Glenalta is a suburb located in the south eastern Foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges of Adelaide, South Australia. It is adjacent to Belair National Park.
In 2009, demographer Bernard Salt of the Sunday Mail judged Glenalta to be Adelaide's most liveable suburb, citing its "affordability, access and ambience".
History The first European settlers in the area of Glenalta arrived in the 1840s, with the area named "Blackwood Vale Farm". The name Glenalta is derived from "glen" (valley) and "alta" (high), hence meaning 'a valley near a hill'. In 1869, the Blackwood Inn (renamed the Belair Hotel in 1880) was opened by Robert Burfield, one of the earlier settlers in the area and a trustee of the Inebriates Retreat in nearby Belair. The suburb was initially divided in 62 allotments in 1926, then subdivided further in the 1950s and 1960s.
Transport The suburb is served by Glenalta railway station on the Belair line. Bus routes , , and operate to and from the city from nearby Blackwood Interchange, and routes and operate to and from Aldgate from Blackwood Interchange.
Glenalta 100 Gathering The Blackwood Action Group (BAG), based on the success of the 'Hawthorndene 100' event in the neighboring subrurb, hosted a 'Glenalta 100 Gathering' on the 4th of October 2026 at Minno Reserve.
Well over 150 locals turned out to enjoy speeches, music from the legendary Blackwood Ukelele Group, and interesting historical facts and andecdotes from long-term residents and dignitaries. This great event captured the warm community atmosphere of the suburb and its residents, and was followed by a sumptious afternoon tea.
Descendents of some of the original European settler families were present, and a self-guided history walk brochure was launched. Grant funding was provided by the City of Mitcham to support the event and to help with funding the publication of the walk brochures.
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