Most of Rosslyn Park started life as paddocks belonging to Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold, of Penfolds Wine. Dr Penfold was an English emigrant who purchased 500 acres (2.0 km²) of land in the area in 1844. Here he planted vines and established Penfolds as one of the leading winemakers in Australia. He and subsequent generations of his family resided at the Grange Cottage, to the east of Penfold Rd.

Dr Penfold became the first chairman of the District Council of Burnside in 1856.

[edit] Sub-division

Upon Dr Penfold's death in 1870, his son-in-law, Thomas Hyland, assumed control of the business, and began to sell some of the land.

The area of Rosslyn Park to the west of Gordon Tce, between Kensington Rd and the Parade, was sold in 1877 to a syndicate comprised of:

James Gartrell, merchant
Thomas Gordon, accountant
William Taylor, draper
Alexander McGeorge, draper
David Tweedy, land agent

The syndicate subdivided the land, and sold parcels of it the next year.

Penfolds Magill Estate

Wine production declined at the Rosslyn Park site in the 20th century as production shifted to other areas in SA. The last vintage of Penfolds Wine was crushed at Magill Estate in 1972. Prior to and following this, subdivision of the land surrounding Magill Estate continued.

The area bounded by Penfold Rd, Park Ave, Edgcumbe Tce and The Parade was formerly the site of Joseph Gillard Jnr's (manager at the Grange vineyard) main vineyard. It was sold and subdivided by the Penfolds in around 1912.

The area around Angove Ct and Edgcumbe Tce contains the former family home of Dr Roger Angove, inaugural President of the Burnside Historical Society. This land was subdivided in 1960. The family stables remained until they were demolished by a landowner in 1970.

A larger subdivision occurred in the early 1980s, when owners Tooth & Co sold much of the area to the east of Penfold Rd, resulting in the survival of only the core of the former winery, including production plants and Grange Cottage.

[edit] Contemporary events

In May 2002, Rosslyn Park experienced an incidence of freak weather when a tornado passed through it and Wattle Park late in the morning. The tornado cut a narrow, 2 km long path of destruction through the suburbs, tearing limbs off trees and tiles from roofs.^[2]

[edit] Geography

Edgecumbe Terrace.

Rosslyn Park is situated approximately 6 km east of the Adelaide CBD. It is bounded by The Parade to the north, by Coach Rd to the east, by Kensington Rd to the south and by Hyland Tce to the west.

The suburb is divided by Penfold Rd into two roughly distinct areas. West of Penfold Rd, the area is characterised by wide, tree-lined roads and architecture representing many styles popular during the twentieth century. East of Penfold Rd, the area is much steeper in its approach to the Adelaide Hills, and contains some large, striking and very modern architecture. Some undeveloped vegetatation also remains in this part of the suburb.

[edit] Land Use

Land use in Rosslyn Park is primarily residential. Penfolds is a notable exception, with its rows of grapevines along Penfold Rd a relic of the area's earlier agricultural focus.

[edit] Significant Places

Grange Cottage

By far the most notable landmark in Rosslyn Park is the Magill Estate branch of Penfolds Winery. This site offers cellar door sales, tours and the award winning Penfolds Magill Estate Restaurant. The winery's chimney is visible throughout the area.

Also located at Magill Estate is the historic Grange Cottage. This was constructed by Dr Penfold and his wife, Mary, in 1845, and named after Mary's home town in England. The famous Grange Hermitage wine was in turn named after the cottage.

Other notable locations in Rosslyn Park include:

WH Holmes Reserve, situated on Park Ave.
Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold Reserve, a small park on the corner of The Parade and Penfold Rd. The park contains a collection of winemaking artefacts donated by wineries in the area.
The Consulate General of Greece, located on Mary Penfold Drive.

[edit] Street names

Entrance to Mary Penfold Dr

Street names in Rosslyn Park reflect the area's viticultural history and the predilections of its subdividers.

Angove Ct: named for Roger Angove, whose former family home is located at the end of the court
Ayr St: also the name of a Scottish town, likely originates with the Scottish heritage of members of the syndicate
Dalwood Ct: the name of a range of Penfolds wine
Edgcumbe Tce: name of the Angoves' family home
Gillard Dr: named for Joseph Gillard Jnr, manager of the Penfolds cellars and vineyards 1869-1905
Gordon Tce: named for Thomas Gordon, syndicate member
Grange Ave: name of the Penfolds' family cottage
Hyland Tce: named for Thomas Hyland, son-in-law of Dr Penfold and a key contributor to the winemaker's success
Inez Ct: named for Inez Hyland, granddaughter of Dr Penfold
Lanark St: also the name of a Scottish town, probably originates with the syndicate
Mary Penfold Dr: Mary was Dr Penfold's wife and supervised the development of the company after his death
Penfold Rd: named for Dr Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife, Mary
Rawson Penfold Dr: named for Dr Penfold
Schubert Ct: named for Max Schubert, creator of the Grange Hermitage wine
Taylor Tce: named for William Taylor, syndicate member

A bus stop on Penfold Rd, Rosslyn Park

[edit] Politics

At the Federal level, Rosslyn Park residents are represented in the electorate of Sturt. The member for the seat is currently Christopher Pyne MP. At the state level, the suburb is split between the electorates of Hartley, currently held by Grace Portolesi MP, and Morialta, currently held by Joan Hall MP.

[edit] Transport

Rosslyn Park is primarily accessed by car.^[3] The main roads leading to the suburb are The Parade, Kensington Rd and Penfold Rd. The Adelaide Metro bus system also services Rosslyn Park, with routes 122, 123, 124 and 125 travelling from Grenfell St in the city to stops on The Parade and beyond. Route 140 also travels to Rosslyn Park along Kensington Rd, but not on weekends or public holidays.

[edit] References

^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). Rosslyn Park (State Suburb). 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved on 2008-06-07.
^ Bureau of Meteorology - Significant Weather May 2002 [1]
^ City of Burnside Community Profile - Magill/Rosslyn Park - How do we get to work? [2]