Dorset Vale, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Dorset Vale Adelaide, South Australia
Dorset Vale Location in South Australia
Established	1850
Postcode(s)	5157
LGA(s)	Adelaide Hills Council City of Onkaparinga District Council of Mount Barker
Region	Adelaide Hills Southern Adelaide
County	Adelaide
Localities around Dorset Vale: Cherry Gardens Scott Creek Bradbury Clarendon Dorset Vale Jupiter Creek Kangarilla Meadows

Dorset Vale is a quiet, countryside area located near Adelaide, in South Australia. It's a place where three different local government areas meet. These are the Adelaide Hills, Mount Barker, and Onkaparinga council areas. The area is also right next to the Onkaparinga River.

The exact borders of Dorset Vale were officially set in April 1994. They were later made a bit larger in November 2003. This helped to define the area for a name that had been used for a long time.

What's in a Name?

Dorset Vale got its name from a post office that opened around 1850. The name "Dorset Vale" comes from England. However, people in the area used to call it "Scotts Bottom." This was because it was located downstream from a place called Scott Creek.

From Scotts Bottom to Dorset Vale

A school in the area, called Scotts Bottom School, first opened its doors in 1930. Just seven years later, in 1937, the school's name was changed to Dorset Vale. The school continued to teach local children for several years before it closed in 1944.

Nature and History

Dorset Vale is home to the Scott Creek Conservation Park. This park helps protect the natural environment and wildlife in the area. Before European settlers arrived in the late 1830s, the land was used by the Peramangk people. They are the traditional owners of this land.

Mining for Metals

In the 1800s, the Scott Creek area, including Dorset Vale, became a place for mining. People discovered valuable metals like copper and silver there. Copper was found in 1850, and silver was found soon after. Mining continued for many years. By 1887, miners had extracted about 10,000 ounces (which is about 310 kilograms) of silver. After that, the mining operations stopped.