Place Names of South Australia - C
Chambers Creek - Charra
- Chambers Creek
- Chances Garden Corner
- Chandada
- Chandler Hill
- Chandos
- Chapel Valley
- Chapman Bore
- Chapman Hill and Gully
- Chapman Plains
- Chapmanton
- Charles, Mount
- Charleston
- Charleston, Hundred of
- Charlesworth Park
- Charleys Swamp
- Charlotte, Mount
- Charlton
- Charra
Chambers Creek
Nomenclature
Named after James and John Chambers. They held many pastoral leases and as early as 1846 John Chambers ventured into the wilderness surrounding Lake Bonney (Riverland). They befriended John McD. Stuart but James Chambers did not live to celebrate the explorer's greatest triumph (the south to north crossing of the continent), because he died on 7 August 1862, just a few months before the expedition's triumphant parade down King William Street.
General Notes
The sale of James Chambers' mail and coach establishment is reported in the Observer,
9 July 1853, page 5e:
-
In July 1853 the mail and coach establishment of Mr. Chambers was purchased by Messrs Simms & Hayter for £14,000. They intend giving up their brewery and devoting their entire attention to this important undertaking. They have all the horses hitherto used on the various roads, numbering 348...
Also see South Australia - Transport - Horse Coaches.
His obituary is in the Register,
11 August 1862, page 3c; also see
Register,
6 February 1863, page 2h,
Observer,
7 February 1863, page 4f.
"A Chat With an Old Colonist (John Chambers)" is in the Observer,
14 January 1888, page 13c.
A sketch of Chambers Pillar is in the Illustrated Adelaide Post,
6 September 1871, page 8.
The reminiscences of Mrs John Chambers are in the Register, 5 July 1898, page 7a:
-
We did not waste much time when we landed, but pitched our camp somewhere near the Patawalonga and built a rush hut - that kind of architecture was simple and not
luxurious. Most of our household duties had to be performed in the open air... Oh, yes, we were happy and contented enough, mixed together and did not make silly society distinctions... The country was dry when we arrived in December, but the wild flowers and green trees gave the country a park like aspect. The evenings were very pleasant.
We used to knit and chat and sing. I remember Mary Hindmarsh had a beautiful voice and she and Mr. Stephens would sing during the evenings on the bank of the river, and I would sit listening with delight... Most of the settlers had vague ideas of Australia and thought as like as not the hills and forests were full of lions and tigers, but our menfolk were real pioneers and we were not very much afraid...
For the reminiscences of John Chambers see South Australia - Personal Reminiscences.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chances Garden Corner
Nomenclature
The Register of 4 January 1881 at p. 8c describes it as '27 allotments on land owned by William Alfred Chance on the corner immediately fronting the Parklands and Unley Road'.
Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society, volume 7, page 61 says, inter alia:
- "Mr Chance... grew the first tomato in the colony [in Halifax Street]. Their son, William [Alfred], afterwards carried on jam and tomato sauce making at Parkside."
General Notes
The factory is described in the Express,
21 February 1876, page 2d,
Register,
16 March 1876, page 5g,
23 May 1882, page 5b,
Observer,
27 May 1882, page 10b,
3 February 1883, page 13e,
Register,
30 January 1883, page 6e - it was destroyed by fire - see
Register,
10, 11 and 22 March 1884, pages 7c, 6e and 3a,
Advertiser,
22 March 1884, page 3d.
Also see Adelaide - Factories and Mills.
An obituary of Louisa Ann Chance "the founder of the factory" and after whom "the corner was named" is in the Register,
16 June 1896, page 5e:
-
Louisa Ann Chance died in June 1896 in her 80th year. She came to the colony in 1839 and was one of the few remaining early settlers in Unley, having gone there in 1844... It was in the early part of 1863 that she made her first tomato sauce in a factory at Chance's Corner. The first make was distributed among her friends, but she soon found buyers for the excellent produce. By degrees the business grew, pickles and jams, in due course, being added to the output of the factory. When the business became extensive she sold out to her son and he, in turn, disposed of the name and trade receipts to Mr. Ben Brookman and the establishment was then carried on for some time under the style of Chance & Co...
Also see
Express,
16 June 1896, page 2e.
Mrs Chance's recipe for orange marmalade is in the Advertiser,
2 August 1869, page 3a; also see
Express,
19 August 1881, page 2d.
Information on jam and tomato sauce production at the factory is in the Register,
21 and 22 May 1888, pages 6f and 7d.
