 = Waterfall Gully , South Australia = 
 
 Waterfall Gully is an eastern suburb of the South Australian capital city of Adelaide . It is located in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges around 5 km ( 3 @.@ 1 mi ) east @-@ south @-@ east of the Adelaide city centre . For the most part , the suburb encompasses one long gully with First Creek at its centre and Waterfall Gully Road running adjacent to the creek . At the southern end of the gully is First Falls , the waterfall for which the suburb was named . Part of the City of Burnside , Waterfall Gully is bounded to the north by the suburb of Burnside , from the north @-@ east to south @-@ east by Cleland Conservation Park ( part of the suburb of Cleland ) , to the south by <unk> West , and to the west by <unk> Gardens and Mount Osmond . 
 Historically , Waterfall Gully was first explored by European settlers in the early @-@ to @-@ mid @-@ 19th century , and quickly became a popular location for tourists and <unk> . The government chose to retain control over portions of Waterfall Gully until 1884 , when they agreed to place the land under the auspices of the City of Burnside . 28 years later the government took back the management of the southern part of Waterfall Gully , designating it as South Australia 's first National Pleasure Resort . Today this area remains under State Government control , and in 1972 the Waterfall Gully Reserve , as it was then known , became part of the larger Cleland Conservation Park . 
 Over the years Waterfall Gully has been extensively logged , and early agricultural interests saw the cultivation of a variety of introduced species as crops , along with the development of local market gardens and nurseries . Attempts to mine the area were largely unsuccessful , but the region housed one of the state 's earliest water @-@ powered mills , and a weir erected in the early 1880s provided for part of the City of Burnside 's water supply . Today the suburb consists primarily of private residences and parks . 
 
 = = History = = 
 
 The Mount Lofty Ranges , which encompass Waterfall Gully , was first sighted by Matthew Flinders in 1802 . The gully itself was discovered soon after the establishment of Adelaide , and Colonel William Light , the first <unk> General of South Australia , was said to have " decided on the site for Adelaide when viewing the plains from the hills near Waterfall Gully " . Nevertheless , the gully had seen human visitors long before the arrival of the Europeans , as the native population had lived in the area for up to 40 @,@ 000 years prior to Flinders ' appearance off the South Australian coast . 
 
 = = = <unk> = = = 
 
 In Australian Aboriginal mythology , Waterfall Gully and the surrounding Mount Lofty Ranges are part of the story of the ancestor @-@ creator Nganno . Travelling across the land of the native <unk> people , Nganno was wounded in a battle and laid down to die , forming the Mount Lofty Ranges . The ears of Nganno formed the peaks of Mount Lofty and Mount <unk> , and the region was referred to as <unk> @-@ e @-@ <unk> , or " the place of the ears " . The name of the Greater Mount Lofty <unk> , <unk> , was derived from this term , while the nearby town of <unk> employs a more corrupted form . 
 Although Hardy states that the <unk> people did not live in the ranges themselves , they did live on the lower slopes . An early settler of the neighbouring suburb of Beaumont , James Milne Young , described the local <unk> : " At every creek and gully you would see their <unk> [ simple Aboriginal homes made out of twigs and grass ] and their fires at night ... often as many as 500 to 600 would be camped in various places ... some behind the <unk> Gardens on the banks of the river ; some toward the Ranges ; some on the Waterfall Gully . " Their main presence , <unk> by the use of fire against <unk> of land , was on the River Torrens and the creeks that flowed into it , including Waterfall Gully 's First Creek . 
 The land around Waterfall Gully provided the original inhabitants with a number of resources . The bark from the local <unk> trees ( Eucalyptus <unk> ) was used in the construction of winter <unk> , and stones and native timbers were used to form tools . Food was also present , and <unk> moth larvae along with other species of plants and animals were collected . Nevertheless , there were only a few resources that could only be found on the slopes , and " both hunting and food gathering would in general have been easier on the rich plains " . 
 
