Gum Creek, South Australia

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2022}}

{{Use Australian English|date=April 2013}}

{{Infobox Australian place

| type = town

| name = Gum Creek

| state = sa

| image =

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| coordinates = {{coord|33|42|46.3|S|138|45|55.8|E|display=inline,title}}

| alternative_location_map = Australia South Australia

| relief = yes

| pushpin_label_position = top

| lga = Regional Council of Goyder

| postcode = 5417{{cite web | url=http://www.location.sa.gov.au/viewer/ | title=Search result(s) for Gum Creek, 5417 | publisher=Government of South Australia | work=Location SA Map Viewer | accessdate=14 December 2016}}

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| stategov = Stuart

| fedgov = Grey

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| near-e = Burra

| near-se = Hanson

| near-s = Farrell Flat

| near-sw = Hill River

| near-w = Hilltown

| near-nw = Hilltown

| near-n = Leighton

| near-ne = Leighton

|footnotes=Coordinates

}}

Gum Creek is a rural locality in the Mid North region of South Australia, situated in the Regional Council of Goyder. It was established in August 2000, when boundaries were formalised for the "long established local name".{{cite web | url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ | title=Search result(s) for Peep Hill, 5374 | publisher=Government of South Australia | work=Property Location Browser | accessdate=26 November 2016 | archive-date=12 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ | url-status=dead }} It is named for the Gum Creek pastoral property, which originally extended from Farrell Flat to Mount Bryan, with the homestead being located in the Gum Creek locality.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article62715829 |title=GUM CREEK CHEEP STATION. |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=LXXXV |issue=22,936 |location=South Australia |date=13 May 1920 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=5 |via=National Library of Australia}} The property was owned by a number of notable figures, with Sir John Duncan succeeding Sir Walter Hughes as owner.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article108375164 |title=BURRA PASTORAL ESTATES. |newspaper=The Kapunda Herald |volume=XLII |issue=3,327 |location=South Australia |date=26 January 1906 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=6 |via=National Library of Australia}}

A Primitive Methodist church opened at "Iron Mine, Gum Creek" in October 1871, built by J. & T. Pearce of Kooringa for a cost of £140.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39256569 |title=THE MUTILATED LAND BILL. |newspaper=South Australian Register |volume=XXXVI |issue=7767 |location=South Australia |date=6 October 1871 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=7 |via=National Library of Australia}} A Sunday school at Ironmine Methodist Church, as it came to be known, was built in 1923.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article63822883 |title=NEWS FROM THE COUNTRY. |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=LXXXVIII |issue=25,602 |location=South Australia |date=17 January 1923 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=11 |via=National Library of Australia}} The church held a 75th anniversary celebration in April 1946.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article39160791 |title=Church Anniversary at Ironmine |newspaper=Burra Record |volume=69 |issue=13 |location=South Australia |date=2 April 1946 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=4 |via=National Library of Australia}} The church closed in 1974 and was converted to a residence.{{cite web | url=http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/heritage/heritage_surveys/heritage-survey-lower-north-regional-survey-dc-burra-burra-part-1983.pdf | title=Lower North Regional Heritage Survey – District Council of Burra Burra | publisher=Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources | accessdate=8 February 2017}}

Gum Creek School opened in 1898 and closed in 1957.{{cite web | url=http://www.slsa.sa.gov.au/manning/pn/g/g10.htm#gumC | title=Place Names of South Australia – G | publisher=State Library of South Australia | work=The Manning Index of South Australian History | accessdate=27 December 2016}} Prior to this, a day school was reported as being run by a Mr. Rogers in the Gum Creek Chapel during the 1870s.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article93950019 |title=NOTES BY THE WAY |newspaper=South Australian Chronicle And Weekly Mail |volume=XVII |issue=831 |location=South Australia |date=18 July 1874 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}} The later school building survives today, though is in a derelict state.

A telephone office opened at Gum Creek on 1 May 1926, became a postal receiving office on 3 May 1926 and was upgraded to a post office on 1 July 1927. It closed on 13 March 1953.{{cite web | url=https://www.premierpostal.com/cgi-bin/wsProd.sh/viewpodet.w?cdpo=11886 | title=Gum Creek (2) | publisher=Premier Postal | work=Post Office Reference | accessdate=27 December 2016}}

It formerly had its own tennis, football and cricket teams.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article37481698 |title=GUM CREEK |newspaper=Burra Record |volume=XV |issue=988 |location=South Australia |date=24 April 1912 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article36014054 |title=FOOTBALL. |newspaper=Burra Record |volume=XV |issue=636 |location=South Australia |date=27 July 1904 |accessdate=27 December 2016 |page=3 |via=National Library of Australia}}