Clearview is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia about 8 km north of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is bordered by Gepps Cross, Enfield, Broadview, Lightsview and Northfield.
History
Clearview is a relatively old suburb with the majority of residential buildings being constructed in the 1950s. The predominant style of house built during the suburb's 1950s heyday were "austerity" homes, so named because they were designed to be cheap to build during the post war conditions of building materials shortage, and returning servicemen who were looking for housing and a place to start a family. However, with many of the old timber framed houses being demolished in place for new, modern homes, this coupled with its closeness to the city centre has allowed it to enjoy a steady increase in property value over the past decade.[when?] Prior to this[clarification needed] most of the land was used for almond farming, and some homes still contain the remnants of the farm, with almond trees being somewhat common in Clearview back yards. Clearview Post Office opened on 19 January 1954.
Current status
By virtue of its proximity to the CBD, Clearview is experiencing a renaissance in the last few years,[when?] with modern 3 bedroom homes appealing to a younger demographic who look for modern housing close to the CBD and schools.
Geography
Clearview sits atop a gentle rise, and from some parts, depending and weather, line of sight right down to Port Adelaide is possible from ground view.
Most of the original vegetation has been lost due to urbanisation with the exception of areas in the neighbouring suburb of Enfield. Folland Park Reserve and the adjacent Enfield Memorial Park's "Wirra Wonga" (meaning bush grave in the indigenous Kaurna language) contain remnants of mallee box vegetation. Most of the suburb would have been dominated by a native pine forest according to accounts in Kraehenbuehls book "Pre-European Vegetation of Adelaide".
The soil of Clearview is brown and sandy to clay. The Keswich Clay deposit is present in the soil profile which is known for its reactivity.
Amenities
Clearview contains several child friendly parks, a sporting oval and associated athletics club, tennis courts, several churches and a dance studio.