Our Town
Nestled amongst the Northern Mt Lofty Ranges, and lying off the main Gawler to Morgan Road (Thiele Highway), is the beautiful town of Eudunda. This most southern town of the Goyder Region is a self-sufficient community with its own hospital, two schools, shoppng precinct and sporting facilities. The town itself exhibits an ambience of a peaceful town that shows pride in its German heritage. Much of this history can be discovered at the Family Heritage Gallery in their large display area and in the 'Gosling Cottage', an old cottage which has been lovingly restored. A delightful spot is the newly enlarged town gardens, with childrens playground, free electric barbecues, lawned areas, shady seating and an adjoining Memorial Garden, linked by a new commemorative walkway acknowledging local people who served for our country during WW2.
Around the township are fertile farming lands that change their look with the seasons, brown after cultivation, lush green when cropped or kept as pasture, the brilliant yellow of canola flowering, the beige hues of crops ready for harvest, or simply the sun reflecting off the stubble. Just a short drive east will take you into the blues and greys of saltbush country, broken up by dry creeks which only run during flash flooding, and alive with native wildlife such as kangaroos, emus, wombats, echidnas and many types of birds.
The local Visitors Information Service can be found in the Eudunda Hotel Motel, where local tourism information is easily located. Tourism markers in the shape of the town's brand 'Gustav and his Dog' indicate sites of visitor interest.
Our History
As early as 1838, horses and cattle being brought from QLD and NSW, via North West Bend (Morgan), to the rail head at Kapunda, would rest and water at a freshwater spring. These springs were called 'Eudundacowi' (meaning 'water from the ground') by the resident Aboriginal people, the Ngadjuri. By 1870, the area became known as Eudunda. A wine shanty which had been developed by H Watson circa 1865, was replaced by a hotel (J Hannah). In 1872 A & G Neumann erected a flour mill, and in 1874 Mr Appelt opened his general store, having also been appointed Postmaster. The earliest settlers were Lutheran Germans immigrating to South Australia to escape religious persecution and severe droughts in their homeland. With the opening of the railway in 1878 connecting the Riverland to the Adelaide markets the town and district thrived and became the centre for many large commercial ventures. Eudunda Farmers Cooperative was founded in Eudunda and went onto become a powerful force in the retail industry Australia wide. Laucke's chaff mill still stands in Kapunda Street and the site of the Eudunda Bakery has been a continuous bakery for over 111 years.
Literature enthusiasts will be delighted to know that Eudunda is the birthplace of famous Australian author Colin Thiele. His childhood home still stands. Novels such as 'Sun on the Stubble', The Shadow on the Hills', Uncle Gustav's Ghost', and 'The Valley Between' are timeless classics of Thiele's childhood in Eudunda, the town he renamed Gonunda in his writings. Today, Eudunda salutes Colin Thiele with a bronze statue in the town gardens, and silhouettes of Gustav and his dog which greet visitors as they enter the town.
