Adelaide, South Australia

Meadows

Meadows, well known for its magnificent countryside, is central to a rich diary industry. Forestry in another agricultural pursuit. Famous Antatctic explorer Douglas Mawson was a resident at one time, spending his days at Harewood, a 1200 acre property near Meadows. The main street is named in his honour.

Where is it?: Meadows is fairly close to Mount Barker, Hahndorf and Stirling. It is serviced twice a day by Adelaide metro Route 850 to Aldgate, which connects to a city service.

Meadows boasts several historic buildings, craft shops, a winery and bakery. Every year, the town hosts the Meadows Country Fair and Meadows Easter Fair.

The land incorporating Meadows was part of the Seventh Special Survey undertaken by Charles Flaxman on 31 January 1839. Alternatively known as Battunga Country, Battunga is an official alternate name for Meadows. Though early agricultural pursuits were varied, the "fine meadow flats " in the area were ideal for dairying. In 1846, author F. Dutton wrote, "Messrs. Stamford have a large farm and dairy &I have seen tons of cheese on their premises." Until the 1880s, dairy products were mainly sold at local markets, however, improved road and rail systems widened distribution of products.

Township development began with further land subdivision in 1859 and by early 1868 the township included an inn, two stores, a blacksmith, butcher, tan yard, three shoemakers, a carpenter, a flour mill, a licensed surveyor, a school house and two places of worship  Primitive and Methodist.

Battunga Country

Kuitpo Forest: The 5000 hectare Kuitpo Forest, known for bushwalking, cycling, and horse riding, lies to the south, west and north of Meadows. The nearby Prospect Hill Museum tells the story of the regional dairy industry and includes a re-created milk room. The museum is housed in several buildings including the 1872 post office and general store, blacksmith's shop, an 1893 school room, and a dairy museum.

Kyeema Conservation Park: lies further south of Prospect Hill, on the far side of Kuitpo Forest with access from Woodgate Hill Road. It is a haven for bird watchers, with around 70 species recorded as living in the area. It's quite an isolated place with two trails mapped through fairly dense bush. The Heysen Trail Passes Through Kyeema Conservation Park.

An area at the western end of the Kyeema Conservation Park was once known as the Kyeema Prison Camp. Established in 1932, the camp was intended for well behaved prisoners from Yatala and held about thirteen prisoners on average. There were originally only two guards, and the prisoners were placed on their honour to behave. Continuing along Blackfellows Creek Road leads to another forgotten part of our history - Kuitpo Colony. Started during the Depression in 1930 by Samuel Forsyth of the Central Methodist Mission, Kuitpo Industrial Colony was intended to help unemployed men learn skills and maintain their self respect while looking for work. Over 7,000 men are said to have been helped at the colony.

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Redgum Headstone, Meadows Cemetery (Steve Hudson)

Meadows Heritage Walk: Meadows is the home of a short heritage walk which makes an ideal day trip or perhaps a stopover point on the way through the Fleurieu Peninsula. Starting at Battunga Park at the junction of the main roads, the first interpretive signs tell us a little about the Peramangk people, their beliefs in the area, and the naming of the district as Battunga country, meaning place of big trees. Meadows was first surveyed in 1839 with the first buildings appearing in the early 1840's.

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Charles Flaxman

The beginning of the Meadows is the story of Charles Flaxman who, on January 21, 1839, acquired a special survey of the region. In return, Flaxman got 15,000 acres of country surveyed, and received priority in the selection of 4,000 acres. Flaxman was the confidential clerk of George Fife Angas in London. He was an accomplished German, scholar, and when Angas decided to offer the hospitality of South Australia to the persecuted Lutherans of Prussia in the late thirties, Flaxman, owing to his reputed knowledge of the language, was the man selected by the founder of South Australia to conduct the negotiations.

Finally, towards the end of 1838, when the German settlers came over the sea in search of this new Land of Promise, where they could practice their religion without fear of the persecution to which they were subjected at home, Flaxman accompanied them to Adelaide as the recognised agent of Angas. He settled his charges on one of Angas sections.

Flaxman nearly ruined George Fife Angas. When he left London the confidential clerk was given a power of attorney to act as agent for Angas. That document did not authorise him to acquire land. Nevertheless, Flaxman on his arrival saw the opportunities which then existed for making money by speculating in the real estate of the young province. He acquired large tracts of good country and paid for them by bills drawn on the English merchant Angas, suddenly and unexpectedly confronted by a succession of heavy demands for cash, was seriously embarrassed, and, but for his remarkable standing in the city, and his high reputation as a man of business, would inevitably have crashed.

As it was he met the obligations with difficulty  but he met them. But, according to the Angas papers now in the Archives, there was one curious feature about these land transactions. While the bills which paid for the properties were drawn on the merchant the grants were made out in the name of Flaxman. Meadows estate was one of these properties. Angas gave the ex-clerk particular "beans" for his action, and that a bitter correspondence between the two men followed. In 1839 Flaxman returned to England.