Edition 25 November 2004

Heritage South Australia Newsletter

November 2004Edition 25

www.environment.sa.gov.au

Issues and information onheritage conservation in

South Australia

Katron5324 HeritageSANov04 Q5.0 23/11/04 6:58 PM Page 1

November 2004 H e r i t a g e S o u t h A u s t r a l i a N e w s l e t t e r2

Heritage South Australia Newsletter Department for Environment and Heritage

ISSN 1443-9719November 2004 Number 25FIS 2055.04

Products and services advertised are not necessarily endorsed byHeritage South Australia

Advertising

If anyone would like to advertise in this newsletter, please contact

The Editor, Heritage South Australia NewsletterGPO Box 1047, Adelaide, SA 5001

Telephone: (08) 8124 4942Facsimile: (08) 8124 4980Front Cover: Medina Adelaide Treasury Hotel.

Minister’s Update

Welcome to the November 2004 edition of theHeritage South Australia Newsletter.

Last year I commissioned Heritage Directions: A Future for built Heritage in South Australia, whichwas released for public consultation in August 2003.As a result of this initiative, I was extremely pleased to announce in May of this year a $2.9 million fundingpackage for the State’s heritage. This funding, whichwill be delivered over four years commencing2004/05, represents a record increase for heritagefunding in South Australia.

A significant component of Heritage Directions is the Government’s renewed commitment to theNational Trust of South Australia. An additional$650,000 over five years will be allocated to theNational Trust from this financial year, bringing theirtotal grant to $1 million over five years. This increaserecognises the significant work undertaken by theNational Trust, which manages over 40 State-ownedproperties on the Government’s behalf. This fundingwill be used to develop a property managementprogram to identify potential for transfer of ownershipor management of selected properties to others, and to provide a framework for sustainablemanagement of core properties to remain under National Trust management.

On 13 August I had the great pleasure of hosting thePresentation Ceremony for the 2004 Edmund WrightHeritage Awards. The Ceremony was held atParliament House in the ornate House of AssemblyChamber, which was designed by Edmund Wright.

Whilst there were many winners and commendationsin a number of categories, the overall award forOutstanding Contribution was awarded to theMedina Grand Adelaide Treasury development. In recognition of this achievement, I was delighted topresent Mr Jason Schulz from Danvers Schulz HollandArchitects with a magnificent trophy from the Jam Factory, designed by South Australian artist Mel Fraser.

Continuing with the 2004 Year of the Built Environmenttheme for August of ‘Our Built Heritage’, a prize givingceremony for the 2004 Schools Heritage Competition

was held on 31 August at the State Heritage listedSunnybrae Farm. I was pleased to be able to attendto present the winners with their certificates andprizes, and it was encouraging to see the extent towhich the students, at all levels, embraced the task of mapping their community heritage.

It has been a busy year for the State’s heritage and historical communities. Over the week of 22–30 May 2004, South Australia celebrated theinaugural SA History Week, with many events heldacross metropolitan and regional South Australia.Coordinated by the History Trust of South Australia,this celebration of our State’s history was initiated by the Government as a demonstration of the value we place on our history, and our commitmentto its preservation.

SA History Week culminated with the 13th AnnualState History Conference, held in the State HeritageListed Union Buildings of the University of Adelaide,from 29-30 May. The Conference’s theme of ‘TownTalk’ provided an opportunity for discussion anddebate. The Heritage Branch presented a session on ‘Talking Heritage’, which focussed on present and future considerations for the built heritage of the City of Adelaide.

Finally, I am pleased to announce that Ms Sue Averayhas been appointed to the position of Manager ofthe Heritage Branch. I would like to take thisopportunity to welcome Sue to the Department, and to thank Mr Brian Samuels for filling this role in anacting capacity over the past 11 months, during whathas been an extremely busy and productive time forthe Branch.

As the first year of the implementation of the Heritage Directions initiative, the 2004–2005 financial year will see a renewed focus on heritagemanagement and conservation in South Australia.

I hope that both the Sustainable Development Billand Heritage Act Amendment Bill will be introducedto Parliament before Christmas to provide animproved framework for heritage management and enable communities to better conserve theirheritage for future generations.

Contents

3 Heritage News

4 2004 Edmund Wright Heritage Awards

6 Round House, Murray Bridge

8 Heritage Directions

10 2004 Schools Heritage Competition

12 Book Review

Hon. John HillMinister for

Environment and Conservation


3H e r i t a g e S o u t h A u s t r a l i a N e w s l e t t e r November 2004

Heritage News

Heritage Conservation Seminaron Cracking of Masonry and Older Brickwork

On Friday 14 May, the Heritage Branch, in conjunction with Adelaide City Council and the Heritage Unit of the Department for Administrative and Information Services, hosted a seminar onCracking of Older Masonry and Brickwork at the Art Gallery of South Australia. This was the fourth of a series of technical seminars aimed at providing information on different aspects of heritage conservation.

