The Reedbeds (Adelaide)

The Reedbeds was in the 19th and early 20th centuries the generally recognised name for an area of seasonal freshwater wetlands to the west of Adelaide, South Australia comprising the floodplains of the River Torrens, and drained to Gulf St Vincent by the tidal estuaries of the Port River and the Patawalonga River.[1] The wetlands were inundated annually by the winter flows of the River Torrens, and supported an abundance of wildlife which was utilised by the Kaurna people during their summer camps along the coastal barrier dunes.

The area of the Reedbeds is roughly congruent with the present-day suburbs of Cowandilla, Fulham,[2] Lockleys, Underdale and West Beach, including the Adelaide Airport.

An early settler in the area was John White (? – 30 December 1860), who founded "Fulham Farm", followed by his son Samuel White (c. 1835 – 16 November 1880), and grandson Samuel Albert White (1870–1954)[3]

A typical settler in the area may have been James Leason (c. 1821 – 29 July 1908), an undistinguished but hard-working and enterprising farmer who took over "St James farm" in 1859, and when he left the area in 1877 his lease of 300 acres (120 ha) had 236 acres under wheat, and was running 27 horses and 36 fat cattle.[4]

Charles Fisher and his brother Hurtle, and William Blackler were noted horse breeders in the area.


The Reedbeds Cavalry was a short-lived (1860–1870) unit of the South Australian Militia (later known as the South Australian Volunteer Force) of which Gabriel Bennett and W. H. Gray of "Frogmore" were prominent officers.


References
  1. Holmes, J.W. & Iversen, M.B. (1976). "Hydrology of the Cowandilla Plains, Adelaide, before 1836". In Twidale, C.R.; Tyler, M.J. & Webb, B.P. (eds.). Natural History of the Adelaide Region. Royal Society of South Australia Inc. ISBN 0-9596627-3-1.
  2. Hasenohr, E W. H. Gray – A Pioneer Colonist of South Australia Adelaide 1977 ISBN 0 9596673 0 X
  3. Linn, Rob. (1989): Nature's Pilgrim. The life and journeys of Captain S. A. White, naturalist, author and conservationist. SA Government Printer: Adelaide. ISBN 0724365486
  4. "Advertising". South Australian Register. XLII (9656). South Australia. 25 October 1877. p. 8. Retrieved 3 March 2019 – via National Library of Australia.
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