Gawler Walking Tour

**Fast Facts**
Type of thing	Domestic

GAWLER WALKING TOUR

A bus will take attendees of the Gawler Walking Tours to the Gawler Central Train Station, where the walking tour will commence. The walking tour will then proceed down historic Murray Street viewing key civic and historic buildings along the main street as well as other key precincts within the public realm.

Like many traditional main street focused centres the Gawler Town Centre is facing development pressure from both within the Council area and from external competing sites. The Murray Street main street sits within the Town Centre Historic (Conservation) Zone. This has its own unique challenges for Council and potential investors.

Over the past 12 months, in our 175th year, Council has commenced a process to establish a clear direction and policy framework for the Gawler Town Centre to reinforce its predominance as a Major District Centre, with a “traditional historic main street”. Council has researched relevant overseas and interstate town centres projects, engaging special interest groups and agencies to set the scene for future action.

Gawler’s history is closely aligned with that of the state and its strategic location as a gateway to the mid north and Barossa Valley has long been an untapped economic opportunity.

Like Adelaide and Christchurch in New Zealand, Gawler was planned by Colonel William Light. Light had camped at Dead Man’s Pass twice in 1837 during his exploration of the Barossa Valley and recognised the potential of the location. Light’s plan for Gawler included streets aligned with town topography and broad parklands adjoining the major rivers set aside for floodplain land, reflecting his design for Adelaide.

TOWN OF GAWLER FAST FACTS: Population 20,536 increasing to 32,858 by 2026 (3.28%). Demographics Higher than the State average for persons between 0-19 and over 65, with 44.35% aged over 45. Labour Force 26% Retail, 16% Health/Community Services, 11% Education, 6% Cafes and Restaurants, 5% Personal Services, 3% Cultural Recreational Services. Local Government Area 42 square kilometres. Service Area 90,000 people. Commercial Floor Space (m2) 75% of Gawler’s commercial floor space is located in the town centre. Food 11,260 (19%), Clothing & Soft Goods 5,362(9%), Housing Goods 9,327 (16%), Hospitality & Service 4,396(8%), Other Retailing 7,605(13%), Not Retail 18,625(32%) and Vacant 1,715(3%). History Traditional lands of the Kaurna people with European settlement in 1839 – State’s first regional town designed to service farming and mining communities in the State’s north. To this day Gawler continues to act as a regional centre for these communities.

GAWLER TOWN CENTRE VISION: “The Gawler Town Centre is a place where people and businesses want to be. Its identity is based on its authentic heritage, streetscape appeal, and great accessibility to parks, events, arts, shopping, services and entertainment. It’s a vibrant, integrated, sustainable, safe, mixed use 18 hour precinct that proudly fulfils the needs of its regional community”

ENTRANCE PRECINCT It is considered that this an entrance statement to the town centre should be developed in this precinct

PEDESTRIAN LINKAGES Walker Place and the Calton Road intersection is another key precinct identified for future development to improve pedestrians’ linkages, outdoor dining, public art, and cultural activities within the town centre.

LANEWAYS Gawler has a number of historic laneways, which are currently underutilised. It is considered that these laneways should be developed to improve east-west connectivity and create a scene of vibrancy.

HERITAGE Murray Street and the town centre precinct as a number of State , Local and Contributory buildings that provide a unique character and create a distinct point of difference to other district centres to north of Adelaide.

GAWLER CENTRAL TRAIN STATION The Adelaide to Gawler train terminates at this station and is therefore considered to be a key precinct, particularly once this line becomes electrified. Strategies needed to be developed to maximum this strategic location, by directing people from this station into the town centre.

SOUTH PARA RIVER PRECINCT Goose Island, Apex Park and Pioneer Park been identified as areas of the public realm that can be developed to create vibrancy and activation, linking areas of recreation with the town centre

Thank you to the Town of Gawler for this information.

Now that the new Skate Park in Clonlea has been commissioned, visitors are urged to make the short 400m detour from POINT 1 [Pioneer Park and the Visitor Centre] north along Murray Street to the northern end of Murray Street adjacent to the North Para River ford. The walks and landscaping makes it well worth the visit.