Exploring in Adelaide - Wilberforce Walk

Post

Subscribe

Posted 2012-10-01 by Dave Walsh ⇒ follow

These days I drive to most places, even to the local shop, which is about 10 minutes walk away - or less on a bike.

But one of the disadvantages is that you don't get an appreciation of your own neighbourhood. It's harder to keep track of changes in the area, you can't do gleaning of cuttings, and there's no social contact.

To compensate I make a point of exploring laneways. Most suburbs have them, but hardly anyone uses them apart from dog walkers and children up to no good. And usually they are free from the intense scrutiny of CCTV .

I once lived at Grange where there were quite a lot of laneways, unsealed in those days giving them a rustic feel, with fences so dilapidated that you could see all the neighbours peccadilloes. Sadly the surface is sealed now, and a change in times has led to a need for high fences so there isn't much to see.

You can still find interesting places though, and I particularly like those that run along creeks. One such spot is walk forestville&hl=en&ll=-34.950494,138.580996&spn=0.003438,0.006968&safe=off&hnear=Wilberforce Walk, Forestville South Australia 5035&gl=au&t=m&z=18 Wilberforce Walk in Forestville, where Brownhill Creek struggles through the suburbs in its search for the sea.

Nasturtiums, ivy, bamboo, and other suburban strays compete with a massive old gum in a random display of colour that competes with the street art on culvert walls. An almond tree and a fig put in unexpected appearances.

At the end of the laneway we reach a shady mysterious and overgrown place, rewarded with a little exotica. A large tree covered by a vine with deep yellow trumpet shaped flowers hangs over a fence. This is probably the Golden Chalice Vine, native to Mexico and South America.

A short distance away the broken body of a car decomposes in a dilapidated shed.

While the lane has no street sign Google maps told me the name, and I wondered how such an aristocratic sounding name attached to this place. Again Google rescued me uncovering an advertisement from the South Australian Register of September 11 1919 .

%%ON SATURDAY, 20th SEPTEMBER, at 3.
ON THE ESTATE,
FOREST GARDENS
JUST BEYOND THE KESWICK TRAM TERMINUS
And the District Military Headquarters,
THREE MINUTES WALK FROM GOODWOOD RAILWAY STATION,
Four minutes' walk from Forestville Station
ONE MILE FROM THE CITY BOUNDARY,
And close to the New Showgrounds
IN THE ESTATE OF C. J. EVERARD, SEN., DECEASED.
Under instructions from
EXECUTOR TRUSTEE & AGENCY COY. OF S.A., LIMITED.
WILKINSON, SANDO, & WYLES
are favoured with instructions to sell by auction, as above-
52- Ideal Residential Sites -52
FRONTING
BAY ROAD, LEADER STREET, AND THREE AVENUES.
There are few Estates on market at the present time that offer such unusual
attractions. Although only one short mile from the City Boundary, the spot is ren-
dered charmingly picturesque by the stately gums lining Wilberforce Walk (the southern
boundary of the Estate). The land is clean and absolutely level; in fact, just ideal for
Bungalow Sites, and the Upset Prices and, terms (as quoted below) are distinctly in the
buyers' favour:—
Bay Road Frontages 37/6 per ft. Leader St 35/. All other Frontages 25/ per ft.

10 per cent, cash, 15 per cent one month, balance two years, at 5 per cent.
THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST ATTRACTIVE SUBDIVISIONS
THROWN OPEN TO THE PUBLIC FOR MANY MONTHS.
Plans will be available To-morrow from Messrs JACOB & RUSSELL, Eagle Chambers,
Pirie street: or at the Offices of the Auctioneers, 14 Grenfell Street.%%

Forestville Railway station line became a tram line in 1929, Bay Rd became Anzac Hwy, and Eagle Chambers is now a part of Adelaide Town Hall precinct.

But parts of Wilberforce Walk still remain charmingly picturesque and worth exploring.