a picture of local heritage-listed house "Kandahar", the home of the West Torrens Historical Society

Underdale Places

Every effort has been made to provide complete and accurate information, please advise of any errors or omissions.

UNDERDALE

(+ former suburbs of West Underdale / Wilford)

UNDERDALE is located in Section 96 which is one of the Sections in West Torrens fronting the River Torrens. The suburb now includes part of the adjacent Section 97, but initially the area known as Underdale ran between Holbrook's Road and Hardys Road down to Henley Beach Road. This area was originally associated with the Holbrook Vineyard and Winery and the Norman Vineyard and Winery and also Thomas Hardy's Bankside Vineyards. All of these early viticulturists purchased their land during the early 1850s and all went on to be significant and successful winemakers.

In November, 1855, Section 96 was formally subdivided into an 18-allotment development, the "Village of Underdale." The origins of the name Underdale are unclear, though it has been suggested it could allude to a "dale under or near Adelaide".

The area remained essentially agricultural until the 1920s when parts of the Section were subdivided for residential use. The first of these was Sherriff's Estate which fronted Henley Beach Road through to Norman Street, and incorporated Sherriff Street and Pierce Street. The allotment between Holbrooks Road and Fernleigh Street to the west was already fairly well developed and subdivided, but the other land still remained in the hands of the Norman and Holbrook families. Bankside, Thomas Hardy's property had passed into the ownership of F Gill by the 1920s and in 1926 the part of Bankside fronting Stewards Road (Ashley Street) was also put up for subdivision. These areas close to the River Torrens were of course subject to flooding and it was not until after the Western Suburbs Drainage Scheme was introduced in 1934 that land closer to the river was able to be subdivided and facilities such as deep drainage for sewerage introduced.

The increase in population during the 1950s led to a need for secondary schools in the area in the 1960s and the Underdale High School was opened in 1966. The Western Teacher's College had been established on land close to the River Torrens between Holbrooks Road and the River immediately after the Second World War, but in 1976 this site was used for the new Torrens College of Advanced Education which [became] now the Underdale Campus of the University of South Australia [demolished in 2005]. There are a large number of 1920s and 30s houses of distinctive design, particularly along Holbrooks Road. [From 1998 Heritage Review - UPDATED]

Holbrooks Road properies were renumbered 1971/1972

Sites of Significance

Wineries

Schools / Kindergartens

St Gabriels Kindergarten, Howard Street
Torrens College of Advanced Education 1976-1982, SA College of Adult Education 1982-1991, Uni SA 1991-2005 (off Holbrooks Road) / Distance Education Centre (Correspondence School) - energy efficient building
Underdale High School, 19 Garden Terrace (land from Henry Sherriff (1862-1936)
Underdale Primary School (now Flinders Park) The school and residence were built in 1915 at a cost of 2,000 pounds. The school opened in 1916 with an average attendance of 170. After the Second World War it became known as Flinders Park School.