 = = = Early colonial exploration = = = 
 
 One of the earliest accounts of Waterfall Gully comes from a " Mr Kent " who , along with Captain <unk> Barker and Barker 's servant , Miles , climbed Mount Lofty in 1831 . In making their ascent the party <unk> a ravine — described by Mr Kent as possessing " smooth and grassy sides " — which is believed by Anne Hardy to have been Waterfall Gully . Subsequent to Barker 's ascent , the first settlers who were recorded as having climbed Mount Lofty were <unk> Hutchinson and his servant , William Burt . The pair made three attempts to scale the mount before succeeding , and for their first attempt they attempted to traverse Waterfall Gully . The attempt was unsuccessful , but in July 1837 , Hutchinson wrote about the gully through which they had travelled . Waterfall Gully he wrote , had proven difficult , as the plants were so thickly grown as to provide a significant barrier to their progress . Near the point of surrender , Hutchinson described how they were " <unk> surprised by seeing a wall of rock about fifty or sixty feet [ fifteen to eighteen metres ] high , which stretched across the ravine , and from the top of it leapt the brook which had so long been [ their ] companion " . The brook was First Creek , and the waterfall they sighted is today known as First Falls . 
 Nevertheless , Hutchinson was not the first to see First Falls . The first known recorded sighting of the waterfall by a colonial was that of John William Adams , an <unk> of HMS Buffalo in early January 1837 , who named it " Adams ' Waterfall " . He was traveling with his wife , Susanna and a party consisting of Nicholson 's and <unk> 's who had the use of a <unk> to go into the hills . Adams states " we were opposite the spot where the Eagle on the Hill now is , and the question was put , who would volunteer to go down the hillside to try for water " . 
 
 = = = Development = = = 
 
 The area soon became a tourist attraction for the early South Australian colonists , and was a popular destination for <unk> . In 1851 Francis Clark wrote that " Waterfall Gully is the most picturesque place for a picnic that I have ever visited " , and by the 1860s the area had become known throughout Adelaide . The use of Waterfall Gully as picnic spot was facilitated by the decision of the government of the day not to <unk> the area containing the waterfalls . Section 920 , as it was designated , did not enter into private hands , and thus members of the public were able to access the area from the nearby suburb of Eagle on the Hill on Mount Barker road . The position of the Eagle on the Hill hotel proved <unk> for this , as it permitted visitors to stop by for lunch before walking down the hill in the afternoon . 
 Other parts of the Waterfall Gully area were subdivided , though , and much of the area was owned by Samuel Davenport . Davenport used the land for timber , grazing , and the cultivation of various crops , including olives and grapes for wine production . Other local residents ran market gardens and nurseries . For example , local residents Wilhelm Mügge and his wife Auguste Schmidt operated " one of the best nurseries and market gardens near Adelaide " , and gained a reputation for the <unk> produced from their local dairy farm . Along with farming , the hills and creek were prized areas for the <unk> and <unk> , and a number of mines were established in the region from the mid @-@ to @-@ late 19th century . In 1844 the first silver @-@ lead , <unk> and iron mines were established in the area , while the 1890s saw a minor gold rush — although " only small quantities were extracted " . Of greater success was stone quarrying in Chambers ' Gully , which began in 1863 and increased in scale in 1912 . 
 Waterfall Gully was also the site of Burnside 's " first secondary industry " . In the late 1830s , Thomas Cain built a <unk> on First Creek for John Cannan , which was then employed to power a sawmill on Cannan 's property . Cannan operated the mill as the " <unk> Mill " for approximately two years before selling the venture to a Mr. Finniss . Finniss opted to run the mill as a flour mill instead , and the mill was rebuilt and renamed " <unk> Mill " . The mill continued to operate under a variety of owners until the late 1850s , but it was dismantled during the 1880s , and today only traces of the earthworks remain . 
 During this period the population of the nearby village of Burnside was expanding and required a new water supply . First Creek — which runs down Waterfall Gully and enters the River Torrens near today 's <unk> Gardens — was seen as the perfect solution to the water shortage . A weir was built during 1881 and 1882 , and was made to hold approximately two <unk> ( <unk> @,@ 000 US gallons ) of water . A pipeline was constructed to the reservoir at Burnside South , and from there the water was used throughout the surrounding area . As a side effect , the weir also reduced the volume of water available to the local market <unk> , and over many years that aspect of the region disappeared . 
 While the route to the falls from Eagle on the Hill was on public land , the alternative route along the gully was through private properties . Nevertheless , many visitors chose this route , and a combination of public demand and a desire from some of the landowners for improved access to and from their properties — especially from the Mügge family — led to pressure to build a road through the gully . Although there was opposition from some of the locals , the Waterfall Gully road was built in the late 1880s . 
 The completion of the road led to an increase in visitor numbers . Rather than a <unk> horse ride , visitors could now catch the horse tram to the start of the gully , and walk , cycle or ride to the falls . To provide for tourists , the area gained a number of road @-@ side <unk> and produce <unk> , and the Mügge family erected the two story Waterfall Hotel along the path . Furthermore , in 1912 the government opened a kiosk at the base of First Falls , designed in the " style of a Swiss chalet " . The hotel is a private residence today , but the kiosk continues to operate . 
 
