Birkenhead is a north-western suburb of Adelaide 14 km from the CBD, on the Lefevre Peninsula, in South Australia, and lies within the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Peterhead, Exeter and Glanville. It is bounded to the south by the Gawler Reach of the Port River, to the north by Hargrave Street and in the west and east by the Outer Harbor railway line and the Port River respectively.
| Birkenhead Adelaide, South Australia | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Tom 'Diver' Derrick Bridge from Birkenhead | |||||||||||||||
  Birkenhead | |||||||||||||||
| Coordinates | 34°50′11″S 138°30′00″E / 34.8365°S 138.5°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 1,798 (SAL 2021)[1] | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5015 | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Port Adelaide Enfield | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Port Adelaide[2] | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Hindmarsh[3] | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
It was laid out on section 700, Hundred of Port Adelaide by Thomas Elder and John Hart. Birkenhead Post Office opened around 1884.[4]
Birkenhead is essentially a residential suburb, with industrial harbourside development on the southern and eastern shores of the suburb. It is notable for the Birkenhead Bridge, which formerly opened on a regular basis so that boats could pass along the Port River. It is also the site of a third Port River crossing, the Port River Expressway. It includes the opening Tom 'Diver' Derrick Bridge, designed to ease traffic congestion in the area and opened in August 2008, adjacent to the opening Mary MacKillop Bridge.
The Birkenhead Bridge and the former HMAS Encounter Naval Drill Hall are listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.[5][6]
Facilities
editThe suburb is served by a primary school, Lefevre Peninsula Primary School, and the local high school is Lefevre High School, in nearby Semaphore South. There is little commercial activity in the area, as this is plentiful south of the river in Port Adelaide.
The eastern side of the suburb, by the Port riverside is the location of the Adelaide Brighton Cement company, and a berth for the Shell Oil Company. Its southern shore was formerly the location of a naval yard (now TS Adelaide), the Bureau of Customs, Fletcher's Dock and Fletcher's Slip, DMH Dockyard, the Jenkins Street boatyards and the Port Adelaide Sailing Club, however these have mostly been closed or relocated.
The area was earmarked for residential development as part of the "Newport Quays" redevelopment project, but the site remains vacant (2015) following the loss of development rights by the Newport Quays consortium in 2011.[7]
The former Port Adelaide Sailing Club building, renamed Gallery Yampu,[when?] is currently used by the not-for-profit Port Adelaide Artists Forum to host occasional art exhibitions and community events. It also houses Dragon Boat SA.[8][9]
Governance
editBirkenhead is located in the federal division of Hindmarsh, the state electoral district of Port Adelaide and the local government area of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield.[3][2]
Transport
editAdelaide Metro route 150 bus services operate along Semaphore and Fletcher Roads, while routes 352 and 353 serves Semaphore and Fletcher Roads and Hargrave Street. Routes 333 and N254 serve Semaphore Road. The suburb also is serviced by Peterhead railway station on the Outer Harbor railway line.
Notable residents
edit- A number of Port Adelaide Football Club players were born or have lived in Birkenhead, including dual Magarey Medal and Bob Quinn.
- John Turner (naval officer)
References
edit- ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Birkenhead (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.
- ^ a b "Electoral district profiles – Port Adelaide (2018-2022 boundaries)". Electoral Commission SA. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ a b "Profile of the electoral division of Hindmarsh (SA)". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 17 July 2019.
- ^ Premier Postal History. "Post Office List". Premier Postal Auctions. Retrieved 26 May 2011.
- ^ "Birkenhead Bridge [Metal Double Bascule]". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ^ "Former Naval Drill Hall, HMAS Encounter". South Australian Heritage Register. Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 21 May 2016.
- ^ State faces $100m claim from Newport Quays The Advertiser 29 May 2012
- ^ Groups win access to Port Sailing Club building Portside Messenger 21 April 2010.
- ^ Home for dragon boats Portside Messenger 8 June 2011