Alford, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids AlfordSouth Australia |
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 Alford
Location in South Australia
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| Established | 1882 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5555 | ||||||||||||||
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| LGA(s) | District Council of Barunga West | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Narungga | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Grey | ||||||||||||||
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| Footnotes | Location Adjoining localities |
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Alford is a small settlement located in South Australia. It's found in the northern part of the Yorke Peninsula, right between the towns of Kadina and Port Broughton. The area around Alford has flat, fertile land, often with limestone and sand dunes. It's mostly known for its farming, especially growing wheat and barley, and also for raising animals. Most of the natural bushland, called mallee scrub, has been cleared to make way for these farms.
A Look Back in Time
The local Aboriginal people, the Narungga, called this area Bilila Wiila.
The government of South Australia first planned the town of Alford in 1882. They named it after Henry Alford, who was an early settler and one of the first police officers in South Australia. The very first land blocks were sold in September 1882.
Within a few years, Alford had grown into a small town. It had a hotel (the Alford Hotel), a general store, churches, a school, and a blacksmith. These businesses helped the local farming community. Alford was also the first place in South Australia to try out an automatic telephone exchange.
Over time, as roads got better, bigger nearby towns like Kadina, Bute, and Port Broughton became more important. This meant Alford didn't grow much beyond its original size.
In 2004, the primary school in Alford closed down. Most of the students then went to school in Kadina. Today, the town still has a hotel, a bowls club, and a golf course. After the general store closed, the "post office" moved into the pub. Alford remains an important place for social and sports activities in the area.
Getting Around Alford
Alford is located on the Spencer Highway (South Australia route B89). This highway is a main road that connects Alford to other towns. Just north of Alford, the highway splits. One part goes towards the coast at Wallaroo, while the numbered route continues through Kadina. The highway then goes north through Port Broughton all the way to Port Pirie.
