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Welcome to

The History of Hamley Bridge

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As I get time, I will be placing the information on this site. So please keep coming back.

I have a page on Facebook called 'Hamley Bridge Past and Present' this page

is interactive and I place many facts and stories about life in Hamley Bridge, so join me there and keep updated.

Please visit, join and recommend it to your friends.

I have just started another Hamley Bridge website called

Hamley Bridge History 2

It is smaller than this site, please visit when you have finished on this site!

Here I have some articles and information on - Hospitals - Police Matters - Obituaries - When the Cavalry came to Hamley - Duffield Town - Annie Street - Blogs

(these links will open up in a new window)

I have lived in Hamley Bridge since 1989 and could not find much history about the town.

So in 1999 I started to compile a History of the town.

This has developed into a great passion and I am never tired of finding out new things about the town.

Train Derailment at Hamley Bridge Railway Station

Naming of Hamley Bridge

Railway Bridge 1898

The Hundred of Alma was proclaimed on May 22, 1856, and is 138 square miles in area. The Hundred of Alma derives its name from a battle of the Crimean War.

The foundation stone of the original Railway bridge was laid on July 25^th 1868 by Lady Edith Hamley, wife of the Acting Governor, Lieutenant Colonel Francis Gilbert Hamley, officer administering the Government from February 20 1868 – February 15 1869, the interregnum between Sir Dominick Daly’s death and the arrival of his successor in the vice regal office, Sir James Ferguson. This event was regarded as the ‘birth’ of Hamley Bridge as a township. The Government of the day chose the name to commemorate the stay in South Australia of Lieutenant Colonel Hamley, which was nearly at an end. At the time Lt. Colonel Hamley was the Senior Officer in Command of the Imperial Troops (50th Regiment) in South Australia. He died in London on January 14th, 1876. He had served in Kaffir and Moari Wars, and was described as a brave soldier, and a genial, courteous and kind-hearted gentleman.

When the bridge was completed it was formerly opened by His Excellency the Governor, Sir James Ferguson on July 5^th 1869. The rail bridge that is there today was built to replace this one in 1925.

Lieutenant Colonel Francis Gilbert Hamley Lady Edith Hamley

The County of Hamley Bridge was proclaimed on 18^th February 1869.

The railway line from Roseworthy to Tarlee was opened on July 5^th 1869.

The River Light was named after Colonel William Light, who laid out the city of Adelaide.

The River Gilbert was named by E J Eyre after Thomas Gilbert, the colony’s first storekeeper, who proposed the toast,

‘Mrs Hindmarsh and the Ladies’ at the Proclamation of South Australia in 1836.

Railway Bridge 1980's

This page was last updated on 07-Oct-2011 08:12 PM.

If you have any enquiries or information that might be helpful please email me

Thankyou to all the residents (past and present) who have given me their memories and allowed me to copy photos and memorabilia.

Information is true to the best of my knowledge.

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