Strathalbyn

Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council.

Strathalbyn is a town in South Australia, in the Alexandrina Council. As of 2016, the town had a population of approximately 6,500.

The town was founded in 1839, the first landholders being Dr. Rankine, followed by Donald McLean.

In 1846 the cadastral division, the Hundred of Strathalbyn, was proclaimed including the township of Strathalbyn at the south-western corner of the division.

The streets were laid out in a broad and liberal manner, with a large area reserved on either side of the River Angas for recreation purposes, plus a site for a Presbyterian Church and cemetery. The community was soon the centre for a large pastoral and farming population, many of Scottish origin. Mining later became important in the area.

The District Council of Strathalbyn was established in 1854. In 1868 a municipal council, the Corporation of Strathalbyn, was formed by secession of section 2600 of the Hundred of Strathalbyn from the district council. The town and district councils later re-amalgamated in 1976.

Strathalbyn was connected by broad gauge horse tram to Goolwa and Victor Harbor from 1869. The Victor Harbor railway line was extended to Mount Barker and Adelaide and upgraded for steam engines from 1884. It was isolated again in 1995 when the Adelaide-Melbourne railway line was converted to standard gauge. The SteamRanger historic tourist train runs on the isolated broad gauge line, including stops at Strathalbyn.

Strathalbyn has a warm-summer mediterranean climate (Köppen climate classification: Csb).