Our Heritage
The City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters is one of South Australia's most historic inner-urban areas.
The Kaurna people are the traditional owners of the land that has become known as the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters.
The Kaurna lived around the three creeks which traverse the City, gathering for ceremony and cultural activities prior to European settlement in the 1830s.
The City’s history since European settlement draws on the histories of three uniquely South Australian communities which, in 1997, amalgamated to form the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters as follows:
- the first of these is Kensington and Norwood – the first township (outside of the City of Adelaide) to be granted municipal government in Australia
- the second is the prestigious residential town of St Peters with its distinctive villas and cottages amid tree-lined streets
- the third is the meandering River Torrens Valley to the north known as the Garden City of Payneham.
The amalgamation of the three Local Government areas in November 1997 brought together a rich and multicultural community.
Successive waves of migrants have exerted significant influence over the development of the City. This has imbued Norwood Payneham & St Peters with an identity and character distinct from any other in South Australia.
As one of the oldest South Australian local government municipalities, the City’s beautiful residential, public and commercial buildings also contribute significantly to its heritage character.
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