Mount Pleasant, South Australia

Mount Pleasant is a peaceful, quiet sounding name, but our internet speed is pretty impressive. You can find Mount Pleasants all over the world, there are five in Australia alone! New Zealand, South Africa, Canada and the US all have their own Mount Pleasants - but none like ours.

We acknowledge that the land we live on is that of the Peramangk people, and we pay respect to their elders - past, present and emerging.

The Adelaide Hills area is the home of the Peramangk people, and their lands ranged from Myponga in the south to Gawler in the north - although this is a simplification. Please click on the links below to visit some sites that may shed some light on the Peramangk, their culture and they way they lived before settlement.

Members of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are advised that the text in some of these sites may contain names and images of deceased people.  Readers should also be aware that certain words, terms or descriptions may be culturally insensitive and would almost certainly be considered inappropriate today, but may have reflected the author’s/creator’s attitude or that of the period in which they were written.

A brief run down

Mt Pleasant is made up of three towns - Totness, Mount Pleasant and Hendryton - and settlers began living in the district in 1843. Mt Pleasant was surveyed by Henry Glover in 1856 - and this comprised the land from Railway Terrace to Saleyard Road. The name was taken from that used by James Phillis, who had come from an area near Mt Pleasant, in Kent, and the land here reminded him of his homeland. His sister was named Pleasant, and this may also have inspired him.

The good rainfall and abundant wildlife drew immigrants predominantly from England and Scotland, unlike the Barossa which was initially populated by those from Germany. Although within The Barossa Council boundary, it is quite different in that there are few vineyards in the adjacent area and the farms consist mainly of grazing properties. The wineries adjacent and to the south are considered part of the Adelaide Hills wine region. The town flourished, and in 1918 the railway branch line from Balhannah to Mt Pleasant was finally completed, after decades of lobbying.

Mt Pleasant grew to a town of about a thousand people - roughly what it is today. Back then the town was serviced by many small businesses, and a railway from 1918 until the early 60’s.

Now of course, we don’t need cobblers (although there is one at Springton), the farrier was in the main street (and there are still one or two about), the nearest supermarket is in Birdwood - about ten minutes away (but the General Store does stock some essential items). The Bakery is still here, and has been joined by the ‘new’ one in the old mill. The undertaker moved on, and there’s not much call for a wheelwright nowadays.

Up until the last decade the town supported two banks, but with restructuring, the only banking facilities are those within the post office. There has been a push to establish a community bank in the area and we are hopeful that this will eventuate. As it stands, the only ATM facilities are located within the hotels, or at the Farmers’ Market at Talunga Park on Saturday mornings. (An ATM is located in Klose’s Supermarket at Birdwood (10mins), and there is a 24hr ATM at Mannum - about 20 mins away.)

There is a kindergarten and a primary school, with the nearest secondary school at Birdwood. We have a doctors’ surgery, hospital and chemist, and lots more besides. It’s a town full of clubs, and service and special interest groups. If you pop by on a Thursday, our Historian Paula may even give you a guided tour of our lovely Town Hall, and you can pick up a walking tour map, which will give you information on many of the historic buildings in the main street.

If you are just driving through, there are plenty of places to stop and eat, and if the weather’s fine, some lovely parks and playgrounds.

If you choose to stay, the caravan park is very popular with families and grey nomads, the Mt Pleasant Hotel-Motel has accommodation, and there are bed and breakfasts, and air BNBs aplenty.

We still have two hotels - although the Totness is currently undergoing a huge restoration and refurbishment. The original Mt Pleasant Hotel burned down a century ago, but was rebuilt on the same plot of land, was renamed Talunga Hotel, and is now again the Mt PleasantHotel (Motel). We recently welcomed Robber’s Dog Distillery, run by Cath and Rob Davies, where Rob brews and distills his Gin from scratch. Previously the BankSA, it was closed after series of robberies by the so-called ‘Bicycle Bandit’. Rob has given a nod to this in the decor and names of some of his products.

Although we seem to be between twenty and forty minutes from everywhere, Mt Pleasant is a thriving and friendly community, inclusive and welcoming. Whether you are just passing through, lingering for a while, or thinking of moving here, we hope you enjoy your time with us.