Callington is situated on the Bremer River around 60 kilometres east of Adelaide. Founded in 1847, it has retained many of its nineteenth century buildings and allows a unique glimpse into a mid-nineteenth century mining community.

Many of the original buildings are heritage listed and within a local government Historic Precinct. It is acknowledged as being Peramangk traditional country.

A mining town first settled by German miners from the Hahndorf, closely followed by other nationalities, including the Irish, but by far the largest contingent were the Cornish who joined the mining works by 1848.

Settling along the banks of the Bremer River they built cottages in the style of their homeland, constructed of local stone. Many of these original cottages can be seen today.

This influx of miners and settlers resulted in the first town being surveyed and laid out in 1849-52. This settlement, until then known as Bremer, was officially named Callington after the copper mining town in Cornwall. The layout of the township, reflects the influence of Colonel William Light, South Australia’s first Surveyor General.