Mount Barker, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Mount Barker is an expanding city, home to 10 258 residents that is 33 kilometres up the South Eastern Freeway
, east of Adelaide
, in South Australia
. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker
, is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills
, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Mount Barker is close enough to Adelaide that many people commute there on a daily basis, although it is far enough away from the city that people call it "the country".
Mount Barker lies at the base of a local mountain of the same name, called the Mount Barker summit
by locals. It is 50 kilometres from the Murray River
. Mount Barker was traditionally a farming area, and many of the lots just outside the town area are farming lots, although some of them have been replaced with new subdivisions in recent times.
The Mount Barker Summit was first discovered by Captain Collet Barker in 1830, but he was killed by Aborigines in 1831, so Captain Charles Sturt named Mount Barker after him when he founded it in 1834.
Mount Barker is well serviced, with a recently upgraded Police station, a Country Fire Service
station, the Adelaide Hills State Emergency Service
centre, an Ambulance
station, and five bus routes.
Mount Barker is in the federal division of Mayo
, and the state electoral districts of Kavel
and Heysen
, with most of the town in Kavel, and only the south-eastern portion of the town in Heysen. Local Federal Member of Parliament, Jamie Briggs
, succeded former Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer
.
Mount Barker was the epicenter for an Earthquake on 16 April 2010 at 11.35pm local time, the quake registered 3.8 on the Richter scale.
. Captain Collet Barker fixed this error when he surveyed the area in 1831. Sturt named the mountain in honour of Captain Barker after he was killed later that year by Aborigines, at the Murray Mouth
. The mountain was officially recognised by King William IV
in 1834, two years before the colonisation of South Australia in 1836. The mountain was first climbed in December 1837 by the explorers Robert Cock
, William Finlayson, A. Wyatt and G. Barton, when they passed through the area on their expedition from Adelaide
to Lake Alexandrina
.
Mount Barker was surveyed in 1839 by Duncan McFarlane, who was hoping the area could be used for wheat and grain farming. The land was divided into lots of 80 acres (323,748.8 m²), although farmers didn't settle until 1844, when John Dunn built the first steam flour mill outside of Adelaide. The flour mill ran for 50 years and is now a tourist attraction. All of the towns major buildings were built soon afterwards, with a post office (now replaced) in 1860 and a police station (also replaced) that was built in 1878. In 1883, the railway line from Adelaide to Strathalbyn was laid, but that line is now discontinued, with the line terminating short of Balhannah
, and is used by the SteamRanger historic railway.
Mount Barker was originally home to the Peramangk
Aboriginal
people. The Ngarrindjeri
people from the east also used the Summit for ceremonial and burial sites. The Mount Barker Summit is a significant Aboriginal area, and may be one of the most sacred sites near Adelaide. In 1984 the Ngarrindjeri people tried to prevent the building of a police communications tower, and in 1987 they also tried to stop the Telecom tower, although both attempts were not successful.
Mount Barker has since developed into a large urban centre, which is developing very rapidly. The Mount Barker district council is the area that experienced the fourth largest growth between 1996 and 2006 in South Australia, with an increase of 3,800 new residents (3% growth per year). Mount Barker is ranked fifth for fastest growth in South Australia. During the last 10 years, many new subdivisions have been developed, such as Martin-Dale and Waterford. During this period, there has also been an economic boom in Mount Barker and a number of additional malls and shopping centres, such as the recently completed Adelaide Hills Home-maker Centre, with a radio rentals, a Harvey Norman, the new offices for the District Council of Mount Barker
. There have also recently been lodged plans for a new shopping centre, which will feature a major department store larger than 4,000 m 2.
Several new developments in Mount Barker that were in the planning stage in 2007. The largest plan awaiting a decision from the council is a new 1000 home subdivision in the town's south.
There is an increasing problem with the infrastructure of the town, with the District Council of Mount Barker
attempting to convince the State Government
to fund a new freeway exit on the South Eastern Freeway
, which goes from Adelaide to Murray Bridge, and is the only major road to service the area.
Mount Barker is located on the plains surrounding the Mount Barker Summit
, about 2 km west of the mountain itself, at 35°04′S 138°51′E. Mount Barker is south east of Mount Lofty
and Adelaide
. It is to the north of the The Coorong, and the west of Murray Bridge
. Mount Barker is at an elevation of 360 m.
