Croydon

Croydon is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia.

Croydon is an inner western suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.

The land on which the suburb now stands was purchased in 1853 by Alfred Watts and Philip Levi. They laid out the Village of Croydon in 1855, comprising Croydon Farm of 40 acres (16 ha) and lots of up to 5 acres (2.0 ha). The village may have been named after Croydon, England, then a part of Surrey, the same county in which Levi had been born.

In 1904, market gardener and greengrocer John Brooker founded a jams and conserves business on Queen Street, producing "Croydon" branded products. The business prospered, leading to the construction of the Croydon Jam Factory on the corner of Queen Street and Princes Street in 1945. However production was soon moved to Woodville North in 1951. The Croydon factory became a warehouse for Godfreys Ltd., a whitegoods retailer.

One of Croydon's first farm barns, later converted into a home in the 1920s exists far into a lot on Bedford Street, Croydon, a true example of a Brick and Stone building, proving Croydon's true history. This Original Barn, now renovated into a family home is believed to have been built by Richard Day who developed the suburb some 100 odd years ago. Richard Day, founder of Croydon, South Australia. Developed his own Huge Villa cottage on the site of 14 St Lawrence Ave in Croydon, it was demolished around the time of 1970 and a retirement village was built. A long dusty driveway starting from south road led to this Cottage. The original barn of this home still remains on Bedford St, Croydon. At this time, Croydon was mainly farmland.