Originally a four-room stone cottage constructed for mill workers or agricultural labourers in the late 1850s or early 1860s. The walls are random stone more recently rendered and the window and door surrounds have also been rendered. It retains its early timber casement windows, but a later verandah has been added to the front of the house.
This area was conveniently located next to the sections owned by Samuel White (in White’s Valley) and close to both White’s Mill and Butterworth’s Mill. This part of Section 401 appears to be along the western side of Adey Road (now Paddy’s Row) and southern side of White’s Valley Road (now Little Road) north of the current Aldinga Road where 20 small blocks were established by Lewis Fidge in 1857 as “the village of Aldinga”. In the 19th century there were a number of stores in the area. At one stage Thomas Wood operated his shoemaker’s business here (1860-1878) and later it was a Baker’s shop.
In 1857 Lewis Fidge sold Lot 7 (6 Adey Road) to Henry Gale. Thomas Wood, boot and shoemaker of Aldinga, purchased the land from Henry Gale in August 1860 (CT 15/19). Then in May 1878 Thomas Wood sold the land to Joseph Denton, laborer of Aldinga, Joseph’s widow Emily Denton inherited the land after his death in 1902 and she sold the land to Walter Gordon, laborer of Aldinga, in June 1907. After a number of changes to ownership through the twentieth century Millicent Mary Jean Hele, divorced wife of Ivor Hele the owner of the Hampshire Hotel next door, took out a 5 year lease on this property in 1955 and then purchased it in 1956 owning it until her death in 1981.
The building is on the City of Onkaparinga’s local heritage list (#5551).
