For administrative purposes land in South Australia was divided into hundreds and sections. As the demand for land grew, areas were surveyed into sections which were then offered for sale.
A special survey between 1838 and the early 1840s was carried out which became the Hundred of Munno Para on 29 October 1846. It wasn't until the 1850's, that the area’s cereal growing potential was realised. Land at that time was sold for approximately £1 per acre, with most settlers purchasing around 80 acres. The area soon became well known for its wheat and hay farms. During the Victorian gold boom there was a large demand for wheat and the invention of the Ridley Reaper had made wheat farming on a large scale possible. The hills’ farmers initially planted crops, orchards and vineyards. Cattle and sheep were introduced as a main farming industry as the land was cleared. Stock were taken to the yards at the Smithfield Railway Station for transportation to Adelaide when the line was built in June 1857.