"Chance v Wilkinson" is in the Register,
4 April 1889, page 4e.
"Sale at Chance's Factory" is in the Register,
23 May 1891, page 5b.
William Chance's (senior) obituary is in the Register,
26 April 1905, page 5a: "Messrs D & W Murray's boot manufactory has since replaced the old establishment."
That of his son, W.A. Chance, is in the Register,
21 January 1925, page 11b,
Advertiser,
22 January 1925, page 12d.
A photograph of the "corner" is in The Critic,
17 February 1909, page 12.
For further information on the factory, etc, see Advertiser,
25 June 1931, page 8i,
24 July 1931, page 20i.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chandada
Nomenclature
The first official record of the name is to be found in 1868 when J.G. Coulls and S. Mills took up pastoral lease no. 1719, but the land was first held by James Thompson in 1860 'near Venus Bay' (lease no. 799). Aboriginal for 'red kangaroo place'.
General Notes
The pastoral run and the district are described in the Advertiser,
27 April 1898, page 6c,
Observer,
7 May 1898, page 2d,
Register,
28 October 1926, page 8f.
Its school opened in 1919 and closed in 1963.
"Settlers' Wives Complain" is in the Advertiser, 23 May 1934, page 18g:
-
The Minister of Agriculture, Mr. Blesing, was awaited upon on the roadside by settlers' wives when they expressed their opinions on the administration of the bounty paid under the Farmers Relief Act. They complained that part of the bounty set aside to provide them and their families with clothes, blankets and other necessaries was being withheld. On what they were allowed it was impossible for them to retain their self-respect or provide their children with warm blankets and clothes. They were all dependent on the generosity of friends and relatives for what they wore and their pride was hurt... Mr. Blesing said he would enquire into both matters immediately on his return to Adelaide...
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chandler Hill
An obituary of John Chandler is in the Express, 24 March 1884, page 2d:-
John Chandler died in 1884; he was the son of one of the very oldest colonists, his father having arrived here with Mr. John deHorne in 1836 and they were the first occupiers of the allotment in King William Street on which now stands the pile of buildings extending from the Imperial Hotel to the Southern Cross...
"The Fatality at Chandler's Hill" is in the Chronicle,
3 October 1896, page 19e.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chandos
Nomenclature
Named by Governor Kintore after the Duke of Buckingham and Chandos.
General Notes
The Chandos School opened in 1920 and closed in 1941.
A photograph of winners of crop competitions is in the Chronicle,
2 October 1930, page 36.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chapel Valley
Near Summertown; see Observer,4 and 18 February 1893, pages 9d and 9d:
-
Its name was derived from the Bible Christian Chapel which is situated on its eastern slope and it contains the largest area of cleared land anywhere near Mount Lofty. Originally it was a swamp covered with teatree and at one time was known as Cobbledick Swamp... The land and its surrounding cemetery was presented by Mr. James Brooks who is buried there...
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chapman Bore
A photograph of the opening of the Institute is in the Chronicle, 7 February 1914, page 32,
of Phyllis Butler and her pet lambs on
13 September 1934, page 38.
A school of this name opened in 1923 and closed in 1946.
It was situated between Murray Bridge and Wynarka.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chapman Hill and Gully
Nomenclature
Near Echunga. William Chapman, who discovered the first goldfield in South Australia.
General Notes
Also see South Australia - Mining - Gold.
The Register of
28 May 1885, page 7f has a letter from William Chapman, junior, where he claims that he alone discovered the first gold in the area in Donkey Gully.
His reminiscences and obituary appear on
23 November 1895, page 7d:
-
William Chapman arrived in the colony in 1849, aged eighteen. Soon after his arrival he went to Echunga and assisted his father in farming pursuits, but after a time he joined in the gold rush to Victoria, gaining experience at Forest Creek and Bendigo. Upon his return he was fortunate enough to make a gold discovery with which his name has ever since been associated and his account is in the Adelaide press of 23 November 1895. Later he made a trip to the New Zealand fields and, in 1865, settled at Mount Barker and established a grain and seed store. He was one of the founders of the Mount Barker Institute, of which he was the librarian in its early days. He died in 1895.
