Founded in 1854, Stirling grew rapidly as a result of the expansion of apple growing and market gardening to satisfy the demand of the expanding city of Adelaide, just 15 kilometres away. Stirling became popular with Adelaide’s wealthy residents in the 1800s, who built summer houses to escape the heat of the plains. A walk through Stirling will reveal some of the most beautiful homes in South Australia.

Stirling highlights include:

• A stroll along the main street, with its garden setting, abundance of tempting shops (homewares, books, fashion and gifts), cafes and restaurants

• The Stirling Hotel offering a number of dining options as well as stylish accommodation – grab a coffee and something delicious at their patisserie located just behind the hotel

• Locally made artisan chocolates at Red Cacoa

• Stirling Market on the fourth Sunday of every month (the third in December), with local produce, plants and homemade wares

• Stirling Laneways on the same day as the market (September to April only with no market in January) with artists and entertainers, food and wine, pop-up stalls and local traders in the lanes and side streets of Stirling

• The Organic Market and Café - a long-time favourite for locals and visitors looking for a deliciously healthy meal or stocking up on exotic ingredients

• Sticky Rice Cooking School - book the classes alone or combine the experience with a stay at one of the luxurious pavilions on the property

• Steamroller Park in the main street - a perennial favourite with families due to the excellent fully fenced playground, the centrepiece of which is a colourfully painted old steamroller

Woorabinda Lake and Bushland Reserves

Woorabinda Bushland Reserves are just a couple of minutes by car from Stirling and are made up of Stirling Park, Woorabinda, Madurta Reserve and Hender Reserve. They cover around 34 hectares and feature approximately four kilometres of walking trails. Popular activities are walking, wildlife observation, wetlands studies and picnicking. Members of the Stirling Marblehead Yacht Club race their beautiful remote-controlled boats on Woorabinda Lake each Wednesday, making this an ideal time to visit.

Stirling Self-Guided Walking Tours

Discover Stirling on foot wih the free Stirling - Paths to Discovery app - your mobile guide to places of interest within walking distance of the Stirling main street. With the self-guided tours and route maps, nature lovers can venture to Woorabinda Bushland Reserve, while history buffs can take a stroll through the village soaking up heritage and hidden treasures along the way. Simply download the app from the Apple app store or the Google Playstore and start walking!

• A round of golf in nature at The Stirling Golf Club

• Events throughout the year including the Tour Down Under cycling race in January

Stirling can be reached from Adelaide by public bus - see routes 863, 864 and 865 on the Adelaide Metro website.