Owen, South Australia
Encyclopedia
Owen is a rural community in the heart of the Adelaide Plains
. Owen is 150 feet (45.7 m) above sea-level and receives a reliable 416 mm (about 16.5 inches) of rain annually and was first settled in about 1865. It is about 80 km north of Adelaide
in South Australia
and is approximately 30 minutes by road to the nearest main regional centre of Gawler
. It is in the Wakefield Regional Council
. At the 2006 census
, Owen had a population of 227.
The small town of approximately 400 residents is well serviced for a small community and includes a post office, bowling club, Senior Citizen's Club, a circuit Doctor, Country Fire Service
(CFS) station, primary school, public swimming baths, a hotel, a grocery/deli, children's playgrounds, a sports bar and The Owen Links Golf course(home of the Plains invitational, some of the most famous winners being Tiger Woodsy, Arnold Parker, Seve BalisLanos and Ian Bubner-Finch)and a Wetlands reserve area. In its heyday in the 1950s, Owen also had a bank, police station, drapery and a butcher.
The countryside surrounding Owen was once largely given over to sheep and cattle grazing. However, since the early 1990s the area has become better known for cropping (wheat, barley, canola, beans and, more recently, olives). The Adelaide
-Balaklava
broad-gauge railway line passes through Owen and the railway yard is marked by a series of massive concrete grain silos whimsically referred to by locals as Geoffrey and Phillip they are typical of this region. The town's other main feature is a typical 1940s large concrete water tower of 98 feet (29.9 m) in height Known as Cyril Owen.
The drift to country living and the expanding Adelaide city environs has seen a number of young families moving into the town. New homes are being established at the rate of 1-2 per year - a veritable building boom given the almost 40 years in which only a handful of homes were built in the town. In 1997, the primary school had only 35 pupils. By 2005, this number had risen to over 50, a sure sign of a stable future. Owen's main claim to fame is the annual small-horse carriage driving championships which are held on the town's oval around Easter time.
Owen's local newspaper is the Plains Producer, founded in 1903. http://www.plainsproducer.com.au
Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus now live in Owen!
Adelaide Plains
The Adelaide Plains is the area in South Australia between the Mount Lofty Ranges on the east and Gulf St Vincent on the west. The plains are generally fertile with annual rainfall of about per year....
. Owen is 150 feet (45.7 m) above sea-level and receives a reliable 416 mm (about 16.5 inches) of rain annually and was first settled in about 1865. It is about 80 km north of Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
and is approximately 30 minutes by road to the nearest main regional centre of Gawler
Gawler, South Australia
Gawler is the first country town in the state of South Australia, and is named after the second Governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler. It is located north of the centre of the state capital, Adelaide, and is close to the major wine producing district of the Barossa Valley...
. It is in the Wakefield Regional Council
Wakefield Regional Council
Wakefield Regional Council is a local government administrative body in South Australia.-Towns and communities:The Wakefield Regional Council includes the following townships located in the area:*Alma*Avon*Balaklava*Barabba Hill*Barunga*Barunga Gap...
. At the 2006 census
Census in Australia
The Australian census is administered once every five years by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The most recent census was conducted on 9 August 2011; the next will be conducted in 2016. Prior to the introduction of regular censuses in 1961, they had also been run in 1901, 1911, 1921, 1933,...
, Owen had a population of 227.
The small town of approximately 400 residents is well serviced for a small community and includes a post office, bowling club, Senior Citizen's Club, a circuit Doctor, Country Fire Service
Country Fire Service
The SA Country Fire Service is a volunteer based fire service in the state of South Australia in Australia. Many parts of Australia are sparsely populated whilst at the same time they are under significant risk of bushfire. Due to economics, it is prohibitively expensive for each Australian town...
(CFS) station, primary school, public swimming baths, a hotel, a grocery/deli, children's playgrounds, a sports bar and The Owen Links Golf course(home of the Plains invitational, some of the most famous winners being Tiger Woodsy, Arnold Parker, Seve BalisLanos and Ian Bubner-Finch)and a Wetlands reserve area. In its heyday in the 1950s, Owen also had a bank, police station, drapery and a butcher.
The countryside surrounding Owen was once largely given over to sheep and cattle grazing. However, since the early 1990s the area has become better known for cropping (wheat, barley, canola, beans and, more recently, olives). The Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
-Balaklava
Balaklava, South Australia
The town of Balaklava is located in South Australia, 92 kilometres north of Adelaide in the Mid North region. It is on the banks of the Wakefield River, 25 kilometres east of Port Wakefield.-History:...
broad-gauge railway line passes through Owen and the railway yard is marked by a series of massive concrete grain silos whimsically referred to by locals as Geoffrey and Phillip they are typical of this region. The town's other main feature is a typical 1940s large concrete water tower of 98 feet (29.9 m) in height Known as Cyril Owen.
The drift to country living and the expanding Adelaide city environs has seen a number of young families moving into the town. New homes are being established at the rate of 1-2 per year - a veritable building boom given the almost 40 years in which only a handful of homes were built in the town. In 1997, the primary school had only 35 pupils. By 2005, this number had risen to over 50, a sure sign of a stable future. Owen's main claim to fame is the annual small-horse carriage driving championships which are held on the town's oval around Easter time.
Owen's local newspaper is the Plains Producer, founded in 1903. http://www.plainsproducer.com.au
Selena Gomez and Miley Cyrus now live in Owen!
Notable people
- Steele HallSteele HallRaymond Steele Hall was the 36th Premier of South Australia 1968-70, a senator for South Australia 1974-77, and federal member for the Division of Boothby 1981-96.-Biography:...
, a former premier of South Australia and then federal politician came from Owen. - Pru GowardPru GowardPrudence Jane Goward MP , an Australian politician, is the Minister for Community Services and Women in the O'Farrell Liberal-National Coalition Government since 2011. Goward is a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly representing Goulburn for the Liberal Party of Australia since 2007...
, long-serving Australian Federal Government Commissioner for Sex Discrimination, came from Owen. - Kelvin Gameau, original member of the Bee Gees, currently resides in Owen.