BUSINESS MOUNT BARKER

HISTORY OF MOUNT BARKER

Mount Barker is the first town out of the water catchment area on the South Eastern freeway. Founded in 1838, it was a rich farming area with high rainfall and quality soil. John Dunn built his early flour mills here and helped grow the grain industry in South Australia. In 1916 it topped the world in wheat yields per acre. His brother in law, Mr Paltridge, started the Mount Barker tannery, now Coles, a major industry for 100 years. There was a major meat works, small goods factory and a milk, butter and cheese factory in Dutton street, now the site of the Homemaker Centre. The historic Gawler street had the first purpose built butcher shop in all of South Australia. It is now Mane Hair, but the old cold room cellar dating back to 1884 is still there. The historic Auchendarroch House and Wallis Cinemas are a credit to the Wallis family who restored the original 1877 old Barr Smith summer residence.

In 1973 the Dunstan government proclaimed Mount Barker a growth area and the dairies and potato farms have gone, making way for new suburbs and young families. The town has grown steadily and new schools have been built. St Francis de Sales and Cornerstone now both have approximately 1200 students and Mount Barker High School and Waldorf are also growing. With nearly 20,000 people living in Mount Barker, it is an exciting city today.