alberton Hotel

The Alberton Hotel first received its license in 1848. This makes it one of the oldest hotels in South Australia. For the past 60 years, the Brien family has owned and run the hotel. The old building, made of bluestone, still stands in the same spot. You can find it at the corner of Port Road and Sussex Street.

Pioneer Park (Former Cemetery)

Pioneer Park is located on Parker Street. This area was once the Alberton Cemetery. It opened in 1847 and was officially closed in 1874. The very last burial happened in 1922. Parker Street is a short street that runs off Port Road. It is between the old Alberton Baptist and Alberton Uniting Churches. These buildings are no longer used as churches.

In 1847, land was given for burials by the governor of South Australia. Even before that, the land was used for this purpose. In 1938, the land was given to the City of Port Adelaide. It was then turned into a public park in 1994, which is now called Pioneer Park.

Even though it's a park now, you can still see some old gravestones. Records of the approximately 3,000 people buried there are kept by the Anglican Church in Adelaide.

Getting Around Alberton

The historic Alberton railway station building from 1856.

Alberton railway station was one of the first train stations to open in South Australia. The railway line from Adelaide to Port Adelaide was built in 1856. This was the very first railway line in South Australia. Alberton was one of the original stops. Other early stops included Woodville and Bowden.

The station building on the platform heading towards Port Adelaide is the original one from 1856. This stone and brick building is very old. This building, along with the western platform and the footbridge, are protected as heritage sites.

Today, there are still regular train services from Alberton station. You can travel to Adelaide and Outer Harbor. The ticket office at the station has been closed for many years.

How Alberton is Governed

The District Council of Queenstown and Alberton was the first local government in Alberton. It was set up in 1864. In 1898, this council became part of the Town of Port Adelaide. Alberton was an important part of this town, which became a city in 1901.

In 1996, the City of Port Adelaide joined with the City of Enfield. They formed the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. This new council now manages local services for Alberton. Alberton is part of its Port Adelaide Ward.

Alberton is in the state's electoral district of Cheltenham. This is the area that elects a representative to the state government. It is also in the federal seat of Hindmarsh. This is the area that elects a representative to the national government. Alberton, like much of the Port Adelaide area, has traditionally supported the Labor Party. This means that people in Alberton often vote for Labor Party members.