Smithfield West, South Australia
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Smithfield Adelaide, South Australia |
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 Smithfield
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| Coordinates | 34°41′09″S 138°41′12″E / 34.6859°S 138.6868°ECoordinates: 34°41′09″S 138°41′12″E / 34.6859°S 138.6868°E | ||||||||||||||
| Population | 1,754 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5114 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | 30 km (19 mi) NE of Adelaide city centre | ||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | City of Playford | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Taylor | ||||||||||||||
| Federal Division(s) | Wakefield | ||||||||||||||
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Smithfield is a suburb in the northern outskirts of Adelaide, South Australia. It is in the City of Playford.
Smithfield has Main North Road as its eastern boundary, with service stations, the historic Smithfield Hotel and several other businesses and private residences. Anderson Walk is the southern boundary of the original village, which was arranged in a grid with Augusta Square in the centre. West of the older residential area is an industrial zone along the railway line, with Smithfield railway station on the south side of Anderson Walk. Munno Para Shopping City is on the south side of Smith Creek. There are more residential areas south and west of the railway station, and an Army Reserve depot west of the shopping centre which is home to the 3rd/9th Light Horse (South Australian Mounted Rifles) and 49 ACU Army Cadets.
Settlement of Smithfield occurred circa 1850 when Scottish immigrant, John Smith took ownship of land where the main road north intersected with a freshwater course now known as Smith Creek (or Grant Creek). Smith built a homestead on his property in 1850 and set up part of it as a hotel to take advantage of traffic passing by on the main road. Smith planned a town and by 1853 section 3165 of the Hundred of Munno Para was surveyed and subdivided into town allotments. He donated land in 1855 to build the Presbyterian church and, by 1860, the fledgling town had a telegraph station, railway station, institute building, a store, and several other service providers.Gawler Plains post office had opened on 12 July 1850 and was renamed Smithfield in 1855.
A 1 mile (1.6 km) speedway track was built in the Smithfield area in 1926 by the Motorcycle Club of South Australia. The exact location may have been in what is now Elizabeth Downs. The Smithfield Speedway was believed to be the first in the world to be promoted by a motorcycle club. The first meeting was scheduled for Wednesday 13 October 1926, but postponed to Saturday 16 October due to poor weather. The first race meeting was held before the grandstands were built, and the new track generated a lot of dust. The track was on the east side of the Gawler Road, a little south of Smithfield township, in a paddock of 80 acres (32 ha). It appears to have only operated until about 1930.
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