Bowden, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Bowden Adelaide, South Australia
A large mural on a converted warehouse in Bowden
Established	1839
Postcode(s)	5007
Location	2 km (1 mi) NW of Adelaide city centre
LGA(s)	City of Charles Sturt
State electorate(s)	Croydon (2011)
Federal Division(s)	Adelaide (2011)
Suburbs around Bowden: Brompton Renown Park Renown Park Brompton Bowden Ovingham Hindmarsh Hindmarsh, North Adelaide North Adelaide

Aerial view of the Clipsal site development in Bowden.

Bowden is a cool suburb located just north of Adelaide city in South Australia. It's part of the City of Charles Sturt area. It's known for being a modern and green place to live.

History of Bowden

How Bowden Started

Bowden began as the 'Village of Bowden' way back in 1839. It was founded by James Hurtle Fisher. He named it after his home village in England.

For many years, Bowden had its own post office. It was open from 1970 to 1991. Before that, the local post office was called Ovingham. After 1991, the Brompton post office took over.

Building a Green Village

In 2008, important leaders like Premier Mike Rann made a big announcement. They bought a huge 10-hectare factory site in Bowden. This site used to belong to a company called Clipsal.

The plan was to turn this old factory area into a brand new "green village." This meant building up to 1,500 modern homes. These homes would be designed to be good for the environment. The area would also have shops and offices. Everything would be built around a central town square.

This huge project, costing about $1 billion, was called the Bowden development. It was designed to be a "transport-oriented development." This means it's easy for people to get around using public transport. The project was expected to take 12 to 15 years to finish.

In 2010, the government bought another nearby site. This was the old Brompton Gasworks. It helped make the new development even bigger.

The first parts of the project, including new parks, opened in 2013. Premier Jay Weatherill officially opened them. The first homes started being built that same year. The first residents moved into their new homes in 2014.

Where is Bowden?

Bowden is mainly surrounded by train lines. These include the Grange/Outer Harbor railway line and the Gawler railway line. Park Terrace also forms one of its borders.

Who Lives in Bowden?

In 2006, about 648 people lived in Bowden. By 2016, this number grew to 911 people. And by 2021, it had almost doubled to 1,808 people!

Most people living in Bowden (about 60.8%) were born in Australia. Other common birthplaces include England, China, Malaysia, India, and New Zealand. About 1.2% of the people in Bowden are from Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander backgrounds.

When it comes to beliefs, many residents (58.2%) say they don't follow a specific religion. Others identify as Catholic (11.4%), Anglican (3.7%), or Muslim (2.9%).

Community Life in Bowden

The local newspaper for Bowden is the Weekly Times Messenger.

Community Groups and Help

• Adelaide Bike Kitchen is a group on Gibson Street. They teach people how to fix or build their own bicycles. It's a great place to learn bike skills!
• Uniting Care Wesley Bowden is a charity. It helps people and families in need. You can find them on Gibson Street.
• Activate is a local church. It's located at the corner of Drayton Street and Hawker Street. The Welcome Centre is also at this same spot.
• The Bowden Brompton Community Centre is at 19 Green Street, Brompton. It's a place for community activities.

Fun Places and Parks

Plant 4 Bowden community and shopping centre

Parks to Explore

• Bowden Park is in the Town Square on Gibson Street. It opened in October 2016.
• Kevin Taylor Park is between Fifth Street and Sixth Street. It's special because it was built using recycled materials. It has a steel shelter, barbeque areas, a table tennis table, and even a giant chess set! This park is named after Kevin Taylor. He was a respected person who designed landscapes and city areas in Adelaide.
• Gibson Street Reserve, also known as Emu Park, was updated and reopened in April 2014.
• Parfit Square is the biggest park in Bowden.

Plant 4 Bowden

Plant 4 Bowden is a popular spot. It's a community and shopping centre. You can find food, markets, and events there.

Getting Around Bowden

Bowden railway station

Roads in Bowden

Main roads in Bowden include Torrens Road, Park Terrace, and Hawker Street. Many of the smaller streets were built a long time ago. This means they are often narrow and quiet.

The newer streets in Bowden are designed to be "walkable." This means they are safe and easy for people to walk, bike, and drive on. These streets often have cool street art, trees, and places to sit.

Public Transport Options

Bowden has good public transport. It's all run by Adelaide Metro.

Tram Services

You can catch the tram from the Adelaide Entertainment Centre all the way to Glenelg. There's a "Park n Ride" at the Entertainment Centre tram stop. This means you can park your car and then take the tram.

A cool thing about the tram is that it's free! You can ride for free between the Entertainment Centre stop and the South Terrace stop in Adelaide's city centre.

Train Services

Train lines run along the edges of Bowden.

• The Grange and Outer Harbour railway lines pass by. The closest station for these is Bowden.
• The Gawler line also runs nearby. The closest station for this line is Ovingham.

Bus Services

Many bus routes serve the suburb. These include:

• Routes 250, 251, 252
• Routes 253, 254, and N254