 = = = Protection = = = 
 
 Although some parts of Waterfall Gully were transferred from the District Council of East Torrens ( now the Adelaide Hills Council ) to the City of Burnside in 1856 when the suburb 's current boundaries were established , the government of the day chose to retain control of a significant portion of Waterfall Gully . Thus it was not until 1884 that the remaining land was transferred to the control of the Burnside Council , <unk> largely through the efforts of Samuel Davenport and G. F. Cleland . 
 The land remained under the Burnside Council 's control until 1912 , when the Waterfall Gully Reserve was reclaimed by the government as the first National Pleasure Resort in the state . Initially the reserve was placed under the jurisdiction of the National Parks Advisory Board , but later it was moved to the Tourist Bureau , before finally becoming part of the National Park Commission 's portfolio . 
 In 1945 , much of the area that is today 's Cleland Conservation Park was purchased by the State Government , largely thanks to the efforts of Professor Sir John Cleland . Most of this land was combined in 1963 to create the park that extends eastwards up the gully to the summit of Mount Lofty and northwards to <unk> Road . Waterfall Gully Reserve was added to the park in 1972 . 
 
 = = = Natural disasters = = = 
 
 Over the years since European settlement Waterfall Gully has suffered from both bushfires and flooding . The gully was severely hit by a number of bushfires in 1939 that threatened the area , and further bushfires in the early 1940s caused considerable damage because of the war effort diverting supplies and personnel from the Country Fire Service ( <unk> ) . Significant floods occurred in 1889 and 1931 , and , on the night of 7 November 2005 , Waterfall Gully was one of several areas in Adelaide to experience severe flooding . Waterfall Gully was one of the hardest hit suburbs : Bob Stevenson , Duty Officer of the State Emergency Service ( <unk> ) , commented that " There 's an area called Waterfall Gully Road , in the foothills , where one of the creeks comes down , and there 's quite a few houses affected there ... there was 40 or so houses affected on that one road alone . " Properties were flooded , two bridges nearly collapsed , and 100 m ( 330 ft ) of road was washed away . Burnside council workers , the <unk> and the <unk> repaired the initial damage on the night while reconstruction of infrastructure commenced in late November . Much of the road had been inaccessible , and the suburb was closed except to residents and emergency workers for the remainder of the month . 
 
 = = Geography = = 
 
 Waterfall Gully is situated at an average elevation of 234 m ( <unk> ft ) above sea level , in an area of 6 @.@ 08 km2 ( 2 @.@ 35 sq mi ) . Its most notable geographical features are its gully and waterfall . <unk> Reserve , a large local park , is 300 m ( 980 ft ) from the start of Waterfall Gully Road while much of the north @-@ eastern side of the gully is part of Cleland Conservation Park . <unk> Waterfall Gully , 2 km ( 1 @.@ 2 mi ) away , is Chambers Gully , which used to function as a land @-@ fill , but has in the past decade been reclaimed as a park through volunteer work . It contains a number of old ruins , walking trails , and springs and is home to a significant number of native species . 
 Since European Settlement the native plant life has been considerably affected , with the native manna gum and blue gum woodlands being largely cleared for agricultural uses . The large amount of non @-@ native vegetation in the gully is predominantly the result of the early agriculture , although some species were introduced by accident . Introduced species include olive trees , hawthorn , <unk> and <unk> . With the reduction of native flora , exotic fauna have flourished around the Waterfall Gully region . These include rabbits , <unk> and starlings . However , not all of the native wildlife has been lost — bats ( in particular , Gould 's <unk> bat ) , can be found in the area , as can superb fairy @-@ <unk> and Adelaide rosellas , and a large number of unique Australian animals such as <unk> , <unk> and <unk> can be spotted on some of the walking trails . 
 
 = = Transport = = 
 
 Waterfall Gully is connected to the major Adelaide thoroughfare <unk> Road by Waterfall <unk> and <unk> Road , and cars are the preferred mode of transport in the suburb . According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 71 @.@ 9 % of residents in the census area employed private vehicles for their commute to work . Only a small proportion ( 1 @.@ 3 % ) walked to work and but 1 @.@ 2 % <unk> , while only 3 @.@ 6 % of Waterfall Gully residents travel to work by bus . The closest bus route for Waterfall Gully is the 142 bus , provided by the multi @-@ service Adelaide Metro . 
 Waterfall Gully Road is <unk> and in some parts quite narrow . This has led to concerns regarding safety , as the road is frequented by both pedestrians and <unk> . After the death of a <unk> in 2007 , calls for the repair and resurfacing of the road intensified , with two <unk> being <unk> in parliament . The accident also led to a safety audit being conducted by <unk> , and although the results were not released to the public at the time , it called for an investigation of the entire length of the road . As of mid @-@ 2008 , there has been no clear plan released for the future of the road , with the road missing out on funding in the 2008 state budget . 
 