Past seminars have been very well received, and the Cracking Seminar was no exception, with some 70 registereddelegates in attendance, including a number from interstate. The seminars have proven to be an effective way for the Heritage Branch to communicate at a practical level with owners of older buildings, professionals and tradespeople. Whilst they havetraditionally been held on an annual basis, it is anticipated that theseminars will be held more frequently in the future, as they havebecome an integral component of the Branch’s publiccommunications program.

For papers from the Cracking Seminar, please contact the Seminar Convenor via email [email protected], or telephone 8124 4942.

New Managerfor Heritage Branch

Ms Sue Averay has beenappointed to the position ofManager, Heritage Branch andcommenced in the role on 6 September 2004.

Sue is a Fellow of the AustralianInstitute of Company Directors, a Certified ProfessionalManager/Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute ofManagement, and a CharteredMember of the Australian HumanResource Institute. She holds aBachelor of Arts (Hons), GraduateDiplomas in both Education andBusiness Administration, and isalso a Justice of the Peace.

Until recently, Sue operated herown management consultancybusiness in Adelaide, providinggovernance and managementadvice to values-basedorganisations. Prior to that, sheheld various senior managementpositions with the Royal AustralianInstitute of Architects, mostrecently as General ManagerRegional Affairs. She has alsoheld the positions of ExecutiveDirector of the Crafts Council of South Australia, and Director ofthe Carclew Youth Arts Centre.

Sue is the current Chairperson of the Australian Festival forYoung People (Come Out), and has recently completed afour-year term as a member ofthe Capital City Forum whichassists the Premier’s Capital City Committee.

Sue brings strong managementexpertise and considerableenergy and enthusiasm to theposition at a crucial time as thenew directions and strategiesoutlined in Heritage Directions: A future for Built Heritage in South Australia are progressed.

Heritage Planning Seminar in GoolwaClearing Up the Confusion

The Heritage Branch, in association with heritage consultantsMcDougall and Vines, conducted the third in its series of Heritage Planning Seminars on Friday 18 June 2004. The first twoseminars were held at Naracoorte in June 2002 and Clare in October 2002.

The seminar at Goolwa attracted approximately 30 delegates,including representatives from various Fleurieu Peninsula councils(council staff and councillors), members of Local Heritage AdvisoryCommittees, and National Trust branch members.

Topics covered in the day’s nine sessions included the history ofheritage, an introduction to conservation principles, key legislation and organisations in the heritage planning system, preparing aHeritage Plan Amendment Report, and the ongoing management of a community’s heritage assets.

A highlight of the day was a case study of the Goolwa Town Centre.The Seminar delegates were divided into groups, given a heritage-listed building nearby to visit, and asked to develop policies tomanage its heritage value.

The next Heritage Planning Seminar will be held Renmark in earlyDecember, followed by a seminar at Port Lincoln for the Eyre Peninsulacouncils in the first half of 2005.

Ms Sue Averay


4 November 2004 H e r i t a g e S o u t h A u s t r a l i a N e w s l e t t e r

Medina Treasury Wins2004 Edmund Wright Heritage Awards

The conversion of the former South AustralianTreasury Building to a luxury five-star hotel and apartment complex received the majoraward of the 2004 Edmund Wright HeritageAwards which were presented at Parliament House on Friday 13 August.

The night was an outstanding success for allinvolved, as guests took the opportunity toexplore the corridors of Parliament House andengage with this significant part of our State’sbuilt and political heritage.

Minister for Environment and ConservationJohn Hill presented the Minister’s Award to theproject developers Danvers Schulz HollandArchitects, in association with SJB Architectsand SJB Interior Design.

The Minister acknowledged that the awardwas a fitting tribute to a project which hasprovided an excellent example of how aheritage building can be sensitively restoredwhile still being part of a commercially viable development.

As featured in the January 2004 Edition of the Heritage South Australia Newsletter, theMedina Grand Adelaide Treasury project is no stranger to awards, receiving an Award ofMerit in the prestigious UNESCO Asia-PacificHeritage Conservation Awards.

The Adelaide Treasury Building was the centreof Government administration for many years.The original building, constructed in 1839,

was designed by George Strickland Kingston.

Over the subsequent 70 years, the site

underwent up to eight major and separate

redevelopments. In the mid-1990s the

building was vacated, and remained so

until the redevelopment was completed

in August 2002.

The Judges were unanimous in their view

that the Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury

project demonstrated a superior restoration

that capitalised on the opportunities

afforded by heritage restoration.

The Minister’s Award was selected from

short-listed entries in five categories of the

Edmund Wright Heritage Awards, which

are managed by the Heritage Branch of the

Department for Environment and Heritage

and judged by an independent panel

of experts.

The 2004 Awards attracted 29 entries from

around South Australia. Nominees included

volunteer organisations, government bodies,

businesses, individual owners of heritage

places, and heritage professionals.

