Palmer is a town just east of the Adelaide Hills region of South Australia along the Adelaide-Mannum Road, 70 kilometres east-north-east of the state capital, Adelaide and 15 km west-north-west of Mannum (34°51′S 139°9′E / 34.850°S 139.150°E). It is located in the Mid Murray Council local government area. At the 2006 census, Palmer had a population of 329. Palmer has a primary school (opened 1882), a general store, hotel and a Lutheran Churchof which Carl Heinrich Loessel was the first pastor, from 22 May 1869 before the church was built, succeeded by the long-serving Pastor Kuss.