The city is just south of the freeway from Adelaide to Murray Bridge (and Melbourne
). Its four major roads form a star that reaches out of the town. To the west of the town there is the industrial area, and the Laratinga Wetlands. North of the wetlands there are the subdivisions
Martindale, Waterford and Dalmeny Park. The wetland is fed by the Mount Barker Creek that goes from Keith Stephenson Park to the wetlands, right next to the linear trail.
Mount Barker is about 4 km west of the local mountain, Mount Barker
. The mountain is called the Mount Barker summit by locals.
Mount Barker in South Australia is often confused with Mount Barker in Western Australia, especially when dealing with national telephone centres.
Mount Barker is typically between 2 and 3 degrees cooler than Adelaide, which has an average temperature of 22.2 degrees, and it gets more than 200 mm more rain (on average) than Adelaide.
Mount Barker has an above average number of females, with 52.7% of the population female, and only 47.3% male, compared with the national averages of 50.6% female and 49.4% male.
Mount Barker has a below average population age of 34 compared to the national average of 37.
Mount Barker has more married people than the national average with 50% of people married compared to the national average of 49.6%.
Most people that live in the city were born in Australia
, with 8,274 people who live in Mount Barker born in Australia. Other common places of birth include England (682), Germany (87), Netherlands (79), New Zealand (78) and Scotland (75). Of the people living in Mount Barker, 9,426 of them only speak English at home (91.9%), 84 speak German, 67 Italian, 24 Dutch, 13 Afrikaans and 12 Indonesian.
Overall, Mount Barker is generally less multicultural than other areas of the country, with 80.7% of people from the city being Australian, compared to the national average of 70.9%. This lack of other cultures is also apparent in the spoken language, with 91.9% of people from Mount Barker only speaking English at home compared to the national average of 78.5%.
Mount Barker has a growing economy with new shopping centres and other businesses, as well as a growing population. There are plans for another shopping centre and for Mount Barker Central to be expanded. There are several new housing developments in the city that are in the planning stage at the moment. The largest plan that is still awaiting a decision from the council is a new 1000 home subdivision in the towns south. The average income for residents of Mount Barker is $460 per week per person, down only $6 per week from the national average.
Mount Barker is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills, with more than 10,000 people. It is the home of a number of different businesses including five shopping centres, four supermarkets and many restaurants, cafés and fast food outlets. Mount Barker also has many recreational activities available such as walking trails and a cinema.
Mount Barker has five shopping centres,
Mount Barker Central, also known as The Bilo Mall (The original Bilo Mall was formerly the Mount Barker Tannery which closed down in the early eighties) is the largest and oldest, containing a Coles
(Previously BI-LO
), a Kmart
and more than 50 speciality shops.
Mount Barker Village is a smaller shopping centre based around the Foodland
supermarket. It has fewer speciality shops although it does have a playground.
Mount Barker Plaza which used to house another Coles supermarket (that was around before the one in Mount Barker Central was converted from a BI-LO) has recently been redeveloped, adding new stores such as Dick Smith, Gloria Jeans and The Reject Shop, which is located where Coles used to be in the mall. The developers have also increased car parking on property adjacent to satisfy the requirements of the new retail additions to the site. The Woolworths Complex is not really a shopping centre as such, but is just a Woolworths
and a few small shops nearby.
The most recent shopping centre is the Adelaide Hills Homemaker Centre. It replaces some old industrial buildings (which was Jacobs Smallgoods and Abattoir)near the St Francis de Sales college that were bulldozed in 2003. This industrial site also was used as the meatworks in the movie The Honorable Wally Norman. This shopping centre has a Harvey Norman, a Radio Rentals, about ten speciality shops, and a multi-story office block what is to become the new home for the Mount Barker Council in the next few months.
Mount Barker has numerous activities that are available. There is the Linear Trail that starts at Keith Stephenson Park which has a lake, a playground and also the skate park. The Mount Barker lawn bowls club is just across the road from Keith Stephenson Park. The linear trail goes to the Laratinga Wetlands, and is a total length of about 3 km. There are also many walking trails and a few barbecues at the Laratinga Wetlands.
Just up the hill from Keith Stephenson Park is the Mount Barker Wallis Cinema
. The cinema has seven screens, all with full Dolby Digital
surround. The cinema is partially underground, with only about three rows of seats raised above ground level, and the rest is below. The cinema is right next to the Auchendorroch House restaurant.
