Callington, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Callington South Australia
Single lane Callington Bridge over River Bremer
Callington Location in South Australia
Established	1847
Postcode(s)	5254
Elevation	101 m (331 ft)
Location	60 km (37 mi) east of Adelaide
LGA(s)	District Council of Mount Barker Rural City of Murray Bridge
Region	Adelaide Hills Murray and Mallee
County	Sturt
State electorate(s)	Kavel
Federal Division(s)	Mayo
Localities around Callington: Kanmantoo Rockleigh Monarto St Ives Callington Monarto South Red Creek Salem Hartley

Callington is a small town in South Australia. It sits on the eastern side of the Adelaide Hills. The town is located by the Bremer River. It is also close to the South Eastern Freeway. The Adelaide-Wolseley railway line runs nearby, but trains haven't stopped at Callington station for many years.

Callington is part of the electoral district of Kavel for state government. It is also in the federal division of Mayo. These are areas used to choose people to represent the town in government.

A Look Back: Callington's History

Callington was first mapped out in 1848. Around that time, a man named John Kiernan found copper in the rocks. The town was named after Callington in Cornwall, UK. That town was also famous for copper mining.

Early Mining Days

The Callington Inn, a local hotel, opened in 1851. Not much copper was mined at first. Many miners left to join the Victorian gold rush. Mining started again a few years later at the Bremer Mine. Miners dug deep until they hit the water table.

In 1857, a large steam engine was brought in. It could pump out 500,000 litres of water every day! An even bigger pump arrived in 1859. By 1860-61, about 150 workers were busy mining. They dug up 250 to 300 tons of ore each month. This ore was then melted down right there in Callington.

The End of Copper Mining

Even with some good years, the Bremer Mine eventually closed. This happened in 1870 because copper prices became very low.

Who Lives in Callington?

Callington Primary School main building

In 2006, Callington had 387 people living there. Almost half of them were between 25 and 54 years old. The average age was 34. Most of the people, nearly 90%, were born in Australia.

Fun and Games: Recreation

Callington is home to the Bremer Callington Cricket Club. This club plays in the Alexandra and Eastern Hills Cricket Association. The Bremer and Callington cricket clubs joined together in 1970.

The Bridgewater Callington Raiders play Australian rules football. They play their home games in both Bridgewater and Callington. They are part of the Hills Football League.

Learning in Callington: Education

Callington has a kindergarten for young children. It also has a primary school in the town. For high school, students usually travel to nearby towns. These towns include Mount Barker, Strathalbyn, or Murray Bridge.