The village of Aldgate is to be found in the centre of the Mount Lofty Ranges.

An Englishman by the name of Richard Hawkins set up an inn in 1864, in front of which he sank a well which provided water for coaches and bullock teams that passed through the area. He had frequently passed the Aldgate Pump in London whilst residing in that city, and it was from this that he derived the name for the inn, which in turn later was the source of the village's name. The village was not actually declared until 1882.


Historical Attractions

Richard Dixon's inn is still standing, although it has been altered considerably since its early days, with a second storey being added and today, the foundations and parts of the verandah and walls being all that really remains of the original building. There are two old stone houses located on Suffolk Road, which were amongst the first to be built in the village in 1882. The Wesleyan Church was built in 1884 by Walter Torode, who was one of the first to try out reinforced concrete in his building projects. The Church of the Ascension was built in 1889, with a porch and sanctuary being added in 1969.

The village's railway station was opened in 1883, with an opening ceremony that was far from perfect. The first train due in to the station was three hours late, delaying the whole proceedings. Like so many other lines, it has since ceased to operate.

Stangate House was built by the Reverend and Mrs. Cornish in 1940. They had a great interest in gardening and planted numerous English, European and American trees and shrubs, and today the garden is in the hands of the National Trust. There are numerous other houses in the area around Aldgate which are well worth taking in - these include Cricklewood, Cooloolie and Teefont.

At the turn of the century, Lee's Greengrocery Store was opened for business and was where travellers over the years would stop over for refreshment en route to Adelaide. The Hardware Store is nearby on Mount Barker Road. It too dates back to the turn of the century and it is still in use as a shop today.

To take in these historic features of the village and more, the best thing to do is to go on a walk through the village where you will encounter them all.

Natural Attractions

The garden which was started by the Cornish's has a wonderful array of plants, trees and shrubs and its beauty can be experienced by you during the spring months when it is open to the public. The garden is maintained by the Adelaide Hills branch of the Australian Camellia Reserach Society and the National Trust.

There are numerous walks that you can go on whilst visiting the village. These will introduce you to the wonderful giant native trees, shrubs and other flora in the surrounding area.

Other Attractions

The Aldgate Autumn Leaves Festival is an anuual occurrence. This reaaly is a time when the splendour of the area's deciduous trees can truly appreciated, with an amazing array of autumnal colours exploding onto the scene.

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