Toorak Gardens, South Australia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Toorak GardensAdelaide, South Australia |
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Tree-lined street typical of the area.
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| Established | 1917 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5065 | ||||||||||||||
| Area | 1.11 km2 (0.4 sq mi) | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 2 km (1 mi) from Adelaide | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Burnside | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Bragg | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Sturt | ||||||||||||||
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Toorak Gardens is a green and quiet neighbourhood in Adelaide, South Australia. It's about 2 kilometres east of the city centre. This suburb is known for its beautiful tree-lined streets. You'll see many older homes here, like Tudor Revival and bungalow styles. These houses were mostly built in the 1920s and 1930s.
A small stream called First Creek flows through the north-east part of Toorak Gardens. The suburb is managed by the City of Burnside local council. It is bordered by several main roads: Kensington Road to the north, Portrush Road to the east, Greenhill Road to the south, and Prescott Terrace and Warwick Avenue to the west.
Toorak Gardens is also home to the Burnside Hospital. This is the only hospital in the entire City of Burnside area.
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History of Toorak Gardens
The name Toorak might come from Aboriginal words. Some ideas include Torrak, meaning 'tea-tree springs', or toora, meaning 'coot' or 'malleefowl'. Other similar words mean 'reedy swamp' or 'black crow'.
This area was once part of the larger Rose Park suburb. It was called "Toorak" between 1912 and 1917. After that, it became "Toorak Gardens." In the 1800s, the land was farmland owned by the Fergusson and Prescott families. It became popular for homes in the 1920s.
Early Development
The suburb of Toorak was first planned in 1912. It was built on land that used to be the eastern half of the Prescott Farm. Before homes were built, there were only a few buildings. These included the Prescott family's home and two very grand houses.
One grand house belonged to Julia Hallett on Portrush Road. Another was Attunga, owned by Benjamin Burford on Kensington Road. When the suburb was first named "Toorak," many people didn't like it. They thought it sounded too much like the rich Melbourne suburb of Toorak.
Strict rules were put in place for building houses. For example, only one house was allowed on each block of land. Each house had to cost at least £600. Homes had to be made of brick, stone, or concrete, with slate, iron, or tile roofs. Many homes used Marseilles tiles, which gave the area a nice look.
Newspapers in Adelaide paid close attention to the suburb's growth. They reported when trees were planted on Grant and Alexandra avenues in 1912. They also mentioned when flower strips were added in 1914. A park was created on Giles Street in 1916. The Toorak Bowling Club was also built around this time.
Monreith Farm and Fergusson Square
Section 274 of the land was bought by the Fergusson family from Scotland. They named their farm "Monreith" after a village in Scotland. The family developed the farm, but after Alexander Fergusson died in 1869, his wife Agnes took over. She sold parts of the farm in 1883 and the rest in 1917.
In 1917, Monreith was renamed Toorak Gardens. Developers started dividing the land into smaller blocks for houses. They had similar building rules as the original Toorak area. The Fergusson family home was taken down in 1923. The family then moved into different houses on Cudmore Avenue.
Miss Ivy Laver, a successful local businesswoman, helped create the main park in Toorak Gardens. It's called Fergusson Square, named after the Fergusson family. It's a reminder of the first people who settled in the area.
Attunga and Burnside Hospital
Benjamin Burford's Attunga property had the largest house in the suburb. After he passed away, an investor named Otto Georg Ludwig von Rieben bought it in 1905. He lived there for 37 years and took great care of the house and gardens.
In 1944, von Rieben offered Attunga to the Burnside Council for free. He wanted it to be used as a hospital, as long as the house and grounds were kept up. The Council had already thought about building a community hospital. They wanted it to be a memorial to honour those who died in the war.
In 1949, von Rieben's home was changed into a place for people to recover after being sick. It helped over 1,400 patients before closing in 1956. The new Burnside War Memorial Hospital opened nearby in October 1956. It started taking patients in November of that year.
Geography and Nature
Toorak Gardens covers an area of about 1.11 square kilometres. It is located on the Adelaide Plains, about 80 metres above sea level. The suburb is shaped like a rectangle and is fully developed with buildings.
The main open space is Fergusson Square. The Toorak Bowling Club also provides some open green areas.
Before Europeans arrived, this area had many trees. Blue Gum and River Gum trees grew near First and Second creeks. Other trees, like Grey Box woodlands, were known as the 'black forest'. Native Australian plants and animals lived here.
When people started to settle, much of the forest was cleared for farms. Farmers grew wheat and barley. First Creek provided plenty of water, helping crops grow well. By the late 1800s, most native plants were gone. When the land was sold and divided, people planted many beautiful gardens. The new residents put a lot of effort into making the suburb green and lush.
Places to Visit and Things to Do
Burnside Hospital is the only hospital in the Burnside area. It was once the grand mansion called Attunga. It became a hospital in 1949 and is a private hospital.
Even though Toorak Gardens is a small, mostly residential suburb, it has some interesting spots:
- Shopping: There's a small group of shops at the corner of Greenhill Road and Portrush Road. It's popular because it's close to Burnside Village, a larger shopping centre.
- Trak Cinema: This small cinema is well-known for showing arthouse movies. It also shows popular new releases.
- Grimaldi's Restaurant: This restaurant is in the same group of shops as the cinema. It's a favourite spot for both locals and visitors.
- Fergusson Square: This is the only park in the suburb. It was created by Ivy Laver after World War I. It's a nice place to relax.
- St Theodore's Anglican Church: This church is located on Prescott Terrace and Swaine Avenue. It used to be in what is now the Rose Park Primary School before moving to its current spot.
- Toorak Burnside Bowling Club Inc: This club has two bowling greens. It hosts up to four competitions each week.
How Toorak Gardens is Governed
Toorak Gardens is part of the state electoral district of Bragg. This area has been represented by Liberal MP Vickie Chapman since 2002. She is currently the South Australian Attorney-General.
For federal politics, the suburb is part of the division of Sturt. James Stevens has represented this area since 2019.
At a local level, Toorak Gardens is part of the City of Burnside. It falls within the Rose Park and Toorak Gardens ward.
People of Toorak Gardens
In 2001, the population of Toorak Gardens was 2,595 people. The number of people living here has stayed about the same. More than half (55%) of the people living here were female. Most residents (80.3%) were born in Australia, and over 92% were Australian citizens.
Images for kids
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Tree-lined street typical of the area.
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A Tudor Revival house in Toorak Gardens
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Fergusson Square, the only park in the suburb
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The Attunga property being inspected by the Burnside Council in 1944
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Burnside Hospital from Kensington Road
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St Theodore's Anglican Church
