SAPlanned settlement
Brighton (SA)
An early seaside village south of Glenelg that became a town with its own jetty.
1839Village of Brighton subdivided
WHAT STARTED IT
Brighton was laid out in 1839 on sections fronting Holdfast Bay just south of Glenelg. Its owners divided the land into twenty 12-acre blocks, offering a coastal village within reach of Adelaide.
WHAT SUSTAINED IT
A Union chapel was begun in 1843 and St Jude’s Church in 1854, and by 1859 Brighton was a corporate town with its own council. In 1886 the corporation borrowed £2,000 to build a jetty so the quiet town could compete with neighbouring resorts.
TURNING POINTS
1839Sections in District B are subdivided into twenty 12-acre blocks as the Village of Brighton.
1843The foundation stone of the Union Chapel is laid in October.
1854The foundation stone of St Jude’s Church is laid.
1886The corporation’s new jetty, built by Richard Honey to George Chamier’s plans, is finished.
WHAT IT DOES NOW
A seaside suburb of about 3,800 people in 2021. Jetty Road still runs down to the jetty and the beach that drew the first buyers.