Mount Barker has two ovals, the Mount Barker oval, right next to The Recreation Centre, where the Mount Barker Show is held, as well as local HFL
footy
matches. The other oval is Dunn Park, which is located near Cornerstone College and the caravan park, although it is not used much any more. The various schools in the area also have their own ovals. Mount Barker also has a single public swimming pool, located near the caravan park, that is open from September to May.
Mount Barker has a single 18-hole, 5,614m golf course that is near the residential area on Bald Hills Road. The golf course is a par 70. Mount Barker is also home to the SteamRanger
historic railway which operates The Southern Encounter steam trains through Strathalbyn
and Goolwa
to Victor Harbor
.
Mount Barker has a single local newspaper, The Courier that is published weekly on Wednesdays. It won SA's Best Regional Newspaper in 2006, and is "The newspaper of the Adelaide Hills since 1880". There is also the Adelaide Hills transmission of the local radio station, Power FM, which transmits on 100.3 FM.
is via the Freeway
. Many people use this road to get to work in the city every day. The local government has been lobbying to the state and federal governments to fund another freeway exit, because the current one is almost at capacity.
Mount Barker has many services. The Mount Barker Police station was recently upgraded, and is now open 24 hours a day, as was the Country Fire Service
station, which is one of the busiest in the state. Mount Barker has a library adjacent to the Mount Barker TAFE
campus. There is also a post office
which shares the same building as the doctors centre, adjacent to the Mount Barker Central mall.
Mount Barker has an Ambulance
Station and a hospital on Wellington Road, as well as the Adelaide Hills State Emergency Service
unit which is one of the busiest in the state.
Adelaide Metro
provides daily bus services from Mount Barker to Adelaide
and back either via the surrounding hills districts such as Hahndorf
and Stirling
, or an express route via the South Eastern Freeway. There are also buses to surrounding hills districts such as Lobethal
, Nairne
and Strathalbyn
, as well as two loop buses. The local council also provides a to-your-door service for the elderly.
All of the Mount Barker buses (and the Strathalbyn buses) connect at the Mount Barker Park 'n' Ride. The facility was opened on 6 July 2008. It features 183 Car Parks, security lighting, bike storage and a large sheltered waiting area.
school. Both St Francis and Waldorf have a primary school as well as a high school, which share the same campus.
Mount Barker has a single public
high school, Mount Barker High School, as well as three private high schools: Cornerstone College
, which is run by the Lutheran Church of Australia, St Francis de Sales College
which is Catholic
and Mount Barker Waldorf School
which employs Waldorf Education. All of these schools are co-educational. Overall about 1500 - 2000 school students, from Mount Barker, as well as many of the surrounding towns, such as Nairne, Littlehampton and Strathalbyn, are serviced by these high schools.
South Eastern Freeway
The South Eastern Freeway is a 66 kilometre four-lane divided carriageway road in South Australia linking the Adelaide-Crafers Highway to the Princes Highway at the Swanport Bridge, a one kilometre long bridge over the River Murray, near Murray Bridge...
, east of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
, in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
. It is the seat of the District Council of Mount Barker
District Council of Mount Barker
The District Council of Mount Barker is a Local Government Area centred on the town of Mount Barker just outside of the Adelaide metropolitan area in South Australia.- Towns and localities :...
, is the largest town in the Adelaide Hills
Adelaide Hills
The Adelaide Hills are part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. It is unofficially centred on the largest town in the area, Mount Barker, which has a population of around 29,000 and is also one of Australia's fastest growing towns.- History :The...
, and is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. Mount Barker is close enough to Adelaide that many people commute there on a daily basis, although it is far enough away from the city that people call it "the country".
Mount Barker lies at the base of a local mountain of the same name, called the Mount Barker summit
Mount Barker (South Australia)
Mount Barker is a mountain just outside of the town of Mount Barker in South Australia.The mountain is the home to a transmission tower that services SAGRN and mobile phone transmissions throughout the area.- History :...
by locals. It is 50 kilometres from the Murray River
Murray River
The Murray River is Australia's longest river. At in length, the Murray rises in the Australian Alps, draining the western side of Australia's highest mountains and, for most of its length, meanders across Australia's inland plains, forming the border between New South Wales and Victoria as it...
. Mount Barker was traditionally a farming area, and many of the lots just outside the town area are farming lots, although some of them have been replaced with new subdivisions in recent times.
