WHEN IS SOMETHING IN EDWARDSTOWN NOT IN EDWARDSTOWN!!!

The earliest note I have found in newspapers of  Edwardstown was in 1838,  when Mr William Edwards - and that gives a clue to the origin of the name of the suburb - decided to subdivide his Section 51. It  was the area which we now call Glandore. Between Anzac Highway and Cross Road, on the southern side of South Road.  His advert in the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register p 186b was specifically targeted towards the 'Working Classes".  

Edwardstown quickly became a village. South Australian Register (Adelaide, SA : 1839 - 1900), Monday 22 April 1850, page 3 has a list of ratepayers, one of whom was  Edward's Town Village and they had 100 acres.  Hammersmith Village (Section 52, now Edwardstown) had 90 acres.  Also, at the end of that year we had our own mail run and postmaster.  The times given show that the mail left Adelaide at 10.45am,  arrived back at 12.30pm then on to Adelaide.  The roads had grown from tracks,  and simply dirt (mud or dust depending on weather), or crushed rock covering the surface.
Creeks crisscrossed the land.

Edwardstown was once the area we call Glandore; Edwardstown was Clarence Park around Edward Street up to Price Avenue (now Melrose Park).  Edwardstown was from Cross Roads, between Marion and South Roads to Raglan Avenue.  Edwardstown was then from Raglan Ave to Daws Road.

We had Edwardstown East, Edwardstown West - in the Mitcham council area and the Brighton (early Marion) council area and there was also the Edwardstown working men's blocks.   Other names for Edwardstown have been Bessington, Hammersmith, Woodlands ,pt of Cudmore Park,  Alexander/Alexandra Park,  Blythville (only for one year) Ackland Gardens,Mirreen, St Marys West, Working men's Blocks  and Harcourt Gardens.  Boundaries moved often and people would say they came from one area or another - even those who lived in the same street.

There is an Edwardstown School in Edward Street, but not in today's  Edwardstown.  That public school is in Edward Street, Melrose Park - Mitcham Council area.
There is however an Emmaus Christian College in South Plympton.  Originally in 1958 a new Girl's High School was built in Wheaton Street, Vermont.    My sister went to Vermont Kindergarten back in the 1950s.

The Edwardstown Institute - not in Edwardstown of today.   Edwardstown churches - two here.  Edwardstown Oval, Bowling club, cycling club, and the Soldiers Memorial grounds are all in South Plympton.

We do have Edwardstown Community  Church on corner of Towers Tce  and Delaine Ave., Edwardstown. The Edwardstown railway Station & Woodlands tennis courts are in Edwardstown.  However, Woodlands train station is in Edwardstown. There was a preschool/kindy on cnr Aberfeldy Ave and Towers Tce - it was called Harcourt Gardens - but it was moved to join up with Forbes School on the Cnr Marion and Thomas Sts South Plympton.  Luckily, Edwardstown Meals on Wheels is actually in Edwardstown!   It was a similar theme with South Plympton on one side of the road and the other side was in Vermont.  Vermont, South Plympton and Forbes now all South Plympton.