Springfield, South Australia

Springfield is a green and hilly inner-southern suburb of the South Australian capital city of Adelaide. It is located in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges, around 8 km south-east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is part of the hills-face zone, with sweeping views over the Adelaide plains. Springfield is an affluent area containing many of South Australia's most valuable residential properties.

Springfield is bounded to the North by the suburbs of Kingswood and Netherby, to the west by Torrens Park and Mitcham, to the south by Mitcham and Brown Hill Creek, and to the east by Leawood Gardens and Urrbrae.

History
Situated on the east side of the Mitcham district, the land was first purchased from the crown in 1841 by Richard F. Newland, manager of the Bank of Australasia. By 1870, Charles B. Hardy was making extensive additions to a residence named "Springfield", laying out extensive gardens and adding to the acreage of the estate. Fifty years ago, the area was purchased from Mr. Frank Rymill by Springfield Limited which boasted a subdivisional design "entirely different from any previous scheme or organised suburban development in South Australia". <!-- Text from http://www.mitchamcouncil.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=1399 removed: Many months of painstaking work were absorbed in the perfection of the subdivisional design by the Government Town Planner, Mr Walter Scott- Griffiths, who quickly grasped the unique potentialities of Springfield.

Etymology
"Springfield", "Strathpey", "Delamere", "Coreega" and "Carrick Hill" are properties all established in what has evolved into today's suburb.

The springs which seeped out of the Mitcham foothills are thought to have inspired the name of the mansion, construction of which was commenced by Charles Burton Newenham between 1842 and 1853. Subsequently the name Springfield was adopted for the whole area.

Development
"An exclusive new residential community within the four mile radius of the city's centre", was how the subdivision of Springfield was promoted in the 1928 publicity booklet.

The street names of "Woodland" "Meadowvale", "Elmglade", "Oakdene", "Glenwood", "Hillside", and "Brookside" reflect the undulations of the district's foothills and expectations of the still strong English sentiments: "A beautiful setting for beautiful homes".

Development of the area was well advanced by early August 1928 and Mr. Scott-Griffiths congratulated those responsible, for implementing his design, Messrs. Wilkinson, Sando and Wyles. He believed it was "the first private subdivision in Australia to secure its streets from the blemish and eyesore of telephone and electric supply poles" The quaint wrought-iron standard lanterns, street-name signs".. and the "delightful rustic stone bridges, all of which harmonise admirably with Springfield's individual atmosphere" were designed for the purpose by Mr. E. Phillips Danker of Messrs. F.W. Danker & Son, architects and still remain as part of our heritage.

To ensure the development of Springfield as a first residential community every allotment was to be sold subject to rigid conditions enforced by encumbrances. These "Protective Building Restrictions" were out lined in the promotion booklet. That there should be "only one house per allotment" and "no house to be built nearer to the front of an allotment than the building alignment which will be indicated. This is purely a co-operative precaution so that every house may enjoy the utmost benefit of view, outlook and its neighbours gardens".

It was perhaps unfortunate that this subdivision was promoted at the beginning of the Great Depression and not at the beginning of the land boom after World War I. Allotments were slow being sold. Restrictions on building materials during World War II and the subsequent demand for residential land in the post war years of the 1950s caused the apparently outdated "Protective Building Restrictions" of the 1920s to be relaxed or forgotten.

Today, to drive up Springfield Avenue, the main artery of the subdivision, or travel radially from it along the 1920s "pleasantly winding roadways" one becomes conscious that anyone who was anyone had to stake a claim in "a beautiful setting for beautiful homes". The spiral of demand for the real estate and subsequent rising land values appears to have caused further subdivision of the large allotments to seemingly postage stamp size. The stately home, "Springfield" once considered as a substitute government house between 1924 and 1926 is almost completely hidden by private residences, architecturally designed no doubt. -->

Demographics
In the 2006 Australian census; there were 541 people residing in Springfield, of which 255 were Male and 286 were Female. 59.8% of the population were either Professionals or Managers, working primarily in the Medical, Legal and Accounting sectors.

Residents were also relatively religious; citing the Anglican, Catholic and Uniting Churches of Western Christianity as their preferred choice of religion. In addition, 16.1% of residents identified themselves as having no religious affiliation.

Attractions


Carrick Hill is a property accessible to the public that was established in the 1930s by Bill Hayward and his wife, Lady Ursula.

Governance
Springfield lies in the City of Mitcham, the State Electoral division of Waite and the Federal Division of Boothby.

Education
Springfield is also home to Mercedes College Mercedes is a Catholic school. The rear portion of the University of Adelaide's agriculturally dominated Waite Campus.

Australian actor Peter O'Brien, who won the Silver Logie for "Most Popular Actor" in 1987 for his role as Shane Ramsay in the soap opera Neighbours, was a teacher at the school before turning to acting in the early 1980s.