The Mount Barker Summit was first discovered by Captain Collet Barker in 1830, but he was killed by Aborigines in 1831, so Captain Charles Sturt named Mount Barker after him when he founded it in 1834.
Mount Barker is well serviced, with a recently upgraded Police station, a Country Fire Service
Country Fire Service
The SA Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town...
station, the Adelaide Hills State Emergency Service
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
centre, an Ambulance
South Australian Ambulance Service
SA Ambulance Service is a Government agency under SA Health, that is the sole provider of emergency ambulance transport, clinical care and patient transport services to over 1.5 million people, distributed across an area of 1,043,514 square kilometres in South Australia, Australia.The service...
station, and five bus routes.
Mount Barker is in the federal division of Mayo
Division of Mayo
The Division of Mayo is an Australian Electoral Division located in the hills, east of Adelaide, South Australia and currently includes the towns of Victor Harbor, Lobethal, Mount Barker, Strathalbyn, Woodside and Kingscote....
, and the state electoral districts of Kavel
Electoral district of Kavel
Kavel, created in 1969, is an electorate for the South Australian Legislative Assembly in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia.Kavel is named after Lutheran pastor August Kavel who migrated to South Australia from Germany in 1838 with approximately 250 people seeking freedom from religious...
and Heysen
Electoral district of Heysen
Heysen is an electoral district of the House of Assembly in the Australian state of South Australia. It is named after Sir Hans Heysen, a prominent South Australian landscape artist. It is a 616 km² electoral district stretching from residential suburbs in the east and southeast of Adelaide...
, with most of the town in Kavel, and only the south-eastern portion of the town in Heysen. Local Federal Member of Parliament, Jamie Briggs
Jamie Briggs
Jamie Edward Briggs MP is an Australian politician. He has been the Liberal Party of Australia member for the Division of Mayo since the 2008 Mayo by-election....
, succeded former Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer
Alexander Downer
Alexander John Gosse Downer is a former Australian Liberal Party politician who was Foreign Minister of Australia from March 1996 to December 2007, the longest-serving in Australian history...
.
Mount Barker was the epicenter for an Earthquake on 16 April 2010 at 11.35pm local time, the quake registered 3.8 on the Richter scale.
History
Mount Barker was first sighted by Captain Charles Sturt in 1830, although he thought he was looking at the previously discovered Mount LoftyMount Lofty
Mount Lofty is the highest point in the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is located about 15km east of the centre of the city of Adelaide in South Australia and gives unrivalled panoramic views of the city and the Adelaide plains and foothills. It was first climbed by a European when explorer Collet Barker...
. Captain Collet Barker fixed this error when he surveyed the area in 1831. Sturt named the mountain in honour of Captain Barker after he was killed later that year by Aborigines, at the Murray Mouth
Murray Mouth
Murray Mouth is the point at which the River Murray meets the southern Southern Ocean. The Murray Mouth's location is changeable. Historical records show that the channel out to sea moves along the sand dunes over time...
. The mountain was officially recognised by King William IV
William IV of the United Kingdom
William IV was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of Hanover from 26 June 1830 until his death...
in 1834, two years before the colonisation of South Australia in 1836. The mountain was first climbed in December 1837 by the explorers Robert Cock
Robert Cock
Robert Cock was one of the first European explorers of the Adelaide region of South Australia following the establishment of the new colony in December 1836...
, William Finlayson, A. Wyatt and G. Barton, when they passed through the area on their expedition from Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
to Lake Alexandrina
Lake Alexandrina (South Australia)
Lake Alexandrina is a lake in South Australia adjacent to the coast of the Southern Ocean, about 100 kilometres south-east of Adelaide.-Name:The lake was named after Princess Alexandrina, niece and successor of King William IV of Great Britain and Ireland...
.
Mount Barker was surveyed in 1839 by Duncan McFarlane, who was hoping the area could be used for wheat and grain farming. The land was divided into lots of 80 acres (323,748.8 m²), although farmers didn't settle until 1844, when John Dunn built the first steam flour mill outside of Adelaide. The flour mill ran for 50 years and is now a tourist attraction. All of the towns major buildings were built soon afterwards, with a post office (now replaced) in 1860 and a police station (also replaced) that was built in 1878. In 1883, the railway line from Adelaide to Strathalbyn was laid, but that line is now discontinued, with the line terminating short of Balhannah
Balhannah, South Australia
Balhannah is a town in the Adelaide Hills about 30 km southeast of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It was established in 1839 as a farming community. The fruit cold store built in 1914 was one of the first in Australia and is still in use. It is on the main interstate railway between...
