Eagle On The Hill, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Eagle On The HillSouth Australia |
|||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Eagle On The Hill is directly above the tunnel entrance, with the old road winding round from Devils Elbow
|
|||||||||||||||
 Eagle On The Hill
Location in South Australia
|
|||||||||||||||
| Established | 1850 | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | Adelaide Hills Council | ||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||
Eagle On The Hill is a special area in South Australia. It's part of the suburb called Crafers West. This spot is high up on the western side of the Adelaide Hills. From here, you can look down over the big city of Adelaide.
This area used to be very busy. It was located on Mount Barker Road, which was the main road connecting Adelaide to the South Eastern Freeway. But in 2000, new tunnels called the Heysen Tunnels were built. These tunnels went right under Eagle On The Hill.
After the tunnels opened, the old road became much quieter. Many businesses like the restaurant, hotel, and service stations closed down. Now, Eagle On The Hill is a peaceful place. It's also a popular spot for downhill speedboarders. They ride down the road very fast, sometimes reaching speeds of 65 kilometres per hour!
The Story of the Eagle Hotel
The famous Eagle on the Hill Hotel was built a long time ago in 1850. A man named George Stevenson built it first as a place to eat. Then, in 1853, William Anderson opened it as a hotel. He called it the Anderson Hotel.
Later, in 1854, Abraham Fordham took over. He changed the name to the "Eagle Inn". In 1856, he changed it again to "Eagle on the Hill". The Fordham family was connected to the hotel for many years.
The hotel faced tough times twice because of big bushfires. In 1899, a fire destroyed most of the old hotel. Only two rooms were left standing. Then, on Ash Wednesday in 1983, another huge fire completely destroyed the hotel.
But the hotel was rebuilt and became very successful again. However, when the new freeway and the Heysen Tunnels were built, cars no longer passed by the hotel. This meant fewer customers, and eventually, the hotel had to close. Today, the building is a private home.