A claim that Henry Hampton was the co-discoverer of the goldfield appears on
11 June 1896, page 5c. (See Place Names - Echunga ).
William Chapman's obituary is in the Chronicle,
23 November 1895, page 19b.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chapman Plains
Near Kapunda. Sir Montague Lowther Chapman who once owned the land. See CSO A250/1843, GRG 35/584/31 in the Public Records Office.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Chapmanton
Nomenclature
The town was proclaimed on 18 December 1879. It is situated 11 km SSE of Hawker but never developed beyond having a couple of houses, a blacksmith shop and store. The name was adopted from the nearby Chapman Creek which joins the Wonoka Creek at the site of the original settlement. As the town was named by Governor Jervois he may have had in mind a fellow General in the Royal Engineers, Sir Stephen Remnant Chapman (1776-1851).
General Notes
Its school operated from 1880 until 1906. See Advertiser, 20 August 1936, page 25b:
-
Mrs J.A. Lush (nee Miss C.J. Harry) recalled that she taught at Chapmanton School in the 1880s: At that time Hawker and its school were in the making. I went up to reside on a block of land allotted to
me by the government. The parents and residents got busy, built a schoolhouse and wrote to the Education Department and secured a grant for me. I had previously been a pupil teacher at Saddleworth, so really I was one of the pioneer teachers of the far north... In spite of many drawbacks, including flies and bad water, we were happy in those days; mainly young people making enjoyment when they could, and no cliques!
As the town was named by Governor Jervois he most probably had in mind a fellow General in the Royal Engineers, Sir Stephen Remnant Chapman (1776-1851). See Dictionary of National Biography, Vol 10 (1887) and Boas, Vol 1, 593 and a note under Place Names - Brodrick.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charles, Mount
Nomenclature
On section 165, Hundred of Onkaparinga. Charles Newman (1821-1900), whose reminiscences are held in the Mortlock Library, said 'it was named after me as I was the first white man to tend sheep there'.
General Notes
Charles Newman's obituary is in the Register, 13 September 1900, page 3h:
-
Charles Newman always manifested a desire to be of service to the district of his choice and, therefore, he offered his services and was elected a member of the Onkaparinga District Council for Charleston Ward in 1866 and continued almost without intermission until 1888... His word was his bond on all occasions and when he formed a friendship it was of that genuine nature that caused it to be a great source of pleasure to his numerous acquaintances who were privileged to enjoy his genial society...
Chambers Creek - Charra
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Place Names
Charleston
Nomenclature
A subdivision of section 5197, Hundred of Onkaparinga by Charles Dunn in 1857 three km south-east of Lobethal and laid out as Charlestown.
General Notes
"New Township of Mount Charles" is in the Observer,
30 September 1854, page 1c.
An account of its school is in the Register,
30 April 1856, page 3d,
30 December 1859, page 2e:
-
This newly-established but thriving township was all alive on 24 April 1856, the occasion being a tea meeting kindly furnished by Mrs W. Dunn, Mrs J. Hector and Mrs C. Newman to the children and their friends to inaugurate the new schoolhouse, a neat and commodious brick structure... The children, to the number of 50, began to assemble after three o'clock...
Also see Register,
11 November 1863, page 2h,
1 March 1921, page 9g and
27 May 1884, page 7b,
Advertiser,
19 February 1918, page 4e,
Register,
1 March 1921, page 9g.
The Government Gazette of 7 November 1963 at page 1425 states that the name "Charlestown" as applied to plan no. 340 of 1857 was in the future to be "Charleston".
An obituary of J.W. Disher is in the Register,
7 August 1901, page 4h,
of Richard James on 14 March 1906, page 5a,
of G.J. Attenborough in the Observer,
25 September 1920, page 19a.
Biographical details of C. Dunn are in the Register,
3 March 1910, page 13c,
of Mrs Harriet Woods on 21 May 1915, page 4g.
The diamond wedding of Mr & Mrs George Dunn is reported in the Register,
22 March 1911, page 7a.
L.C. Simpson's farm is described in the Register,
23 December 1924, page 13g,
Observer,
3 January 1925, page 7d.
"Bill Rohrlach - Mayor of Charleston" is in the Observer,
11 February 1928.
A photograph is in the Observer,
12 March 1927, page 33.
The opening of a memorial hall is reported in the Register,
18 April 1928, page 14d.
Also see South Australia - World War I - Memorials to the Fallen.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charleston, Hundred of
Nomenclature
D.M. Charleston, MP, MLC (1891-1901). Born in Cornwall in 1848 he came to Adelaide in 1884 when he worked for his brother, a lime merchant, and for the Government as a supervising engineer on the Hackney Bridge. He was one of the first members of the United Trades and Labor Council and was elected to Parliament as a United Labor Party member. In 1897 he was declared a 'traitor' by his leader Tom Price and resigned from the party. In the ensuing by-election he defeated the Labor candidate and returned to Parliament as an independent Liberal.
