Windback Wednesday - Mount Osmond

Today, Mount Osmond is known for its stunning views of the Adelaide CBD. The suburb is named after Osmond Gilles (1788-1866), a colonial treasurer and pioneering figure in South Australia’s early development. Initially, the area was characterised by mining and cattle grazing, followed by attempts at urbanisation in the 1880s, which did not gain significant momentum at the time.

A key moment in the suburb’s development occurred in 1930 with the founding of the Mount Osmond Country Club. Initiated by Henry Eoin Sydney Melbourne, District Engineer of the Burnside District Council, and supported by a group of local residents and councillors, the club was established on land originally earmarked for residential development. The group, however, made the decision to reserve the most scenic areas for a golf course, while selling off the remaining land for other development.

Photograph: Golfers at the Mount Osmond Country Club grounds, 1940s. Courtesy of the Eastern Courier.