Birkenhead, South Australia

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Birkenhead (34°50′S, 138°29′E) is a north-western suburb of Adelaide 14 km from the CBD, on the LeFevre Peninsula, in the state of South Australia, Australia and falls under the City of Port Adelaide Enfield. It is adjacent to Peterhead, Exeter and Glanville. The post code for Birkenhead is 5015. 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.

It was laid out on section 700, Hundred of Port Adelaide by Thomas Elder and John Hart. There is a Birkenhead in Cheshire, which derives from the Old English bicern – 'birch', thus, 'headland overgrown with birch'.

Birkenhead is essentially a residential suburb, with a minor harbourside presence on the southern and eastern shores of the suburb. It is notable for the Birkenhead Bridge, which opens on a regular basis so that boats can pass through the Port River. It is also the site of a future third Port River crossing, the Port River Expressway, another opening bridge which is designed to ease traffic congestion in the area.

[edit] Facilities

The suburb is served by a primary school, Le Fevre Primary School, and the local high school is Le Fevre 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 is the location of a naval yard, the Bureau of Customs, the Fletcher Dock and the DMH Dockyard.

[edit] Transport

The 150 bus services Semaphore and Fletcher Roads, while the 352 & 353 serves Semaphore and Fletcher Roads and Hargrave Street. The 333 and the N254 After Midnight Bus serve Semaphore Road. The suburb also is serviced by a train station on the Outer Harbor railway line, the Peterhead railway station, which is actually not in Peterhead.