Norton Summit (formerly Norton's Summit) is a town in the

Adelaide Hills The Adelaide Hills region is located in the southern Mount Lofty Ranges east of the city of Adelaide in the state of South Australia. The largest town in the area, Mount Barker, South Australia, Mount Barker, is one of Australia's fastest-growi ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

, located approximately 12 km east of the city of

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

. The town is named after Robert Norton, who arrived in South Australia shortly after its

proclamation A proclamation (Lat. ''proclamare'', to make public by announcement) is an official declaration issued by a person of authority to make certain announcements known. Proclamations are currently used within the governing framework of some nations ...

, and made the first recorded climb in the area in 1836. It is well known for the popular Scenic Hotel, founded in the 1870s, often considered one of the best pubs in Adelaide. Another landmark is St. John's Church, founded with the assistance of the Baker family at around the same time. The

Morialta Protestant Children's Home Morialta Protestant Children's Home was from 1924 to 1974 a residential care facility for orphans and neglected children in South Australia. It was built for John Baker, and is now a holiday camp owned by the United Church. History "Morialta Hou ...

was established in 1924 on nearby land, part of John Baker's estate, closed in 1972. The

Playford family The Playford family has played a significant role in the South Australian and Australian political and social sphere since the early days of European settlement. * Thomas Playford senior, an ex-soldier who fought at the Battle of Waterloo, a fie ...

have long been residents of the area. The Rev. Thomas Playford, a

Waterloo Waterloo most commonly refers to: * Battle of Waterloo, 1815 battle where Napoleon's French army was defeated by Anglo-allied and Prussian forces * Waterloo, Belgium Waterloo may also refer to: Other places Australia * Waterloo, New South Wale ...

veteran turned preacher, settled in the area in the 1840s. His son (

Thomas Playford II Thomas Playford (26 November 1837 – 19 April 1915) was an Australian politician who served two terms as Premier of South Australia (1887–1889; 1890–1892). He subsequently entered federal politics, serving as a Australian Senate, Senator ...

) and great-grandson (

Thomas Playford IV Sir Thomas Playford (5 July 1896 – 16 June 1981) was an Australian politician from the state of South Australia. He served as Premier of South Australia and leader of the Liberal and Country League (LCL) from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 196 ...

) both became

Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...

. Thomas Playford IV is the longest serving Premier in South Australia's history, from 1938 to 1965. His statue stands in the centre of the township. Norton Summit is one of the most popular cycling climbs in Australia.

References

7
Story Of Norton's Summit Early Struggles Of the Pioneers By Lucy Maymon Hines
The Chronicle (Adelaide, SA 1895 - 1954) 3 June 1937, page 47 Towns in South Australia {{SouthAustralia-geo-stub