Torrensville, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Torrensville Adelaide, South Australia
Torrensville is one of the three nearby suburbs in West Torrens with many Greek-Australians.
Postcode(s)	5031
Location	2 km (1 mi) from Adelaide
LGA(s)	City of West Torrens
State electorate(s)	West Torrens
Federal Division(s)	Adelaide
Suburbs around Torrensville: Flinders Park Allenby Gardens, Welland, West Hindmarsh Hindmarsh Underdale, Brooklyn Park Torrensville Thebarton, Mile End Brooklyn Park Cowandilla Mile End, Hilton

Torrensville is a suburb located about 3 kilometres west of the centre of Adelaide in South Australia. It was named after Robert Torrens, an economist from Ireland. He was also the chairman of the group that helped set up the South Australian colony.

Torrensville is part of the City of West Torrens local council area. It is also in the electoral district of West Torrens for the state government and the Division of Hindmarsh for the federal government. Many people of Greek background live in this area.

In the 2000s, areas around Adelaide became more lively. This made Henley Beach Road in Torrensville a popular place for shopping, with many cafes and restaurants.

History of Torrensville

Like many suburbs on the Adelaide Plains, Torrensville is on land that belongs to the Kaurna people.

The suburb was named after Robert Torrens senior. He was in charge of the South Australian Colonisation Commission. This group was important for starting and running the colony in its early days.

A Post Office called New Thebarton opened in 1879. It was later renamed Torrensville in 1909. Torrensville used to be part of a larger, mostly rural area called the District of West Torrens. But in 1883, the people of Torrensville, Thebarton, and Mile End decided to form their own town council, called the Corporation of the Town of Thebarton. Later, in 1997, the Town of Thebarton joined back with the City of West Torrens.

The Star Theatre, located on Henley Beach Road, was one of the first movie theatres owned by Dan Clifford. It opened in March 1916. In 1937, it was renamed the Plaza Theatre. It continued to show movies until at least 1957. Today, this building is a furniture store.

People of Torrensville

The 2016 Australian census showed that many Torrensville residents have English, Australian, Greek, or Italian backgrounds. Most people (62.4%) were born in Australia. The large number of Greek and Italian Australians is because many people moved here in the middle of the 1900s. The 2021 Australian census found that 14.8% of people in Torrensville have Greek family roots. This is much higher than the average for South Australia (2.7%) and Australia (1.7%).

Data from May 2021 showed that Adelaide's western suburbs, including Torrensville, had the lowest unemployment rate in South Australia.

The politicians who represent Torrensville in both the state and federal governments are Tom Koutsantonis and Steve Georganas. They are both Greek-Australians and belong to the Australian Labor Party. Their success might be linked to the large Greek-Australian population in their areas, including Torrensville and nearby suburbs like Thebarton and Mile End.

Cool Places to See

The Brickworks Marketplace

The Brickworks Marketplace is a shopping centre. It is built on the site of an old brickworks factory. This large area is at the corner of South Road and Ashwin Parade. The Torrens River (Karrawirri Parri) runs along its northern side.

The Hoffman Brick Kiln, Hallett Brickworks was built in 1912 or 1913. It is the last kiln of its kind left in Adelaide and was listed as a heritage site in 1983. The West Torrens Council spent $1.5 million to fix up the kiln between 2016 and 2017. Its chimney is 42 metres tall.

The kiln chimney with the Woodville West Torrens Eagles colours. They were the 2021 SANFL champions.

The old brickworks site used to be a busy market with rides and many stalls. This market was taken down to build the current shopping centre. The Brickworks Marketplace opened in 2015. Its biggest store is Woolworths (Australia).

Since 2021, a special South Australian tradition happens at the Brickworks kiln chimney. Each year, the colours of the winning SANFL football team are placed on top of the chimney. This tradition started in 1954 at the West End Brewery. The Woodville West Torrens Eagles were the champions in 2021. In 2023, the Glenelg Football Club colours were put on top after they won the 2023 SANFL Grand Final.

Other Fun Spots

• Thebarton Oval: This oval was once used for Australian Rules Football games by the West Torrens Football Club.
  • The Gate and Ticket Office at Thebarton Oval on Ashley Street was listed as a heritage site in 1993.
• The Hotel Royal in Torrensville was built in 1879 and is also a heritage-listed building.

The gate and ticket office at Thebarton Oval in Torrensville.

• Thebarton Theatre: This is a famous and old entertainment place at 112 Henley Beach Road. It was listed as a heritage site in 1982.

The outside of Thebarton Theatre.

• There is a monument to World Series Cricket star David Hookes on the corner of South Road and Ashwin Parade. David Hookes grew up on Clifford Street in Torrensville and played cricket here.

The monument for David Hookes in Torrensville.

• 4-8 Hayward Avenue: This is the Torrensville Uniting Church.
• 92 South Road: This building was a Civil Defence Sub-Control Station during World War Two.

Torrensville is also home to famous restaurants. Parwana Afghan Kitchen has attracted celebrities like Nigella Lawson. The British Raj Restaurant is a favourite for the visiting Indian Cricket team. In November 2022, many fans gathered outside the British Raj to see the Indian cricketers, especially superstar Virat Kohli. Virat Kohli has scored more runs at Adelaide Oval than any other visiting cricketer.

The New Indian Express newspaper has even said that the British Raj in Torrensville is famous for its Indian food.

Education

• Thebarton Senior College
• Torrensville Primary School