, and is used by the SteamRanger historic railway.
Mount Barker was originally home to the Peramangk
Peramangk
The Peramangk are an Indigenous Australian people whose traditional lands are primarily located in the Adelaide Hills, but also in the southern stretches of the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia...
Aboriginal
Indigenous Australians
Indigenous Australians are the original inhabitants of the Australian continent and nearby islands. The Aboriginal Indigenous Australians migrated from the Indian continent around 75,000 to 100,000 years ago....
people. The Ngarrindjeri
Ngarrindjeri
The Ngarrindjeri are a nation of eighteen "tribes" consisting of numerous family clans who speak similar dialects of the Ngarrindjeri language and are the traditional Aboriginal people of the lower Murray River, western Fleurieu Peninsula, and the Coorong of southern, central...
people from the east also used the Summit for ceremonial and burial sites. The Mount Barker Summit is a significant Aboriginal area, and may be one of the most sacred sites near Adelaide. In 1984 the Ngarrindjeri people tried to prevent the building of a police communications tower, and in 1987 they also tried to stop the Telecom tower, although both attempts were not successful.
Mount Barker has since developed into a large urban centre, which is developing very rapidly. The Mount Barker district council is the area that experienced the fourth largest growth between 1996 and 2006 in South Australia, with an increase of 3,800 new residents (3% growth per year). Mount Barker is ranked fifth for fastest growth in South Australia. During the last 10 years, many new subdivisions have been developed, such as Martin-Dale and Waterford. During this period, there has also been an economic boom in Mount Barker and a number of additional malls and shopping centres, such as the recently completed Adelaide Hills Home-maker Centre, with a radio rentals, a Harvey Norman, the new offices for the District Council of Mount Barker
District Council of Mount Barker
The District Council of Mount Barker is a Local Government Area centred on the town of Mount Barker just outside of the Adelaide metropolitan area in South Australia.- Towns and localities :...
. There have also recently been lodged plans for a new shopping centre, which will feature a major department store larger than 4,000 m 2.
Several new developments in Mount Barker that were in the planning stage in 2007. The largest plan awaiting a decision from the council is a new 1000 home subdivision in the town's south.
There is an increasing problem with the infrastructure of the town, with the District Council of Mount Barker
District Council of Mount Barker
The District Council of Mount Barker is a Local Government Area centred on the town of Mount Barker just outside of the Adelaide metropolitan area in South Australia.- Towns and localities :...
attempting to convince the State Government
Government of South Australia
The form of the Government of South Australia is prescribed in its constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then...
to fund a new freeway exit on the South Eastern Freeway
South Eastern Freeway
The South Eastern Freeway is a 66 kilometre four-lane divided carriageway road in South Australia linking the Adelaide-Crafers Highway to the Princes Highway at the Swanport Bridge, a one kilometre long bridge over the River Murray, near Murray Bridge...
, which goes from Adelaide to Murray Bridge, and is the only major road to service the area.
Geography
Mount Barker (South Australia)
Mount Barker is a mountain just outside of the town of Mount Barker in South Australia.The mountain is the home to a transmission tower that services SAGRN and mobile phone transmissions throughout the area.- History :...
, about 2 km west of the mountain itself, at 35°04′S 138°51′E. Mount Barker is south east of Mount Lofty
Mount Lofty
Mount Lofty is the highest point in the Mount Lofty Ranges. It is located about 15km east of the centre of the city of Adelaide in South Australia and gives unrivalled panoramic views of the city and the Adelaide plains and foothills. It was first climbed by a European when explorer Collet Barker...
and Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. It is to the north of the The Coorong, and the west of Murray Bridge
Murray Bridge, South Australia
Murray Bridge is the fourth most populous city in South Australia after Adelaide, Mount Gambier and Whyalla. It is located east-southeast of Adelaide and north of Meningie....
. Mount Barker is at an elevation of 360 m.
The city is just south of the freeway from Adelaide to Murray Bridge (and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
). Its four major roads form a star that reaches out of the town. To the west of the town there is the industrial area, and the Laratinga Wetlands. North of the wetlands there are the subdivisions
Subdivision (land)
Subdivision is the act of dividing land into pieces that are easier to sell or otherwise develop, usually via a plat. The former single piece as a whole is then known in the United States as a subdivision...
