# Beverley, South Australia

Beverley is a western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.

## Geography

The suburb is mainly bounded by Port Road, East Avenue, Ledger Road and Grange Road.

## History

The township of Beverley now a suburb of Adelaide was laid out for Edward Stevens by his attorney, John Morphett in 1849 on section 395, Hundred of Yatala, Beverley incorporates the formerly separate suburb of York and site of the skin and fertiliser works of Crompton and Sons. Other once important manufacturing businesses of the area were Pope Products Ltd. on Princess Street, Adelaide Potteries Ltd. on Toogood Avenue and a number of independent brickworks.
The Beverley Post Office was open from 1 January 1881 until 1901.
The GM Holden's Beverley factory is not documented in detail though according to sources, Holden’s took control of the Beverley site on 1 January 1927, although they did not actually own the building until 29 February 1928 and began operations at Beverley on Howards Road.
A report from The Register (Adelaide, 6 August 1927) describes a labour conflict between Holden and engineers at the Beverley factory, according to the article, the Beverley facility was not primarily engaged in motor body construction but rather focused on producing parts essential for such construction, as well as handling all blacksmithing needs for the Woodville shops. Additionally, the engineers at Beverley were responsible for crafting ball sockets and hood frames.
According to Susan Marsden, When war broke out in September 1939 the Government purchased outright Holden's small Beverley plant and the Annexe was put to production of anti-tank and anti-aircraft guns, the Beverley plant was responsible for Ordnance and assembled the following equipment for the Australian Government at the Holden's GMH plant in Beverley, South Australia during WWII, during war time the Beverley plant carried out assembly of artillery guns, these were 2-pdr. Anti-tank guns and carriages, Assembly of 6-pdr. Anti-tank guns and carriages and the Assembly of Polsten 20mm. Anti-aircraft guns and mountings.
Because of the dominant part played by the Germans in there advances Due to the significant technological advancements during World War II, one of the first weapons of high priority demanded of Australia was an anti-tank gun, the British army possessed only a limited number of the 2-pounder (bore - 40mm or 1.57 inches) anti-tank guns, which were designed just before the war, though only a few had been manufactured, recognizing this need, the Australian Army, in consultation with the Ordnance Directorate, determined a requirement for 1000 complete guns, including all necessary accessories and ancillary equipment, to be produced at a rate of 100 per month and made ready for deployment.
In June 1940, a prototype 2-pounder anti-tank gun arrived in Woodville, South Australia from Melbourne by passenger train, three weeks after Dunkirk. Initial drawings had arrived earlier, with revisions and finalization ongoing, subcontractors inspected components, selecting those they could reproduce. After assembly, the guns underwent rigorous military proofing, passing all assessments, showcasing Australian manufacturing prowess.

### Repurposing the GMH Plant

When the war was over and in 1946 the Beverley plant was sold to Clarkson Ltd, to one of the old firms in the city, Which then transferred its glass treatment works to Beverley, the Clarkson's owned the property until 1974, at which point it was sold to Arrow Properties Pty Ltd. However, Clarkson continued to lease the property for three years until they vacated it in 1977. After this period, there are few records detailing the occupants and their activities on the site. Presently, Harlaxton Pty Ltd owns the land, which is currently being utilized by ADRAD Pty Ltd.

## Demographics

The 2016 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 1,498 persons in Allenby Gardens on census night. Of these, 52.7% were male and 47.3% were female.
The 2021 Census had an increased population count of 1,578 persons, with a median age of 36.
3.2% of people identified as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander. The majority of residents (66.9%) are of Australian birth, with other common census responses being India (2.6%), England (3.6%), Italy (0.6%), Vietnam (1.0%) and Philippines (1.2%). In terms of religious affiliation, 38.4% of residents attributed themselves to "No religion", 20.0% Catholic, 2.1% Eastern Orthodox, and 0.8% Sikhism.
55.9% of the population worked full-time and 5.1% were unemployed.

## Politics
### Local government

Beverley is part of Beverley Ward in the City of Charles Sturt local government area, being represented in that council by Independent Edgar Agius and Labor member Mick Harley.

### State and federal

Beverley lies in the state electoral district of Cheltenham, but prior to the 2016 redistribution was in the Croydon district. Beverley is in the federal electoral division of Hindmarsh. The suburb is represented in the South Australian House of Assembly by Joe Szakacs and federally by Mark Butler.

## Community
### Schools

St Michael's College is a local independent Catholic high school, which services students in years 6–12. It is located on East Avenue.

## Facilities and attractions
### Adelaide Arena

Adelaide Arena, located between William Street and Toogood Avenue, is an indoor basketball stadium and function centre with a sitting capacity of 8000. Also known as Distinctive Homes Dome and, formerly, Clipsal Powerhouse, the facility was constructed in 1991, replacing the former Apollo Stadium. It is the home of the Adelaide 36ers and the Adelaide Lightning.

### Parks

The only park within Beverley is the Toogood Reserve.

## Transportation
### Roads

Beverley is serviced by Port Road, connecting the suburb to Port Adelaide and Adelaide city centre, and Grange Road, which forms part of its southern boundary. East Avenue, on Beverley's eastern boundary, links Port and Grange roads.

### Public transport

Beverley is serviced by public transport run by the Adelaide Metro.