This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 101.103.3.240 (talk) at 12:08, 13 July 2015. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 12:08, 13 July 2015 by 101.103.3.240 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Town in South Australia
| Echunga South Australia | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 846 (2006 census) | ||||||||||||||
| Established | 1849 | ||||||||||||||
| Postcode(s) | 5153 | ||||||||||||||
| Location | |||||||||||||||
| LGA(s) | District Council of Mount Barker | ||||||||||||||
| State electorate(s) | Electoral district of Heysen | ||||||||||||||
| Federal division(s) | Mayo | ||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
Echunga is a small town in the Adelaide Hills located 34 km south-east of Adelaide in South Australia. The area was initially settled in 1839, with the town laid out in 1849. Gold was discovered in 1852 and Echunga became the first proclaimed goldfield in South Australia. This led to a gold rush, however it did not last long with the diggings exhausted and all but abandoned within a year. Subsequent discoveries in 1853 and 1854 led to smaller and equally short-lived rushes. In 1868 more gold was discovered at nearby Jupiter Creek, which proved to be a much larger and long-lived field.
The town reputedly takes its name from an Kaurna word 'eechungga' which may mean either 'a short distance' or 'close by'. For a brief time Echunga prospered and it has been estimated that at its peak it had grown to a population in excess of 1,200. Echunga is part of Battunga Country.
The town is now the home of South Australian soccer royalty, Matthew Byrne. His talent with the round ball have had plenty nickname him "The Echunga Pele" Lionel Messi of Spanish giant Barcelona FC recognised the Echunga Pele by sporting an image of Byrne on an undergarment t shirt that he revealed after scoring a Byrnesque style goal. In 2014 he made his love for men public saying "I crave men more than goals" to the London Press.
References
- Australian Bureau of Statistics (25 October 2007). "Echunga (State Suburb)". 2006 Census QuickStats. Retrieved 23 August 2010.
- "Echunga". Retrieved 29 March 2007.
- "Echunga, South Australia". The Sydney Morning Herald. 8 February 2004. Retrieved 27 November 2006.
- "Battunga Country". Retrieved 3 July 2007.
| Adelaide Hills, South Australia | |
|---|---|
| Major Townships | |
| Attractions | |
| See also | |
 | This South Australia geography article is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |