Mawson Lakes, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mawson LakesAdelaide, South Australia |
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Entrance to The Cascades residential village from Salisbury Highway, Mawson Lakes
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| Established | 1998 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5095 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 6.37 km2 (2.5 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 12 km (7 mi) from Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Salisbury | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Playford | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Makin | ||||||||||||||
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Mawson Lakes is a modern suburb in Adelaide, Australia. It's a great place to live, located about 12 kilometers north of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is named after Sir Douglas Mawson, a famous explorer.
Before it became the Mawson Lakes we know today, much of this area was called The Levels. It wasn't a place where many people lived. Instead, it was home to a campus of the University of South Australia.
In 1998, a company called Delfin (now part of Lendlease) teamed up with the Government of South Australia and the City of Salisbury. Their goal was to transform the area into a lively suburb. They planned to build homes, shops, offices, and schools.
Mawson Lakes has a beautiful feature: the Sir Douglas Mawson Lake. This lake is about 7 hectares in size and is a central part of the suburb. It's a fun place for recreation and is even part of the suburb's name!
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History of Mawson Lakes
Technology Park Adelaide
Did you know that Mawson Lakes is home to Australia's very first science park? It's called Technology Park Adelaide. The Government of South Australia started it way back in 1982. Today, Renewal SA manages it.
This park is a huge area, about 65 hectares in size. It was here long before the homes and shops of Mawson Lakes were built. Over 100 different companies are located at Technology Park Adelaide. They focus on cool things like defense, aerospace, advanced electronics, and communication technology. You'll find big companies here, like Lockheed Martin and Saab AB.
Different Neighborhoods and Homes
Mawson Lakes is designed with several unique "villages" or neighborhoods. Each village has its own special feel and location within the suburb. You can often spot these villages by decorative signs at their entrances.
Here are some of the villages you'll find:
- Mawson Central
- The Peninsula
- The Bridges
- The Cascades
- The Sanctuary
- Shoalhaven
The homes in Mawson Lakes are mostly modern in style. You'll see detached houses, semi-detached homes, and terraced houses. Some villages have special types of homes. For example, homes along the lake in "The Peninsula" village are often two stories tall. They have wider fronts to make the most of the lake views. In Mawson Central, you'll mostly find apartments. This fits the busy, mid-rise feel of the business area.
When Mawson Lakes was first built, there were special rules about how houses should look. These rules helped make sure all the homes fit the suburb's overall design. They even covered things like where to put clotheslines! These rules ended in 2015.
Lendlease finished developing Mawson Lakes in 2011. After 13 years of building, the City of Salisbury took over managing the suburb.
People of Mawson Lakes
According to the 2021 Census, many people live in Mawson Lakes. About half of the population are male and half are female. More than half of the people living here were born in Australia. Most residents are Australian citizens.
Mawson Lakes has a well-educated population. Many people have a diploma or have completed Year 12. When it comes to religion, many people don't identify with any particular one.
Getting Around Mawson Lakes
Mawson Lakes is well-connected to major roads in Adelaide. You can easily reach the Adelaide CBD by car in about 30 minutes.
If you prefer public transport, Adelaide Metro buses connect Mawson Lakes to the city and other suburbs. There's also Mawson Interchange, a train station on the Gawler railway line. Trains run often, every 15 minutes, to the Adelaide CBD and further north to Gawler.
Just north of Mawson Lakes is Parafield Airport. This airport is now used for smaller planes, pilot training, and recreational flying. It used to be Adelaide's main airport many years ago!
Water for Mawson Lakes
Mawson Lakes has a special water system. It has two separate water supplies: one for drinking water and another for recycled water. This was one of the biggest water recycling projects in Australia when it was first built!
You can tell the recycled water pipes apart because they are lilac in color. Because of this recycling system, Mawson Lakes uses 50% less drinking water than other suburbs. This also means residents using recycled water don't have to follow state water restrictions.
The recycled water comes from the Bolivar Wastewater Treatment Plant, about 8 kilometers away. Stormwater from the Salisbury wetlands is added to it. Then, it's treated to a very high standard. This "Class A" recycled water is used for public parks, irrigation, and even for toilets in homes. The City of Salisbury checks homes every five years to make sure the systems are working correctly.
Mawson Central
Mawson Central is the main shopping and business area of Mawson Lakes. It's located between Main Street and Garden Terrace. Here, you'll find a pub, big supermarkets like Woolworths and Aldi, and many smaller shops and restaurants. Main Street also has banks, offices, and other professional services. Recently, some offices have been turned into apartments. This is because many people want to live close to the university and have easy transport to the city.
Sports and Fun
Mawson Lakes is a great place for sports and recreation! Here are some of the clubs you can join:
- Mawson Lakes Football Club
- Mawson Lakes Cricket Club (which started in 1952!)
- Mawson Lakes Golf Club
- Mawson Lakes Model Yacht Club
- Mawson Boat Club, a rowing club that uses the 450-meter rowing course on Sir Douglas Mawson Lake.
