Two Wells, South Australia

Two Wells is a town approximately 40 kilometres (25 miles) north of the Adelaide city centre in South Australia adjacent to Port Wakefield Road and passed by the Adelaide-Port Augusta railway line. The first settlers in the area used two aboriginal wells in the area as a freshwater source.[6] At the 2016 census, Two Wells had a population of 1926.[7]

Two Wells
South Australia
Two Wells is located in South Australia
Two Wells
Two Wells
Coordinates34°35′46″S 138°30′57″E / 34.596206°S 138.515919°E / -34.596206; 138.515919[1]
Population2,947 (UCL 2021)[2]
Postcode(s)5501
Elevation9 m (30 ft)
Time zoneACST (UTC 9:30)
 • Summer (DST)ACST (UTC 10:30)
Location
LGA(s)Adelaide Plains Council[1]
RegionBarossa Light and Lower North[1]
CountyGawler[1]
State electorate(s)Taylor[3]
Federal division(s)Grey[4]
Mean max temp[5] Mean min temp[5] Annual rainfall[5]
22.7 °C
73 °F
11.2 °C
52 °F
434.4 mm
17.1 in
Localities around Two Wells:
Lower Light Korunye Reeves Plains
Middle Beach Two Wells Lewiston
Port Gawler Riverlea Park Virginia
FootnotesAdjoining localities[1]

The two wells

edit

Originally the wells were natural and permanent waterholes. In the 1880s the wells were deepened and strengthened to facilitate regular use by travelling stock. By 1900 a water pipeline supplied the area, and the wells were neglected. In the 1960s a local youth group rehabilitated the wells and surrounding area, but after a time they were again neglected. In 1979 the area was again rehabilitated, partly fenced, and signed as a reserve. It continues to be maintained by interested locals.[8]

 
The Two Wells Cemetery

Governance

edit

The boundaries were of the town officially fixed on 21 June 1990.[9] Two Wells is located in the federal division of Grey, the state electoral district of Taylor and the local government area of the Adelaide Plains Council.[3][1][4]

Media

edit

The local newspaper is the Two Wells and Districts Echo, began as a newsletter in 1978, before changing to newspaper tabloid format in 2010.[10] Servicing around 4,000 households in both Two Wells and Lewiston, between 2002 and 2010, it was known as "Your Local Echo", and prior to that as simply "Newsletter (Two Wells Community Advancement Association)". Along with a sister publication, Plains Producer, it is produced by Papers & Publications, whose main office is on Howe Street, Balaklava.[11][12]

Notable persons

edit

James Park Woods who was born in Two Wells in 1886, enlisted in the Australian Imperial Forces in 1916 and was awarded a Victoria Cross for gallantry during preliminary attacks on the Hindenburg Line in September 1918. Woods survived the war and returned to a career in viticulture in Western Australia.[citation needed]

ABC TV host Annabell Crabb was born and went to school in Two Wells.

References

edit
  1. ^ a b c d e f "Search results for 'Two Wells, LOCB' with the following datasets being selected – 'Suburbs and Localities', 'Counties', 'Local Government Areas', 'Government Towns', 'SA Government Regions' and 'Gazetteer'". Location SA Map Viewer. Government of South Australia. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  2. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Two Wells (urban centre and locality)". Australian Census 2021.  
  3. ^ a b Taylor (Map). Electoral District Boundaries Commission. 2016. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Federal electoral division of Grey, boundary gazetted 20 July 2018". Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. ^ a b c "Monthly climate statistics: Summary statistics Edinburgh RAAF (nearest weather station)". Commonwealth of Australia, Bureau of Meteorology. Retrieved 31 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Two Wells". The State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 22 December 2014.
  7. ^ Australian Bureau of Statistics (27 June 2017). "Two Wells (L) (Urban Centre/Locality)". 2016 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 11 December 2007.  
  8. ^ "The Two Wells of Two Wells". Weekend Notes. 13 December 2016. Retrieved 4 July 2022.
  9. ^ "Placename Details: Two Wells". Property Location Browser. Government of South Australia. 2 November 2006. SA0062501. Retrieved 17 October 2016.
  10. ^ Laube, Anthony. "LibGuides: SA Newspapers: T-Z". guides.slsa.sa.gov.au. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  11. ^ "About Us". Two Wells & Districts Echo. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
  12. ^ "Contact Us". Two Wells & Districts Echo. Retrieved 17 August 2018.

Further reading

edit
  • Williams, B.; (1991), Two Wells - Then and Now: A history of the Hundred of Port Gawler, B/T Publishing, Two Wells, SA (ISBN 0 646 03156 2)
  • Two Wells, Mallala and District History Book Committee, (1985), Life around the Light; a History of the Mallala District Council Area, The Community Development Board of the Council District of Mallala, Mallala, SA (ISBN 0 9588959 0 2)
edit
  • 'Place Names of South Australia - Two Wells' in The Manning Index of South Australian History, [1], retrieved 27 August 2012.