About Glenthorne

Glenthorne is a 208ha property located at O’Halloran Hill about 17km south of the Adelaide CBD.

Owned and operated by the University of Adelaide, Glenthorne falls within the City of Marion council area adjoining the City of Onkaparinga, and is surrounded by the suburbs of Seaview Downs, Trott Park, Reynella and Happy Valley.

Glenthorne is currently used as a small-scale commercial and research farm.

As part of the Woodland Recovery Initiative, the University aims to:

• establish a world-class research centre
• reclaim approximately 100ha of farmland at Glenthorne and reconstruct a suitable habitat that encourages the return of native species
• renovate buildings at Glenthorne to be used as the base for research, teaching and community involvement, and protect historically significant buildings
• employ about 30 people – including scientists, technicians, teachers and managers – to deliver research, educational, community engagement, monitoring and on-ground works
• develop educational programs that involve local schools in the environmental works, so that young South Australians are engaged in the project and see it as important to the future of their community.

What Glenthorne offers

Situated within the metropolitan area of Adelaide, as well as being part of the Mt Lofty region, Glenthorne is an ideal location for the focal point of the Woodland Recovery Initiative.

Nowhere else within the metropolitan area could one property serve so many needs. As a world-class centre of research, education and community engagement, the project and its position will offer excellent exposure of the State’s sustainability credentials and commitment to addressing climate change.

The site is ideal in its topography, climatology and remnant ecosystems as a model for habitat regeneration in the wider Mt Lofty region. Glenthorne is highly accessible to these areas and will act as a central coordination base for these broader initiatives.

A short history of Glenthorne

What is today known as Glenthorne has had a diverse history.

Glenthorne was originally settled in 1839 by Major Thomas O’Halloran, who was the first Police Commissioner of South Australia. Major O’Halloran was subsequently immortalised by having the suburb of O’Halloran Hill and Majors Road named in his honour.

In 1878, the then owner of the O'Halloran estate, Thomas Porter, renamed the estate "Glenthorne".

The property changed hands a number of times until it was compulsorily acquired by the Commonwealth in 1913 and used by the Australian Army for training troops and raising horses.

In 1946, the scientific research organisation today known as the CSIRO took control of the site  and used it as a research station until 1998, when it sold the land to the South Australian Government.

In 2001, the State Government sold Glenthorne to the University of Adelaide subject to a Land Management Agreement with the State of South Australia.

Over the years the University has considered a number of options for the property. One proposal was to develop a vineyard on the site, however extensive analysis revealed this not to be a viable option.

Today, with increasing government and community recognition of the potential impacts of climate change, the University of Adelaide has identified an exciting opportunity to establish the Woodland Recovery Initiative at Glenthorne.