Historic 1840s river township on the Onkaparinga River, tucked inside a dramatic river bend near Onkaparinga River National Park.
A village from the 1840s
Old Noarlunga is a historic river village on the Onkaparinga River, about 30km south of Adelaide and just north of McLaren Vale. Settled around 1840, it sits inside a dramatic horseshoe bend of the river - the name "Onkaparinga" comes from the Kaurna word for this distinctive curve.
Heritage
Despite the rapid suburbanisation of nearby Noarlunga Centre, the historic core of Old Noarlunga has retained its village character with the 19th-century stone church, cemetery, heritage Horseshoe Inn and original rows of colonial cottages. It is listed on the South Australian Heritage Register.
Walks
Old Noarlunga is a great jumping-off point for walks in the nearby Onkaparinga River National Park, including the Chapel Hill Lookout Loop which offers views back over the town and the river.
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Sources
- Old Noarlunga - Wikipedia - Wikipedia (accessed April 2026)
Image credits
- Old Noarlunga Church , CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons