2.0 Location St Peters River Park

St Peters River Park is located east of the existing course of the River Torrens with entrances off Goss Court and River Street, St Peters.

The reserve includes the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri on the west and the area that is shared as the Linear Park in Gilberton; the OBahn and part of River Street to the north; part of Eighth Avenue on the east and to the south Goss Court. The total area is 92,643 square metres of designated reserve.

Fig 1

There are several agencies including the Department of Environment & Water, SA Water, the Environment Protection Authority, the Department of Transport & Infrastructure and local governments such as the City of Norwood, Payneham & St Peters and the City of Walkerville which have been responsible for aspects of the River Torrens/ Karrawirra Parri development.

Some of these agencies have also been involved in the St Peters River Park development.

Recent changes in South Australia through the application of the South Australian Government’s Landscape South Australia Act in 2019 have clarified water rights in relation to the ability of a person to access, take or use water from any source and the ownership of waterways.

This means that riparian or common law rights to take water (that is water rights based on land ownership or possession) that existed historically over the River Torrens have been changed.

The idea of riparian rites influenced land titles with respect to private ownership over rivers, creeks, and springs and impacted on land titles in the 19th and 20th centuries.

This issue of ownership of the River Torrens/Karrawirra Parri and its tributaries are relevant to understanding the history of the St Peters River Park and its past development and management.