'Kertaweeta' -The Black Forest

The City of Unley acknowledges the Kaurna people as the traditional owners of the Black Forest and respects the raditional name 'Kertaweeta' that means scrub with reeds.

The name 'Black Forest' is reputed to have been given as a result of the dark coloured tree bark and thick dark green foliage.

The area formerly extended from the eastern foothill suburbs of Burnside, Erindale, Beaumont, Glen Osmond, south-west through to Urrbrae, Malvern, Mitcham, Unley, Goodwood, Wayville, South Adelaide, Black Forest, Hyde Park, Clarence Park, Plympton, Edwardstown, St Marys and the River Sturt near Marion.

The Urban Forest Biodiversity Program reports that grazing, agriculture, horticulture, residential development and industry have progressively all but replaced the unique flora and fauna of the Adelaide Plains. Less than 2% of the original habitat is left intact and remaining native plants and animals are finding it increasingly difficult to survive.

Individual trees from the original Black Forest still exist within the City of Unley but only one remaining stand of grey-box woodland can be found - in Heywood Park at Northgate Street, Unley Park.

Information for this article has been sourced from a book by local Millswood resident, Darrell Kraehenbuehl 'Pre-European Vegetation of Adelaide: A Survey from the Gawler River to Hallett Cove' (1996).