Wasleys, South Australia
Wasleys is a small town north-west of Gawler, South Australia. Roseworthy College is located around south of the town.
History
The town is named after Joseph Wasley, who arrived in the colony of South Australia in 1838. After having been a successful miner at Burra in South Australia as well as the Victorian goldfields, he took up five sections in the Hundred of Mudla Wirra, known as the Mudla Wirra Forest.The name mudla wirra comes from the Kaurna language, but may have been misinterpreted in multiple sources, perhaps arising from the online version of Manning's Index. It has been reported that mudla means" implement", giving rise to the translation "a forest where implements are obtained", but in a newer publication, Manning writes "Professor Tindale says that an alternative derivation is based on the word mudla meaning ‘nose’" by Mr. Warren, and is very conveniently situated on the north side of the Mallala and Templers road, the Railway Station occupying the opposite or south side. The settlement was advertised as "Ridley Township - Wasleys Station", seeking to attract people looking for good agricultural land, later splitting into two townships, called Ridleyton and Wasleys. The Wasleys plots were auctioned, while Ridley plots were sold privately.
A Wesleyan church was built in 1873 and a school established in it the following year. Wasleys thrived, with three chaff mills operating at one point, none of which survive today. By 1909 there was a wheelwright, several stores and private dwellings, and an Institute incorporating a library. In 1928 there were 337 inhabitants, and a daily train service to Adelaide.
On 12 April 1970, a bus collided with a passenger train on the road from Wasleys to Gawler, killing 17 people and injuring more than 40.
Regular passenger trains through the town ceased in the 1980s. The line was formally closed in the 2000s.
In 2015, the Pinery bushfire burned through the township of Wasleys, gutting the lawn bowls club and post office.