Martindale, Waterford and Dalmeny Park. The wetland is fed by the Mount Barker Creek that goes from Keith Stephenson Park to the wetlands, right next to the linear trail.
Mount Barker is about 4 km west of the local mountain, Mount Barker
Mount Barker (South Australia)
Mount Barker is a mountain just outside of the town of Mount Barker in South Australia.The mountain is the home to a transmission tower that services SAGRN and mobile phone transmissions throughout the area.- History :...
. The mountain is called the Mount Barker summit by locals.
Mount Barker in South Australia is often confused with Mount Barker in Western Australia, especially when dealing with national telephone centres.
Climate
Mount Barker is generally cooler than Adelaide, with a mean maximum temperature of 19.9 degrees and a mean minimum temperature of 8 degrees. The average rainfall for the year is 765.2 mm. Mount Barker is typically the driest during February, with an average of only 25.5 mm of rain, with July usually producing the most rain, with an average rainfall of 105.4 mm.Mount Barker is typically between 2 and 3 degrees cooler than Adelaide, which has an average temperature of 22.2 degrees, and it gets more than 200 mm more rain (on average) than Adelaide.
Demographics
Mount Barker has a below average population age of 34 compared to the national average of 37.
Mount Barker has more married people than the national average with 50% of people married compared to the national average of 49.6%.
Most people that live in the city were born in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with 8,274 people who live in Mount Barker born in Australia. Other common places of birth include England (682), Germany (87), Netherlands (79), New Zealand (78) and Scotland (75). Of the people living in Mount Barker, 9,426 of them only speak English at home (91.9%), 84 speak German, 67 Italian, 24 Dutch, 13 Afrikaans and 12 Indonesian.
Overall, Mount Barker is generally less multicultural than other areas of the country, with 80.7% of people from the city being Australian, compared to the national average of 70.9%. This lack of other cultures is also apparent in the spoken language, with 91.9% of people from Mount Barker only speaking English at home compared to the national average of 78.5%.
Mount Barker has a growing economy with new shopping centres and other businesses, as well as a growing population. There are plans for another shopping centre and for Mount Barker Central to be expanded. There are several new housing developments in the city that are in the planning stage at the moment. The largest plan that is still awaiting a decision from the council is a new 1000 home subdivision in the towns south. The average income for residents of Mount Barker is $460 per week per person, down only $6 per week from the national average.
Culture
Mount Barker has five shopping centres,
Mount Barker Central, also known as The Bilo Mall (The original Bilo Mall was formerly the Mount Barker Tannery which closed down in the early eighties) is the largest and oldest, containing a Coles
Coles Supermarkets
Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741 stores nationally Coles Supermarkets is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers. It has 741...
(Previously BI-LO
BI-LO (Australia)
BI-LO is an Australian supermarket chain owned by Wesfarmers . Once a chain of 180 outlets, most BI-LO supermarkets were re-branded as Coles Supermarkets during 2006 and 2007. In October 2008, Coles stated it was looking to create a new chain to replace the remaining BI-LO stores...
), a Kmart
Kmart Australia
Kmart Australia Limited is a discount department store chain owned by Wesfarmers. It operates 172 stores in Australia and 15 in New Zealand, with its head office located in Mulgrave, Victoria. Wesfarmers uses the Kmart name under licence from Sears Holdings Corporation.-History:Kmart Australia...
and more than 50 speciality shops.
Mount Barker Village is a smaller shopping centre based around the Foodland
Foodland (South Australia)
Foodland is an Australian supermarket brand with over one hundred and twenty locations, primarily in South Australia and the Northern Territory. Most Foodland stores are supplied by IGA. These supermarkets are generally larger than IGA-branded ones...
supermarket. It has fewer speciality shops although it does have a playground.
Mount Barker Plaza which used to house another Coles supermarket (that was around before the one in Mount Barker Central was converted from a BI-LO) has recently been redeveloped, adding new stores such as Dick Smith, Gloria Jeans and The Reject Shop, which is located where Coles used to be in the mall. The developers have also increased car parking on property adjacent to satisfy the requirements of the new retail additions to the site. The Woolworths Complex is not really a shopping centre as such, but is just a Woolworths
Woolworths (supermarkets)
Woolworths is the largest supermarket chain in Australia, owned by Woolworths Limited.-History:Woolworths Limited was founded in 1924, with the first store opening up in Sydney's Imperial Arcade.-2008 rebranding:...
and a few small shops nearby.
