Onkaparinga Hills, South Australia

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Onkaparinga Hills
South Australia

Spriggs Road, Onkaparinga Hills.

Population:

2,693 (2006 Census)

Postcode:

5163

Location:

33.5 km (21 mi) from Adelaide

LGA:

City of Onkaparinga

State District:

Mawson and Reynell

Federal Division:

Division of Kingston

Suburbs around Onkaparinga Hills:
Morphett Vale	Woodcroft	Happy Valley
Hackham	Onkaparinga Hills	Clarendon
McLaren Vale	McLaren Vale	McLaren Vale

Onkaparinga Hills is a southern suburb of Adelaide, in the City of Onkaparinga. It covers and area of approx. 22km² or 2164 hectares.^[1] It has a population of 2693 people (2006 Census).^[2] It's a leafy suburb that encompasses parts of the Onkaparinga River, Onkaparinga River National Park and the Onkaparinga River Recreational Park.^[3]

Nearly 60% of families in the area are couples with children, compared to an Australian average of 45.3%. The median rent in 2006 was $230.^[4] The current median cost of a home in the area is $390 000.^[5] 93.5% of people speak English only at home (Australian average 78.5%) and 91% are Australian citizens compared to the Australian average of 86.1%.^[6]

[edit] Indigenous History

Onkaparinga Hills is a part of Kaurna Yerta or Kuarna Country.^[7] The area around the City of Onkaparinga was named Ngangkiparringa a word meaning ‘The Women’s River’.^[8] The Kaurna people have many sites that hold great significance to them including the Nganno Dreaming and the Yurrebilla Parklands. A map showing the land with traditional names and sites of significance can be accessed at [9]

See Also: History of Adelaide

See Also: European settlement of South Australia

[edit] History of the Population

Settlement of the area dates from the 1840’s but was mostly settled by farmers and later vineyards. After the war there was significant development and again in the early 1990’s. The population is now relatively stable. There are still sections of the area used for vineyards, farming and grazing.^[10]