Gawler was designed in 1837 by surveyor William Light , who named the city after the second governor of the colony of South Australia, George Gawler . In February 1839, John Reid was the first settler to settle near the North Para River. By the end of the year, Reid's property had become a popular resting place for both settlers heading north and sheep farmers herding from New South Wales to Adelaide.
At the end of 1842 there were only a few smelters in the Gawler area when rich copper deposits were discovered in Kapunda , about 40 km north, and a little later in Burra , about 100 km north . With the expansion of the mines, traffic and with it the importance of the city increased rapidly. In 1848 the city already consisted of 60 houses and about 300 people. By the end of the 19th century, Gawler was best known for its flour mills and the construction of steam locomotives.
