Clearview was originally planned and laid out in 1922 by the Clearview company on parts of sections 334-346 and 338 in the Hundred of Yatala. It was so named because the high ground on which it was situated had a good view south west to the River Torrens and west and north west of the portion of the Adelaide Plains that was to become Adelaide's inner north and north west suburbia. Previous name was Enfield Heights and was named Clearview in the early 1960's. Prior to subdivision and residential construction in the 1950s, most of the land at Clearview was cultivated for almond farming, and some homes still contain the remnants of the orchard, with almond trees being somewhat common in Clearview back yards. The majority of the earliest residential buildings in Clearview were constructed in the 1950s. The predominant style of house built during the suburb's 1950s heyday were "austerity" homes, so named because they were designed to be cheap to build during the post war conditions of building materials shortage, and returning servicemen who were looking for housing and a place to start a family. However, with many of the old timber framed houses being demolished in place for new, modern homes, this coupled with its closeness to the city centre has allowed it to enjoy a steady increase in property value over the past decade. Clearview Post Office opened on 19 January 1954. , by virtue of its proximity to the Adelaide city centre, Clearview has begun to experience a renaissance, with modern 3 bedroom homes appealing to a younger demographic who look for modern housing close to schools and the city centre.
Geography
Clearview sits atop a gentle rise, and from some parts, depending and weather, line of sight right down to Port Adelaide is possible from ground view. This situation gave rise to the suburb name, via its founding company, Clearview Ltd. Most of the original vegetation has been lost due to urbanisation with the exception of areas in the neighbouring suburb of Enfield. Folland Park Reserve and the adjacent Enfield Memorial Park's "Wirra Wonga" contain remnants of mallee box vegetation. Most of the suburb would have been dominated by a native pine forest according to accounts in Kraehenbuehl's book "Pre-European Vegetation of Adelaide". The soil of Clearview is brown and sandy to clay. The Keswich Clay deposit is present in the soil profile which is known for its reactivity.
Governance
The first local government in Clearview was the District Council of Yatala, established in 1853. In 1868, Yatala council was split at Dry Creek and from then Clearview was in the District Council of Yatala South, renamed to be Enfield council in 1933. Since 1996, Clearview has been locally governed by the City of Port Adelaide Enfield with the Enfield Library Council Office on Central Parade, Enfield, serving as the nearest council branch office. Clearview is in the state government electorate of Enfield and the federal government electorate of Adelaide.
Amenities
Clearview contains several parks, St Albans Reserve in the north, Folland Park on the western flank, adjacent to the Enfield Memorial Park cemetery, and Somerset Reserve in the south. St Albans Reserve contains a sporting oval, tennis courts and an associated athletics club.
