02 Introduction to the Thebarton Oval Precinct Project 8 The City of West Torrens THEBARTON The City of West Torrens comprises 37 square kilometres of Adelaide’s western metropolitan area. It is bound by the Torrens River to the north; Adelaide city to the east; Gulf St Vincent to the west, with Anzac Highway, South Road and the Glenelg tramway as its southern boundary. The council area includes approximately 1.5km of coastline.
OVAL & KINGS RESERVE The West Torrens area played a key role in the establishment of the colony of South Australia, originally for farming purposes and then in the 1930s and 40s for residential development, and a range of more intensive commercial and industrial land uses in the 1950s and 60s. ADELAIDE AIRPORT CITY OF WEST TORRENS Today, the greatest percentage of land within West Torrens is dedicated to residential development, while the commercial areas comprise a range of industrial, logistic, distribution and retail establishments.
Adelaide Airport occupies a significant area of land in the centre of the City of West Torrens, taking up about twenty percent of the entire Council area, which is classified as Commonwealth land. With an increasing residential population exceeding 61,000 people, the provision of open space presents a significant challenge for the City of West Torrens. The Thebarton Oval Precinct represents one of the largest public assets within the Council area, and its redevelopment will seek to align with the goals of the City of West Torrens Open Space Plan 2021-2026:
• Diverse open spaces close to people • Connected open space • Vibrant and healthy places for people and nature • Enhance community participation • Responsive and well managed open space Thebarton Oval Precinct Master Plan Report