 = = Residents = = 
 
 In the 2001 Census , the population of the Waterfall Gully census area ( which includes the suburbs of Glen Osmond , <unk> Gardens and Mount Osmond ) was 2 @,@ 497 people , in an area of 6 @.@ 08 square kilometers . Females outnumbered males 54 @.@ 2 % to 45 @.@ 8 % , and some 21 @.@ 4 % of the population was born overseas ( see chart for a breakdown ) . There was only a slight change in the 2006 census , with the population increasing by 25 to 2 @,@ 522 . 
 The eight strongest religious affiliations in the area ( based on the 2006 census figures ) were ( in descending order ) : Anglican , Catholic , <unk> , Lutheran , Orthodox Christian , Buddhist , Presbyterian , Church of Christ and Baptist ( a combination of other Christian faiths came in somewhere between Presbyterians and the Church of Christ , with 31 adherents ) . Also of note is the high occurrence of religious affiliation ( 67 @.@ 3 % ) in the region in comparison to the Adelaide ( and national ) average . Christian belief ( 64 @.@ 4 % ) is most prominent , with little growth in other religions . 
 Residents in these four suburbs are more affluent than the Adelaide average , with a high occurrence of <unk> over A $ 1000 per week , which is also above the average for the City of Burnside . A majority of workers are employed in professional or white collar fields . 
 The census area that incorporates Waterfall Gully has a larger proportion of those in both the younger ( 0 – 17 ) and older ( 60 + ) age ranges than in the City of Burnside as a whole , and there have been no " numerically significant " changes in the age distribution between the 2001 and 2006 censuses . Similarly , family numbers are also stable , with almost no change between 2001 and 2006 . 
 
 = = <unk> = = 
 
 The main attraction of Waterfall Gully is the waterfall , First Falls . It is at the south @-@ eastern end of the road , in land owned by Cleland Conservation Park . The weir at the bottom of the Waterfall was constructed in the late 19th century and was part of Adelaide 's early water supply . Development in the area has continued since the construction of a restaurant in 1912 . <unk> over recent decades have included improving access to the site , upgrading the bridges , and the addition of new signage . 
 The Waterfall Gully Restaurant was constructed between 1911 and 1912 by South Australian architects Albert <unk> Conrad and his brother Frank , and was formally opened by Sir Day <unk> on 9 November 1912 . Built in the style of a Swiss chalet , the building has been heritage listed since 1987 , and is <unk> haunted by the ghost of a <unk> who died from burns suffered in 1926 . 
 Other fire tracks and walking trails wind around the hills that surround Waterfall Gully , branching off from Chambers Gully , <unk> Gully or the area around First Creek . Destinations include <unk> , Eagle On The Hill , Mount Lofty , Mount Osmond and the Cleland Wildlife Park , located in the Cleland Conservation Park . The tracks have been completely rebuilt and resurfaced in the past ten years , and a number of older and more perilous routes have been sealed because of the difficult terrain . Many offer views of the city of Adelaide as well as the Gully itself . One of these is notable for connecting to the 1 @,@ 200 km ( 750 mi ) <unk> Trail , and the trails are highly frequented . 
 
 = = Politics = = 
 
 Waterfall Gully is part of the state electoral district of Bragg , which has been held since 2002 by Liberal MP Vickie Chapman . In federal politics , the suburb is part of the division of Sturt , and has been represented by Christopher <unk> since 1993 . The results shown are from the closest polling station to Waterfall Gully — which is located outside of the suburb — at St David 's Church Hall on nearby <unk> Road ( Burnside ) . Both <unk> have traditionally gone to the Liberal Party , and Bragg in particular is regarded as a very safe Liberal seat . However , in the 2007 federal election , a strong swing towards the Labor Party and their candidate , Mia <unk> , resulted in the electorate transforming from a " safe [ federal ] Liberal seat into a marginal one " . 
 In local government , Waterfall Gully is part of the ward of Beaumont within the City of Burnside , and the current Mayor for the district is David <unk> . Beaumont is currently represented by <unk> Mark <unk> and Anne <unk> . 
 
 