O'Sullivan Beach, SA 5166
O'Sullivan Beach is a seaside suburb of Adelaide, about 24 km south-south-west of the city centre in a straight line. Its postcode is 5166, and it is the only suburb with that postcode. It is in the City of Onkaparinga, facing Gulf St Vincent, between Lonsdale and Christies Beach.
You will also see the name written O'Sullivans Beach, Osullivan Beach or O Sullivan Beach. Australia Post and the state government spell it O'Sullivan Beach.
This page covers where the suburb is, the boat ramp, the school, the post office and a little history. The land Salt is selling here is near the end.
O'Sullivan Beach at a glance
| Postcode | 5166 (O'Sullivan Beach is the only suburb in it) |
|---|---|
| Distance to Adelaide | About 24 km from the city centre, in a straight line |
| Local council | City of Onkaparinga |
| State electoral district | Reynell |
| Population | 1,844 at the 2021 census |
| Established | 1926, when the suburb was first subdivided |
| Named after | Ignatius O'Sullivan, who settled in the area in 1840 |
| Adjacent suburbs | Lonsdale and Christies Beach |
| Train | Lonsdale station, on the Seaford line, in neighbouring Lonsdale |
| Coastline | Gulf St Vincent |
| Coordinates | 35°07′08″S, 138°28′30″E (35.119°S, 138.475°E) |
O'Sullivan Beach boat ramp
O'Sullivan Beach has a large boat ramp with protective breakwaters, so boats are easily launched and landed here. A large parking area sits beside it, with elevated views over the surrounding coast and ocean.
The ramp was upgraded and reopened in December 2023. The original pontoons were replaced, and a new L-shaped pontoon and an extra launching lane were added. The area where vehicles turn was widened, and rock walls were built on the northern and southern sides. New line marking and signs went in around the launch and washdown areas. The details are in the state government's announcement.
The ramp is council-managed, and launch permits are bought from the City of Onkaparinga, including through the council's PayStay app. Permit types and fees are the council's to set, so check the council's current arrangements before you launch.
Getting to the city
O'Sullivan Beach is about 24 km from the Adelaide city centre, measured in a straight line. The drive is longer, and depends on your route. Lonsdale, the suburb next door, has a train station on the Seaford line, 26.7 km by rail from Adelaide.
The offshore shellfish reef
An artificial shellfish reef was constructed off O'Sullivan Beach in November 2021, about 500 metres offshore, and seeded with native oysters.
O'Sullivan Beach Primary School
O'Sullivan Beach Primary School is a South Australian government primary school at 51 Galloway Road, O'Sullivan Beach. Enrolment, zoning and contact details change from year to year, so the school's entry on the Department for Education's find-a-school service is the place to check them rather than this page.
O'Sullivan Beach post office
O'Sullivan Beach Licensed Post Office is at Shop 3, 105 Galloway Road, O'Sullivan Beach SA 5166. Its hours and the services it offers are Australia Post's to publish, so check the Australia Post outlet finder rather than this page.
A short history
The Kaurna people used this coast for seasonal camps, and the mouth of nearby Christie Creek was a Kaurna campsite. The suburb takes its name from Ignatius O'Sullivan, who came from Ireland and settled in the area in 1840.
The district stayed farmland into the 1920s. O'Sullivan Beach was subdivided by a group of developers in 1926, and grew alongside the Port Stanvac oil refinery and the Lonsdale industrial area. In the 1960s and 1970s the South Australian Housing Trust developed much of it as a public housing estate. Most of those homes are now privately owned.
Quick answers about O'Sullivan Beach
What is the postcode for O'Sullivan Beach?
The postcode is 5166. O'Sullivan Beach is the only suburb with that postcode, according to Australia Post.
How far is O'Sullivan Beach from Adelaide?
About 24 km from the Adelaide city centre, measured in a straight line. The drive is longer, and depends on your route.
Which council is O'Sullivan Beach in?
The City of Onkaparinga.
Is there a boat ramp at O'Sullivan Beach?
Yes. The council-managed ramp has protective breakwaters and a large parking area. It was upgraded and reopened in December 2023. Launch permits come from the City of Onkaparinga, including through its PayStay app.
Is there a train station near O'Sullivan Beach?
Lonsdale, the suburb next door, has a station on the Seaford line, 26.7 km by rail from Adelaide.
Who is O'Sullivan Beach named after?
Ignatius O'Sullivan, who came from Ireland and settled in the area in 1840.
Is there land for sale in O'Sullivan Beach?
Salt is a land subdivision in O'Sullivan Beach, released in stages. The blocks still for sale, with their prices, are on the Now Selling page.
Land for sale at O'Sullivan Beach: Salt
Salt is a land subdivision in O'Sullivan Beach, developed by OSB Pty Ltd (ABN 54 644 049 276) and sold through Magain Real Estate. Land is released in stages. Every block has its own page, with its size, frontage and depth. A block still for sale shows its price; a block that has sold stays published without one, so the record of the estate stays complete. Each block page also links one document for that block: a building envelope plan on some blocks, an information sheet on the rest.
Buyers at Salt choose their own builder, and a build covenant of three years from settlement applies.
- See the blocks now selling at Salt
- Common questions about buying a block at Salt
- Stage 3 progress: video and photos
- Salt, O'Sullivan Beach: the estate home page
Visit
The Salt Sales & Information Centre is at 36 Gumeracha Road, O'Sullivan Beach SA 5166. Call 0447 346 523 or email [email protected]. You can request a time to visit, and the sales team will come back to you to confirm.
Where these facts come from: the Australia Post postcode finder; the Wikipedia entries for O'Sullivan Beach and Lonsdale railway station, including the 2021 census population; the state government's boat ramp announcement of 4 December 2023; and the Department for Education's school finder. The distance is measured between the published coordinates of the suburb and of the Adelaide city centre. Checked 1 November 2026.
