 In 1868 more gold was discovered at nearby Jupiter Creek, which proved to be a much larger and long-lived field.The town reputedly takes its name from a Kaurna word 'eechungga' which may mean either 'a short distance' or 'close by'.For a brief time Echunga prospered and it has been estimated that at its peak it had grown to a population in excess of 1,200.