Morialta Falls Reserve. 
Its Attractions. 
By V. H. Ryan, O.B.E. 
Morialta Falls Reserve, which was originally part of the 
Rostrevor estate of Mr. J. S. Reid, came into the possession 
of the Government in 1913, partly by purchase and partly by 
deed of gift. Mr. Reid, in presenting the Morialta Gorge to the 
Government, stipulated that it should be dedicated as a public 
recreation reserve for the use of the residents of the State for all 
time. The Government, to add to the value of the gift as a 
national pleasure resort, purchased an additional area at the 
entrance to the valley leading to the gorge on both sides of Fourth 
Creek, which flows through the property. The result is that 
Adelaide possesses in the Morialta Falls Reserve on of the most 
beautiful, as well as one of the most conveniently situated, moun- 
tain national pleasure resorts in the Commonwealth. The 
reserve, which is situated in a deep gorge on the western side of 
the Mount Lofty Ranges, seven miles from Adelaide, is con- 
nected to the city by electric tramway and an excellent bitumen 
road. Containing 525 acres, Morialta Falls Reserve is the largest 
of the national pleasure resorts under the control of the Govern- 
ment Tourist Bureau, by which it has been administered since 
1915. The electric car runs to the entrance, where well grassed, 
practically level fields on both sides of the picturesque creek 
constitute one of the most attractive of the many excellent picnic 
grounds in the Adelaide metropolitan area. All the necessary 
facilities for cooking are available, as well as swings and other 
sporting apparatus for children. The locality, with is magnificent 
gum trees bordering the creek and dotted about the fields, is a 
very popular one for school and similar picnics. 
From the terminus of the car line, a motor road follows 
the bottom of the valley until the entrance to the gorge proper 
is reached. There a parking area has been provided in the vicinity 
of a refreshment kiosk, where meals can be obtained at practically 
all hours, as the proprietor resides on the premises. There is an 
excellent dancing floor at the kiosk, which is becomingly increas- 
ingly popular for private parties and similar entertainments. 
From the kiosk, well-graded, winding paths lead all over 
the reserve, enabling its many beautiful and interesting spots to 
be explored without undue fatigue. The gorge itself contains 
Page Eighty-six 
