Semaphore: Keith Conlon visits Kevin Crease's birthplace in the Adelaide Coast region of South Australia

Famed as one of 'the' resort towns of the nineteenth century, Semaphore has been spruced up for a new wave of day-trippers and it's exerting its own distinctive style.

It's very relaxed - going for character rather than the glitz and glamour further along the coast. It's a good call because it has a long history as a beachside entertainment venue. In fact, it was named by a legend of the Australian theatre and who best to tell us about it all that our own TV legend, Kevin Crease. He was born and bred a Semaphore lad so I caught up with him to explore the area's humble beginnings.

"It's original name was Scarborough," Kevin said. "Along came a guy called George Coppin. He had unlimited faith in the area when there was absolutely nothing here at all. He put up the Semaphore Hotel and Marine Thermopolium."

Mr. Coppin also put up a flagpole next to his establishment. But it was no ordinary flagpole - it was a monster of a mast and he used it to signal his other pub in Port Adelaide to get ready for the arrival of new ships full of passengers.

"That's where the name came from," explained Kevin. "Running flags up the flagpole - semaphore. So this area, slowly but surely became known as The Semaphore."

That's why George Coppin scored a street named after him.

But let's face it, to most of us, Semaphore still means the beach and the jetty. So that's where Kevin took me next.

"I spent a lot of time out on the jetty as a boy," said Kevin. "Because it was twice as long as it is now, or just about twice as long so it took forever to go out to the end."

When Kevin was a kid, there was a big two-storey building at the end of the jetty that was a kiosk, dining room and dance hall. It was also a home.

"The Mills family lived out there for a long time; in fact there was one storm where they got marooned out there because part of the jetty was blown away. They used to get messages to them by writing them on a piece of paper, wrapping it in a rock and throwing it over the gap in the jetty.

"But a year after the biggest storm would you believe, I came home from school one day, got off the bus and my mate was waiting for me and he said "quick, quick, quick, come with me, come with me. We raced down here, and would you believe, the kiosk was on fire. It burnt down."

That landmarks' gone but some of Semaphore's others still stand proud. Like the old Timeball Tower overlooking the foreshore. It was vital for the sailing ship captains a century ago. When the black ball dropped from the top of the tower at precisely one o'clock each day they'd set their chronometers and they'd know it was spot on when they set sail.

Then there's the old 1920s Bathing Pavilion on The Esplanade. Now The Palais, it's a reminder of balmier days when a day or two at the beach was the best holiday most locals could hope for.

These days it's a coastal bar and restaurant with spectacular sunsets and regular live music upholding Semaphore's tradition of providing entertainment by the sea. The path overlooking the carousel and fairground is 'real Kevin Crease country'.

"It was home of the Semaphore Illuminated Carnival for many years," Kevin smiled. "Over Christmas and the New Year they'd put up lots of coloured lights. The bandstand was there and that's where I used to do some shows. I remember that on one occasion I did thirty shows in thirty nights."

"We used to have a concert every night. These were tough times; it was just after the Second World War and it was the middle of summer. No air conditioning, no insulation and if was a really hot night you'd get out of the house and came down here and we'd put on free shows for them. Sometimes it was the same old acts."

When he talks about his life as a kid around here it's not surprising Kevin went on to become one of the lovable pioneers of live TV in Adelaide.

"I used to do magic tricks down on the beach in the morning. Then go and work on my Dad's slippery dip during the day. It was called the Corkscrew and we'd polish it up with floor polish. Then later in the day we'd go over to Hurley's knock'em'downs, roll'em'downs and do a bit of work there and maybe get some chocolates out of it. Then I'd come over here and compare the concert.

"Then at the end of the night I'd hop on the Chairoplane. It used to go up high and I used to imagine I was floating out over the ocean. Then I'd walk home to Semaphore South - it was the end of the day."

What a day - and what an apprenticeship in show business. But life's a bit more relaxed these days for Kevin and the folks of Semaphore

"The main street look good these days but if you stood in the middle when I was a kid, you would've got knocked over by a train. It used to come along Semaphore Road and people would pile off the trains and trolley buses in the thousands."

The trolley buses and trains might have gone but the romance and attractions remain at Semaphore

Pick up a map and brochure to the Semaphore story at the Port Adelaide Visitor Information Centre. It's a great place for s pleasant stroll and a coffee summertime or wintertime.

Historic Walk in Semaphore brochure
Available from Port Adelaide Visitor Information Centre.
66 Commercial Rd, Port Adelaide
Phone (08) 8405 6560
Open 7 days