Woodside, South Australia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Woodside South Australia
Woodside main street
Woodside Location in South Australia
Established	1850s
Postcode(s)	5244
Location	37 km (23 mi) from Adelaide
LGA(s)	Adelaide Hills Council
Localities around Woodside: Lenswood Lobethal Charleston Mount Torrens Lenswood Oakbank Woodside Harrogate Oakbank Hay Valley Nairne Brukunga

Woodside is a small town in the beautiful Adelaide Hills of South Australia. It's located between Balhannah and Lobethal. Woodside is about 37 kilometers (23 miles) from Adelaide, the state capital. The town of Mount Barker is also close by.

About Woodside

Woodside is an important spot for travel. It connects towns like Oakbank, Lobethal, and Charleston. The town sits on the Onkaparinga Valley Road, which is also known as South Australian route B34. It is about 25 kilometers (15 miles) east of Adelaide's city center.

What Can You Find in Woodside?

Woodside has many useful places for its residents and visitors. You can find a swimming pool, a library, and a grocery store. There's also a second-hand shop.

For sports, Woodside has a Cricket Club, a tennis club, a netball club, and a bowls club. There are also playing fields for different games. The town has two pubs.

Some local businesses are quite famous. These include Woodside Cheese Wrights, which makes delicious cheese. There's also Melbas Chocolate Factory, where you can find tasty treats. You can also visit a Lobethal Bakery and the Bird in Hand winery.

Woodside Barracks

Woodside is home to the Woodside Barracks. This is an army base where the 16th Regiment, Royal Australian Artillery is located. This unit helps protect the air.

History of Woodside

The first European explorers to visit the Woodside area were Dr. George Imlay and John Hill. They explored the region in January 1838.

In 1839, the South Australian Company bought large areas of land here. This included much of the central Mount Lofty Ranges. They also bought the areas where the Onkaparinga River starts.

The Johnston family from Oakbank helped start the town of Woodside in the 1850s. They mainly did this to help their brewery business grow.

Gold Mining in Woodside

Gold was found in the Woodside area. The biggest gold mine was the Bird-in-Hand mine. It was open from 1881 to 1889.

Motor Races

From 1947 to 1951, Woodside hosted annual motor races. Both bikes and cars raced on a street circuit in the town every October. However, the State Government later stopped these races. They banned closing public roads for racing.

The Railway Line

A railway line served Woodside from 1918 until 1963. This was the Mount Pleasant railway line.