Freeling
Postcode: 5372
Freeling is a small town in South Australia, about 70km north of Adelaide. It has a population of about 1,200 people, and sits on the edge of the famous Barossa Valley wine region. The main source of income for the town is through its extensive farming land, where mainly cereal crops are grown. It is regarded as some of the best farming land in Australia, with the University of Adelaide’s Roseworthy Campus, (Roseworthy, South Australia) situated nearby. A large factory making farming implements has also been situated at Freeling for many years.
The township of Freeling was surveyed in March 1860 by Robert Stephenson. It was named after Major-General Sir Arthur Henry Freeling, Surveyor-General of South Australia from 1849-1861. Freeling was a stopping place on the Gawler to Kapunda railroad, which opened in 1860. The Freeling Hotel was founded in 1863, the Railway Hotel in 1867 and the St Petri Lutheran Church (now St Peter’s Uniting church) in 1871. By 1866, Freeling’s population numbered approximately 60.
The major tourist attraction for the town and surrounding area is a popular Australian Drama television series, McLeod’s Daughters. The town has many sets used on the show, including the Gungellan Hotel (actually the Railway Hotel), Truckstop and Showgrounds. Other activities that occur in Freeling include Australian rules football and Tennis Clubs.
Freeling is in the Light Regional Council, the state electoral district of Light and the federal Division of Wakefield.