Aldgate

Aldgate is a South Australian village and a suburb of Adelaide, located 21 km (13 mi) the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Hills.

Aldgate is a South Australian village and a suburb of Adelaide, located 21 km (13 mi) the Adelaide city centre, in the Adelaide Hills.

An inn called the Aldgate Pump was opened by Richard D. Hawkins, a well-known publican, in 1864. Hawkins, who had emigrated from London, England, to the Province of South Australia in 1842, already owned several hotels, including the nearby Crafers Inn in present-day Crafers. The pump which Hawkins had installed outside the hotel (and which gave the hotel its name) became a popular place to water the horses and bullock teams which passed through the area, and by 1870, a small settlement had been established. Hawkins claimed at that time that some 60,000 people a year passed through the hotel's doors. The hotel became quite famous, at one point being described as "one of the best decorated of its kind in the colony" with "magnificent chandeliers".The pump and hotel, and subsequently the town, were named after Aldgate in London. The word derives from ealdgate, the Old English word meaning "old gate". The Hills Land and Investment Company subdivided land in the Aldgate area and laid out part section 92, Hundred of Noarlunga for settlement in 1882, naming the town after the hotel.

Aldgate's drainage system has suffered substantial problems and has been the result of drastic flooding through the main street. One of the worst cases of this occurred at around 8:00 AM 8 November 2005, which left most of the businesses in the main street flooded with significant damage. A recent ongoing project around Aldgate has been upgrading the drainage system.In 2009 and 2010 the intersection of Mount Barker Road, Strathalbyn Road and Kingsland Road in Aldgate was upgraded and streetscape works were carried out throughout the township.To make way for the roadworks, the pump which was the centrepoint of the town was temporarily removed. It was reinstalled in May 2011 by the Adelaide Hills Council and now sits atop a pedestal on the footpath in the main street.A new fire station for theAldgate Country Fire Service was completed in August 2009.