Riverton













Riverton Website

Bailliere's South Australian Gazetteer and Road Guide 1866 - Riverton

RIVERTON, 34o 10' S. lat., 138o 40' E.long.(Co. Light.) is a postal township in the electoral district of Light, of which it is one of the polling places-and hundred of Gilbert. It is situated on the river Gilbert, the Light river being 8 miles E., the Wakefield river, 9 miles N.W., and Macaw creek, 3 miles S.W. The district is an agricultural one, wheat being staple product. Gold and copper have been obtained in the neighbourhood, but no payable mines have been discovered. The nearest places are Hamilton, 8 miles E.; Marrabel, 7 miles N.E.; Saddleworth 6 miles N.; Auburn, 9 miles N.W.; Rhynie 4 miles W.; Navan, 4 miles S.; Gilberton, 7 miles S.; Kapunda, 18 miles S.E.; and Stockport, 12 miles S.S.W. The communication with these places is by horse or private conveyances, and with Adelaide, 60 1/2 miles S.S.W. from Marrabel or Auburn, by Rounsevell's mail coach to Kapunda, and thence by rail, or by main road or private conveyances. via Navan, Gilberton, Templers, Gawler, &c., 62 miles. Riverton has 1 hotel -the Riverton- a post and money order office, telegraph office, public pound, 5 stores, (one of which employs 2 saddlers,) a large wheat store, 2 blacksmiths' smithies, (one of which employs 2 wheelwrights,) 3 shoemakers' shops, and 1 butcher's. The masons' and carpenters' trades are well represented, there being 5 of the former and 5 of the latter. The post and money order offices, telegraph office, and registration office for births, deaths, and marriages are situated in a building attached to one of the stores. A local court is held on the first Wednesday of each month, in the large room of the hotel, and a sum of money has been voted by the Government for the erection of a court-house and police station, which will be commenced shortly. There is a neat church and parsonage (church of England,) and a Bible Christian chapel, 2 sabbath schools, and a public school-house, with master's residence nearly completed. There is also a branch of the South Australian insurance company. The surrounding country is low and undulating, a range of hills running N. and S. about 5 miles E. of the township. All the land in the neighbourhood, with the exception of a few water reserves, is purchased, there being no Government land in the neighbourhood. The resident magistrates are M. Moorhouse and T. Giles, Esqs. The population numbers 235 in the township, and the country round is thickly populated by farmers and settlers.