Bridgewater
Postcode: 5155
Bridgewater is a town in the Adelaide Hills, southeast of Adelaide in South Australia and is also where the Foreign Minister of Australia, Alexander Downer lives.
It is the former end of the Adelaide-Bridgewater railway line. This route was last used in the late 1980s. The railway was converted to standard gauge and continues to be the main line from Adelaide to Melbourne, but no trains stop here.
Originally settled as Cox Creek, it was renamed Bridgewater when the flour mill was built by John Dunn (bushranger), who named it after Bridgwater in Somerset, England.
The town is centered around the Coles shopping precinct. Most residents of Bridgewater will go to Coles at least once or twice a week. Some residents, especially schoolkids and high school students are known to frequent Coles daily.
Cox creek runs through Bridgewater. In previous years (primarily 1920-60), on “Mill Day” (15 February) villagers swam upstream from nearby Mylor, South Australia to the pub. The winner was awarded a wreath and a half price pint of beer. A surprising number of entrants would enter each year. In 1956, 874 entrants took part in the race although only 872 finished.