Introduction
Though Prospect Hill was not settled as a direct result of the Special Survey system, there were settlers in the area from as early as c1840. It was settled as a farming district by English, Scottish and Irish immigrants.
Prospect Hill was hit hard by the 1983 Ash Wednesday bushfires and lost many historical sites. Fortunately the former Post Office/General Store survived and is now an interesting and intriguing museum.
History
Though Prospect Hill was not settled as a direct result of the Special Survey system, there were settlers in the area from as early as c1840. It was settled as a farming district by English, Scottish and Irish immigrants.
The first survey took place in 1840 and the next in 1856. A Wesleyan Chapel was built at Mt Ephraim in 1856 and another on the northern side of Prospect Hill at Spring Grove c1861.
Early crops included wheat and tobacco and early occupations included shingle cutting, roof thatching, pit sawing, blacksmithing, charcoal burning and wattle barking.
One early settler planted an orchard with walnut, almond, orange, lemon, plum, cherry, apple, pear and quince trees. He also grew raspberries, strawberries, gooseberries and blackberries for marketing in Goolwa. He travelled by buggy through Finniss and Currency Creek supplying customers on the way. On his return trip he carried household goods and fish, etc.
It was not until 1873 that the name Prospect Hill came into use. In that year a new church was being built, a general store opened and a spring cart service to and from Adelaide commenced. A chance remark by a resident at that time, “Better prospects are ahead” gave this area its present name.