"Robertstown's History"

The Robertstown area was originally a part of the Ngadjuri Aboriginal Tribal area and then was known as "Emu Flats" by the first settlers.

The region was firstly part of Anlaby and Koonoona Pastoral stations.

The first township in the area was "Apoinga", set up in 1849, as the site of a smelter for copper ore from the Burra mines.

In 1868, the government divided Emu Flats into settlers blocks. 

The first building in the town, then known as "Emuville", was O'Dea's Wine Shanty, situated behind the present Community Centre.

Set up as a depot for carters bringing supplies to the new settlers, the town quickly grew around this area.

English and German settlers arrived to take up new land, one of these was, John Roberts, a storekeeper who built a shop on the crossroads in 1871.

In 1874, he applied to open a Post Office, using the stamp "ROBERTS - TOWN", and so the town, which was never gazzetted, gained its Official Name".

For further information on the Robertstown area, refer to the Introduction page or you can purchase the "Emmaus to Worlds End" book which is "A History of the Robertstown Council Area".

This book was printed in 1986 as part of South Australia's Jubilee 150 year and Australia's Bicentenary Celebration's.

For further information where this book can be purchased, Email the Webmaster

Home Page

Index Page