The most recent shopping centre is the Adelaide Hills Homemaker Centre. It replaces some old industrial buildings (which was Jacobs Smallgoods and Abattoir)near the St Francis de Sales college that were bulldozed in 2003. This industrial site also was used as the meatworks in the movie The Honorable Wally Norman. This shopping centre has a Harvey Norman, a Radio Rentals, about ten speciality shops, and a multi-story office block what is to become the new home for the Mount Barker Council in the next few months.
Recreation
Just up the hill from Keith Stephenson Park is the Mount Barker Wallis Cinema
Wallis Cinemas
Wallis Cinemas is a South Australian company that operates cinema complexes, cinemas and drive-ins in the city of Adelaide and its suburbs.-History:...
. The cinema has seven screens, all with full Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital
Dolby Digital is the name for audio compression technologies developed by Dolby Laboratories. It was originally called Dolby Stereo Digital until 1994. Except for Dolby TrueHD, the audio compression is lossy. The first use of Dolby Digital was to provide digital sound in cinemas from 35mm film prints...
surround. The cinema is partially underground, with only about three rows of seats raised above ground level, and the rest is below. The cinema is right next to the Auchendorroch House restaurant.
Mount Barker has two ovals, the Mount Barker oval, right next to The Recreation Centre, where the Mount Barker Show is held, as well as local HFL
Hills Football League
The Hills Football League is an amateur Australian rules football league, situated in the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia, to the south east of the state capital Adelaide.The League has over 3000 players belonging to 20 member Clubs...
footy
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
matches. The other oval is Dunn Park, which is located near Cornerstone College and the caravan park, although it is not used much any more. The various schools in the area also have their own ovals. Mount Barker also has a single public swimming pool, located near the caravan park, that is open from September to May.
Mount Barker has a single 18-hole, 5,614m golf course that is near the residential area on Bald Hills Road. The golf course is a par 70. Mount Barker is also home to the SteamRanger
SteamRanger
SteamRanger is an historic train society in South Australia running trains on the Victor Harbor railway line. They are the only group regularly running broad gauge steam locomotives in South Australia...
historic railway which operates The Southern Encounter steam trains through Strathalbyn
Strathalbyn, South Australia
Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council. The town has a population of 3894 people.-History and Culture:The town was founded in 1839. Strathalbyn was once connected by broad gauge horse tram to Goolwa and Victor Harbor from 1869, and the line was extended to Mount Barker...
and Goolwa
Goolwa, South Australia
Goolwa is a historic river port on the Murray River near the Murray Mouth in South Australia, and joined by a bridge to Hindmarsh Island. The name "Goolwa" means "elbow" in Ngarrindjeri, the local Aboriginal language....
to Victor Harbor
Victor Harbor, South Australia
Victor Harbor is a city located on the coast of the Fleurieu Peninsula, about 80 km south of Adelaide, South Australia. The city is the largest population centre on the peninsula, with an economy based upon agriculture, fisheries and various industries...
.
Mount Barker has a single local newspaper, The Courier that is published weekly on Wednesdays. It won SA's Best Regional Newspaper in 2006, and is "The newspaper of the Adelaide Hills since 1880". There is also the Adelaide Hills transmission of the local radio station, Power FM, which transmits on 100.3 FM.
Infrastructure
The main route to AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
is via the Freeway
South Eastern Freeway
The South Eastern Freeway is a 66 kilometre four-lane divided carriageway road in South Australia linking the Adelaide-Crafers Highway to the Princes Highway at the Swanport Bridge, a one kilometre long bridge over the River Murray, near Murray Bridge...
. Many people use this road to get to work in the city every day. The local government has been lobbying to the state and federal governments to fund another freeway exit, because the current one is almost at capacity.
Public Services
Country Fire Service
The SA Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town...
station, which is one of the busiest in the state. Mount Barker has a library adjacent to the Mount Barker TAFE
TAFE South Australia
TAFE South Australia provides vocational education and training in South Australia. The acronym TAFE stands for Technical and Further Education and is used and recognised nationally throughout Australia....
campus. There is also a post office
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
which shares the same building as the doctors centre, adjacent to the Mount Barker Central mall.
Mount Barker has an Ambulance
South Australian Ambulance Service
SA Ambulance Service is a Government agency under SA Health, that is the sole provider of emergency ambulance transport, clinical care and patient transport services to over 1.5 million people, distributed across an area of 1,043,514 square kilometres in South Australia, Australia.The service...
