Crafers, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Crafers South Australia
Crafers main street
Crafers Location in Greater Adelaide
Postcode(s)	5152
LGA(s)	Adelaide Hills Council
Region	Adelaide Hills
State electorate(s)	Heysen
Federal Division(s)	Mayo
Suburbs around Crafers: Cleland Cleland Summertown Crafers West Crafers Piccadilly Stirling Crafers West Stirling Stirling
Footnotes	Adjoining suburbs

Crafers is a lovely town located in the Adelaide Hills in South Australia. It's just southeast of Adelaide and is seen as one of its outer suburbs. This area is known for its beautiful scenery and cool climate, making it a popular spot for both living and visiting.

Discovering Crafers' Past

How Crafers Got Its Name

Crafers is named after David Crafer. He arrived in Adelaide in 1838. Soon after, he moved to this area. In 1839, he and his wife opened an inn called the Sawyers Arms. This was only three years after the colony of South Australia began.

David Crafer then built a bigger hotel in 1840. It was called the Norfolk Arms. This new hotel could seat 150 people for banquets. He later sold it in 1842. At that time, it became known as The Crafers Inn. A new hotel was built on the same spot in 1880. It is still called The Crafers Inn today. Sadly, the original building burned down in 1926.

Early Days in the Tiers

The area near Mount Lofty was once known as the Tiers. It was a wild place back then. Many woodcutters and people trying to avoid authorities lived there.

Important Community Buildings

The historic Crafers Primary School opened in 1865. Mr. Edward Smith started the school. It was first in a small building on Atkinson Road. In 1928, it moved to its current spot on Piccadilly Road. The stone and brick building opened on August 31, 1928.

In the late 1970s, the school got many upgrades. This included building the Ruth Beare Hall in 1976. It was named after Ruth Beare, a teacher who worked at the school for many years.

The Church of the Epiphany is another important building. It was built in 1878. The land for the church was given by Henry Scott. The church has been a key part of the community ever since.

Connecting Crafers to the World

View of the Crafers Interchange

For many years, Crafers was famous for being the start of the South Eastern Freeway. This road connects Adelaide to Murray Bridge. It also leads to the Princes Highway towards Melbourne.

In 2000, the Heysen Tunnels project was finished. This extended the freeway all the way to Glen Osmond. Before the tunnels, the road from Adelaide was very winding. It was often difficult to drive, especially for large trucks.

Nature and Challenges

The beautiful Mount Lofty Botanic Garden is located in the hills behind Crafers. These gardens opened in 1977. They have many European and Australian native plants. The gardens look their best in spring.

Crafers faced a big challenge on February 16, 1983. This was during the Ash Wednesday bushfires. Many homes near the bushland were destroyed. The fire came from the nearby Cleland National Park. The town itself was in danger. Luckily, the weather changed, which helped save Crafers. A memorial on Mount Lofty Summit remembers those who lost their lives in the Adelaide Hills that day.

Local Government and Representation

Crafers is managed by the Adelaide Hills Council. It is part of the state electoral district of Bragg. For federal elections, it is in the Mayo electorate. Crafers West is in the state electoral district of Heysen.

Getting Around Crafers

Crafers has good public transport. Adelaide Metro bus services run through the town every day.

Many bus routes connect Crafers to the City. These include:

• 830F
• T840
• 841F
• T842
• 860F
• 863
• 863F
• T863
• 864
• 864F
• 865

Some of these routes continue to other towns:

• Route 830F goes to Lobethal.
• Routes T840, T842, 860F, 864 & 864F go to Mount Barker.
• Routes 841F & T842 continue to Nairne.
• Routes 863, 863F, T863 & 865 go to Stirling and Aldgate.

Other bus routes start and end in Crafers:

• 823
• 865S
• 866
• 893
• 894

These routes also connect to other places:

• Route 823 goes to Mount Lofty and Cleland Wildlife Park.
• Routes 865S & 866 operate to Stirling.
• Routes 893 & 894 go to Blackwood interchange via Upper Sturt.