The County of Gawler is a cadastral county north of Adelaide in South Australia, proclaimed in 1842 by Governor George Grey and named for former Governor George Gawler. It runs from the Gawler River in the south to the Wakefield River in the north.
Key Facts
| Label | Value |
|---|---|
| State | South Australia |
| Region | Adelaide Plains / Barossa fringe |
| Proclaimed | 1842 |
| Named after | Former Governor George Gawler |
| Area | 2,404 km² |
| Local government areas today | Adelaide Plains Council, Wakefield Regional Council, Light Regional Council |
Parishes in Gawler County
The county’s surveyed hundreds, listed alphabetically:
- Hundred of Alma
- Hundred of Balaklava
- Hundred of Dalkey
- Hundred of Dublin
- Hundred of Grace
- Hundred of Inkerman
- Hundred of Mudla Wirra
- Hundred of Port Gawler
Towns and Localities Today
The town of Gawler itself, on the North Para River, sits just outside the county’s southern edge, but the county takes in the farming towns of Balaklava, on the Wakefield River, and the port and market centre of Port Wakefield at the head of Gulf St Vincent. Mallala and Two Wells serve the county’s southern plains, in the Hundred of Grace and Mudla Wirra.
Geography
Gawler County is bounded by the Wakefield River in the north, Gulf St Vincent in the west, the approximate line of Horrocks Highway in the east, and the Gawler River in the south. It covers the Light River valley and the northern Adelaide Plains, flat cropping and grazing country between the gulf and the Barossa foothills. At 2,404 km², it is one of the smaller South Australian counties, reflecting how early and closely this part of the Adelaide Plains was settled.
History
Governor George Grey proclaimed the county in 1842, naming it for George Gawler, his predecessor as governor, whose own survey work had shaped the colony’s early land system. Its hundreds were among the first taken up for wheat farming north of Adelaide, and the Hundred of Grace today contains the Mallala Motor Sport Park. Port Wakefield, at the head of Gulf St Vincent, developed as the shipping point for grain grown across the county’s northern hundreds.
FAQ
Where is the County of Gawler?
It lies between the Wakefield and Gawler rivers, north of Adelaide and along Gulf St Vincent.
What towns are in the County of Gawler?
Balaklava, Port Wakefield, Mallala and Two Wells are its main towns.
Is the County of Gawler still used?
Cadastral counties like Gawler remain part of land titles and property descriptions in South Australia, but they have no government function today.