Station and a hospital on Wellington Road, as well as the Adelaide Hills State Emergency Service
State Emergency Service
A State Emergency Service is an Australian volunteer organisation that provides emergency help during and after declared disasters. The SES is also the primary or secondary agency for emergencies, such as storm damage,flood damage, building damage, traffic hazards and road crash rescue...
unit which is one of the busiest in the state.
Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro
Adelaide Metro is the public transport system of the South Australian capital of Adelaide and the brand name of the Public Transport Division of the Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure. It is an intermodal system with services provided by bus, tram or commuter rail throughout the...
provides daily bus services from Mount Barker to Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
and back either via the surrounding hills districts such as Hahndorf
Hahndorf, South Australia
Hahndorf is a small town about 30 minutes drive out of Adelaide, South Australia along the South Eastern Freeway . The town was settled by Lutheran migrants largely from in and around a small village then named "Kay" in Prussia, many of whom were aboard the Zebra...
and Stirling
Stirling, South Australia
Stirling is a town located in the Adelaide Hills. It is administered by the Adelaide Hills Council. Its population is about 2500, though the town has largely merged with neighbouring townships such as Crafers and Aldgate. The towns closely surrounding it are: Aldgate, Crafers, Bridgewater and...
, or an express route via the South Eastern Freeway. There are also buses to surrounding hills districts such as Lobethal
Lobethal, South Australia
Lobethal is a town in the Adelaide Hills area of South Australia. It is located in the Adelaide Hills Council local government area, and is nestled on the banks of a creek between the hills and up the sides of the valley. It was once the centre of the Adelaide Hills wool processing industry, which...
, Nairne
Nairne, South Australia
Nairne is a small township in South Australia and was founded by Matthew Smillie in 1839. Nairne is about 7 km from Mount Barker, in the federal Division of Mayo and in the state electoral district of Kavel...
and Strathalbyn
Strathalbyn, South Australia
Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council. The town has a population of 3894 people.-History and Culture:The town was founded in 1839. Strathalbyn was once connected by broad gauge horse tram to Goolwa and Victor Harbor from 1869, and the line was extended to Mount Barker...
, as well as two loop buses. The local council also provides a to-your-door service for the elderly.
All of the Mount Barker buses (and the Strathalbyn buses) connect at the Mount Barker Park 'n' Ride. The facility was opened on 6 July 2008. It features 183 Car Parks, security lighting, bike storage and a large sheltered waiting area.
Education
Mount Barker has three primary schools, the Mount Barker South Primary School, Mount Barker Primary School, and St Marks Primary School, which is a LutheranLutheran Church of Australia
The Lutheran Church of Australia is the major Lutheran denomination in Australia, it also has a presence in New Zealand. It has 320 parishes, 540 congregations, 70,000 baptized members in Australia, 1,130 baptized members in New Zealand, 52,463 communicant members and 450 active pastors. Its...
school. Both St Francis and Waldorf have a primary school as well as a high school, which share the same campus.
Mount Barker has a single public
Public education
State schools, also known in the United States and Canada as public schools,In much of the Commonwealth, including Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom, the terms 'public education', 'public school' and 'independent school' are used for private schools, that is, schools...
high school, Mount Barker High School, as well as three private high schools: Cornerstone College
Cornerstone College
Cornerstone College is an independent, Lutheran, co-educational, secondary, day school, located at Mount Barker in the Adelaide Hills south-east of Adelaide, South Australia....
, which is run by the Lutheran Church of Australia, St Francis de Sales College
St Francis de Sales College
St Francis de Sales College is a Catholic co-educational school in Mount Barker, South Australia, not to be confused with a college by the same name which existed in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, until its closure in June of 1982...
which is Catholic
Catholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and Mount Barker Waldorf School
Mount Barker Waldorf School
Mount Barker Waldorf School is a private school located in the Adelaide Hills, roughly 40 km East of Adelaide, South Australia. It was founded in 1979. The school runs from kindergarten to year 12, providing places for around 340 students. It follows the education philosophies of Rudolf...
which employs Waldorf Education. All of these schools are co-educational. Overall about 1500 - 2000 school students, from Mount Barker, as well as many of the surrounding towns, such as Nairne, Littlehampton and Strathalbyn, are serviced by these high schools.