Marino

Marino is a coastal suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia that’s surrounded by a conservation park and rugged coastline.

Marino is a coastal suburb in the south of Adelaide, South Australia that’s surrounded by a conservation park and rugged coastline. Marino’s elevated position provides panoramic views of the ocean - Gulf St Vincent, the metropolitan beaches and Adelaide CBD. Marino has access to the North or South via Brighton Road, has two railway stations on the main Seaford Line and a host of walking and cycle trails to the neighbouring beaches and wine region.

Marino is directly 13km south west of Adelaide CBD, 3km south west of South Australia’s largest shopping complex Westfield Marion and 14km north west of the McLaren Vale wine region.

The suburb is home to Marino Rocks beach, which sits below the cliff tops and features a flat rocky beach with a boat ramp leading out to a reef on the southern end of Kingston Park/Seacliff. Fishing, kayaking, sailing and snorkelling are common recreation activities.

Many people also use this section of the coastline to exercise while enjoying the views from the trails that run along the Marino cliff tops.

At the northern end of the beach, the public artwork Contemplation can be viewed, by artist Marijana Tadic.Launched in 2006, the artwork takes the form of a rocked boat.

The artwork looks out over the ocean and marks the change from the rocky shoreline at Marino Rocks to the sandy beaches of neighbouring Seacliff.

Also as of 2006, at the access point to the beach, there is a mosaic artwork designed and constructed by South Australian artist Michael Tye. Michael worked with local artists and community members in the design and construction of the mosaic artwork along the nearby retaining wall.

The main Seaford railway line into Adelaide CBD passes through the suburb, and there are two railway stations: Marino, and the newly improved Marino Rocks that is looked after by community volunteers as part of the Government’s Rail Care scheme. In 2020 Marino Rocks railway station benefited from new seats, community artwork, City of Marion way-finding signage to local attractions and extensive Government-funded landscaping.

A number of walking trails are available throughout Marino, including the clifftop Marino to Hallett Cove Boardwalk and the Adelaide Coast Park that has an uninterrupted path along all of Adelaide’s metropolitan beaches and beyond.

Bikeways include the Marino Rocks Greenway all the way into Adelaide CBD, the Coast to Vines rail trail that runs through to the beautiful McLaren Vale wine region and a signposted route to the nearby cafes and bars in Seacliff, Brighton and Glenelg.

Marino is home to the Marino Rocks Lighthouse within the Marino Conservation Park, now part of the newly created Glenthorne National Park.

Guided walking trails lead up to the lighthouse within the conservation park.

Community ties in Marino are strong with an active 5049 Coastal Community Residents Association, the Marino Community Garden, several parks that often host neighbourhood get-togethers and a host of activities on offer at the Marino Community Hall.

A team, under the leadership of J.W. McLaren, completed the survey of the coastal strip of Brighton in December 1838. Land grants for sections 206 (now Somerton) and 234 – 246 (now Brighton – Marino) were allotted in March and April 1839.Section 244 was known as Marino, and granted to George S. Kingston who built what is now one of the oldest buildings in South Australia as his occasional residence.

This is now mostly Kingston Park.Sections 245 and 246 were originally known as the New Brighton Country Lands and were granted to Matthew Smith.

Smith divided the New Brighton Country Lands into 40 blocks of 4 acres (16,000 m2) each.It was considered poor pastoral land, due to the exposed salt air and strong winds. By August 1842 Smith had sold only 15 blocks, mainly to notable business people who had little intention of living in the New Brighton Country Lands, but bought properties as a speculative proposition for future sales to fishing families or workers in the nearby quarry.Henry Hickling purchased 6 blocks. In 1884 John Roberts bought some of the remaining unsold blocks and 20 or so years later sold this land to George S. Kingston.

Local government in the area was formed in 1853, the 18th District Council constituted in South Australia.Its name was the District Council of Brighton (as distinct from the Corporation of Brighton which formed some 5 years later, mainly as a result of the determination of local residents to improve roads in the area).The first chairman of this new district was Thomas O'Halloran.The first meetings were held in the Thatched House Tavern, which, if still standing, would be on the corner of Brighton and Sturt roads.According to the 1876 Census, the District Council of Brighton totalled 328 schoolchildren of which 192 were able to read and write.In 1886 the council, less the now small coastal Corporation of Brighton, was renamed the District Council of Marion.

In 1875 a proposal was put forward to build an outer harbour at Marino.The proposal was furthered in 1880 in a report by Captain H.S. Stanley, R.N.In 1901 a Marino Outer Harbour League was formed.However the construction of the Outer Harbour near Port Adelaide, in 1908, finally laid these plans to rest.

In 1883 the Glenelg, Brighton and Marino Tramway Company began a horse-drawn tram service.The tram made its last run along Brighton Road to Glenelg in February 1914.

The shore from Holdfast Bay to Marino, was generally well visited by townspeople, who would take the hours ride from Adelaide to enjoy the beach and fresh sea breeze.Sundays in particular were popular, especially in fine weather.In Easter, holiday-makers could buy cool drinks, hot water and fruit from a tent set up on the beach, the proprietor paying a guinea fee to the Council to conduct business.In the 1920s an old railway carriage found its way onto the foreshore of Marino Rocks, still a popular holiday destination.In the 1930s, reports from council stated no renovations or building of shacks should disturb the Sunday peace of Marino residents.

Marino, also known as Folkstone for a while, was further subdivided in 1912, along with Morphettville Park, Woodlands Park and Hallett Cove Model Estate.

The suburb now has a mix of old and new property, often on large blocks and with panoramic views.