Gawler: empty shops

I recently walked the main street of Gawler north of Adelaide. It is on the Sturt highway -- the A20 which is an Australian national highway.  It is where the North Para River joins the South Para River to form the  Gawler River. 

What used to be seen as a country town in the mid-north region of South Australia is now probably the northern fringe of the city of Adelaide,  as it is only 40 kilometres from Adelaide's CBD,   just north of Elizabeth and is the main gateway to  the Barossa Valley.  

I was struck by the number of empty shops when I was walking around. The township  itself was full of people and energy. It had a buzz that was  such contrast to the empty shops.