Guide to Eudunda South Australia Australia

Eudunda was named after a spring that the Aboriginal residents called Jundundakawi and was first settled by Europeans in 1870. The Eudundacowie still flows and rehabilitation of the original spring indicates a renewal of interest in the history of the local area.

The locals are proud to claim Eudunda as the birthplace of Colin Thiele, author and educator, who is recognised as one of Australia’s most versatile writers. He has published more than 100 books in many fields. Some of his novels include Storm Boy, Blue Fin, The Fire in the Stone, Sun on the Stubble and Uncle Gustav’s Ghosts.

It is from the latter that Eudunda has chosen to use the interpretation of Uncle Gustav as their logo. Uncle Gustav and his dog are not only characters of fiction, they also are indicative of the pioneers who opened up this area with their wives and families and of course their faithful companions nearby to help in their daily chores.

To those pioneer families who settled in the district and made this their home, the locals pay tribute in the Family Heritage Gallery. They created their heritage. They invite you to take a few hours to walk around the town, spend some time looking at the many gardens, the trees and the bird life. Visit some of the shops and try their traditional wares, the bakery that has stood on the same site for more than 100 years and the butcher that still prepares meats and smallgoods as they have for more than 80 years.

Call in for a meal at one of two hotels or historical Community Club, which have been offering hospitality for 130 years. Visit the craft shop where you can pick up a locally made memento of your day in Eudunda.

At 11 Bruce Street you can see what the 1920s and onward had to offer in radio and electrical equipment. Just three doors down the street, find more than 1,000 archival items including photographs, books, newspapers and memorabilia dating back to 1870 – all pertaining to Eudunda.

The locals are proud of Eudunda which has, over the past 130 years, developed a character of its very own, where the architecture of its houses span every period of those years and most have withstood the renovator’s hammer.