General Notes
Also see South Australia - Politics - Labor Party.
Biographical details of Mr Charleston are in the Observer,
23 May 1891, page 33b, 28 August 1897, page 33e,
Weekly Herald, 15 April 1896, page 1, 18 May 1901, page 8c,
Register, 2 March 1914, page 8f and
Advertiser, 4 April 1929, page 10a,
The News, 28 May 1929, page 12e.
Details of his resignation from parliament and his re-election are in the Register,
19 August 1897, page 4d,
13 and 14 September 1897, pages 4d and 7d:
-
Over Mr. Charleston the United Labour Party has lost its head and its unity. It looks as if the so called Conservative Party were about to do the ditto. Mr. Charleston is a most estimable man, but the National Defence League was formed to keep men of Mr. Charleston's views out of parliament... Sympathy with an ill-used politician is one thing, wholesale sacrifice of consistency and political principles is another...
"The Verdict of the Ballot Box" is in the Register,
13 September 1897, page 4d.
"The Labor Party and Mr Charleston" is in the Observer,
11 September 1897, page 16a,
an obituary of his wife is in the Observer,
30 October 1897, page 29d.
An interview with him is reported in The Mail,
31 January 1914, page 8e.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charlesworth Park
Nomenclature
A subdivision of part section 278, Hundred of Adelaide; now included in Campbelltown. Charles C.M. Cresdee laid it out in 1926.
General Notes
Information on the subdivision is in the Register, 2 October 1926, page 14:
-
The above property has been in the hands of one family for 87 years and the Adelaide Development Company has secured it. The subdivision is not in the wilds of Adelaide where most of the so-called home sites sold by mushroom land companies are situated. It is right on a tram line (not a proposed one, as you usually find). To emphasise the value, another company is selling land situated two miles from this same tram line, for the same price at which our property is being sold...
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charleys Swamp
The Register of 20 September 1904 at page 4g reports an opal find at this place "in Stuart's Creek":
-
The government geologist has received from Mr. Oliffe, the discoverer, specimens taken from the opal locality at Charley's Swamp, Stuart's Creek... The opal shows a certain amount of 'fire' although not sufficient to allow it to be classed as precious opal, but it approximates the real thing...
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charlotte, Mount
Records of the Primitive Methodist Church show it as a chapel in the Mintaro district.
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charlton
Nomenclature
In 1844, Samuel, Frederick and Edwin White took out an occupation licence in the Wirrabara district and named it the 'Charlton Run'. They hailed from Charlton Marshall, Dorset, England.
General Notes
The school in the Port Lincoln district opened in 1907 and closed in 1943.
Information on a school and chapel at the Charlton Mine, near Wirrabara, is in the Register,
5 July 1858, page 2f:
-
At Charlton Mine a chapel has been erected by the Primitive Methodists and a Sabbath school has been formed which is in a very prosperous state...
Chambers Creek - Charra
C
Place Names
Charra
Nomenclature
Near Penong on Eyre Peninsula. The 'Charra Run' was first held by R.B. Smith and W.R. Swan in 1864 (lease no. 1744). The name was applied by the Aborigines to a rockhole in the vicinity. The town was proclaimed on 19 September 1889 and resumed on 16 May 1929 but the name still applies to a railway siding, about 22 km from Kevin.
General Notes
The district is described in the Register, 24 August 1891, page 7f.
Its school opened in 1897 and closed in 1902.
The Charra Plains School operated from 1933 until 1940, while the
Charra Woolshed School opened in 1904;
changed to "Uworra" in 1931 it closed in 1944. See Observer,
25 May 1912, page 41e,
Register,
2 July 1912, page 3d.
A photograoh is in the Chronicle,
15 December 1932, page 32.
Information on the Hall is in the Advertiser,
4 March 1904, page 11c:
-
About 16 miles from the Bagster Hall on the property of Mr. James Dunnett is the Charra Hall, erected by the residents in the first place for a school... The Methodists hold a service there about once a month and the building is at the disposal, rent free, of clergymen of all denominations for the holding of services...
Information on water divining is in the Chronicle,
6 August 1910, page 15a.
Also see South Australia - Water Conservation.
Biographical details of James Denton are in the Register,
1 April 1924, page 6g.
A photograph of the post office is in the Chronicle,
11 July 1929, page 36,
of a football team on
17 August 1933, page 38.