The Awards are an opportunity for the State

Government to recognise professionalism and

hard work by individuals, organisations and

community groups in the conservation and

promotion of South Australia’s built heritage.

Jason Schulz, Danvers Schulz

Holland Architects,

accepting trophy from

Minister for Environment and

Conservation, John Hill

House of Assembly Chamber,

Parliament House, West Wing


H e r i t a g e S o u t h A u s t r a l i a N e w s l e t t e r November 2004 5

Congratulations to the following award recipients andcommendations in the 2004 Edmund Wright Heritage Awards:

Minister’s Award:Outstanding Contribution

Winner: Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury –Adaptive Reuse. Danvers Schulz HollandArchitects in association with SJB Architectsand SJB Interior Design

Heritage Management

Winner: Heritage of the Birdsville and Strzelecki Tracks – Heritage Survey, by HistoricalResearch Pty Ltd / Austral Archaeology Pty Ltd/ Lyn Leader-Elliott / Iris Iwanicki

Product Development and Trade Services

Winner: The Tile Factory (incorporating The Olde English Tile Factory)

Promotion and Education

Winner: Bay Discovery Centre and Holdfast BayHistory Centre, run by the City of Holdfast Bay

Commended: City of Mitcham WalkBrochures, developed by the City of MitchamCommunity Historian / Volunteers at theMitcham Heritage Research Centre

Heritage Place (Residential)

Commended: Veber Residence, 63 TynteStreet, North Adelaide – Restoration.Alexander Wilkinson Design + Planning byDesign / Janos Veber

Heritage Place (Non-Residential)

Winner: Medina Grand Adelaide Treasury –Adaptive Reuse. Danvers Schulz HollandArchitects in association with SJB Architectsand SJB Interior Design

Commended: Torrens Parade Ground andTraining Depot – Conservation and Reuse.Grieve Gillett Architects Pty Ltd / TagaraGroup Pty Ltd

Commended: St Vincent De Paul’s, WhitmoreSquare – Restoration. Alexander WilkinsonDesign + Planning by Design / St Vincent De Paul Society / South Australian Housing Trust

Commended: Chateau Tanunda Estate –Adaptive Reuse. John and Evelyne Geber,Chateau Tanunda Estate

Commended: Karka Pavilion – Conservation.Department for Administrative andInformation Services, Design and HeritageManagement, Heritage Unit

Guests and nominees at the 2004

Edmund Wright Heritage awards

For further information on the winners and commendations, please refer to theEdmund Wright Heritage Awards website athttp://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/awards/index.html.


November 2004 H e r i t a g e S o u t h A u s t r a l i a N e w s l e t t e r6

Round House, Murray Bridge

On 20 March 2004, dignitaries and members of the localcommunity celebrated the 125th anniversary of the openingof the Bridge at Murray Bridge with a gathering at the RoundHouse. The following article traces the history of this uniquebuilding, and details the recent conservation works that haveseen the building return to public use.

Opening of new amenities at

the Round House, Murray Bridge

The Round House at MurrayBridge is linked to the earlybeginnings of the Colony ofSouth Australia, and has closeties to the construction of thefirst bridge to cross the RiverMurray in this State.

Situated on the rise abovethe western end of thehistoric road bridge at Murray Bridge, the RoundHouse was a widelyrecognised landmark in theearly township.

With the rapid growth of theoverland trade to the Colonyand the unreliability of rivercrossings in rough weather,the proposal to bridge theRiver Murray arose in theearly years of settlement. In 1864, the South AustralianGovernment established a Select Committee toinvestigate a suitable site for the erection of a bridge.Edward’s Crossing, whereGeorge Richard Edwards, the first European settler in

the area, had established hishome in 1856, was selected.

An appropriate bridge designwas ordered from England in1866, and girders arrived inthe Colony during 1867-1868.However, the ironwork wasdestined to lay in storage atDry Creek for almost fiveyears while the future of theproject was reconsidered byParliament.

Despite these delays, theerection of the bridgecommenced under thesupervision of Mr Frank ReeceGeorge, and the foundationstone was laid in the western abutment on 7 November1873 by His Excellency SirAnthony Musgrave, Governorof South Australia. In order tocomplete this enormousundertaking, the Governmentengaged the services of Mr Henry Parker, apneumatics expert, to takeover the bridge constructionfrom Mr George.

In the South AustralianRegister of 27 January 1873,the construction of the RoundHouse was officially reported:

A bridgekeeper’s residenceis being built on the hill, thewalls of which structure arefinished. When completedthe house will match withthe bridge, and can beused for any purpose thatmay be found necessary,such as a telegraph station. It is hexagonal inshape, and is built of thesame yellow sandstone asthe abutments.

The resulting structure was a veritable mansion in thewilderness when comparedto the only other dwellings inthe area, three humble pug-and-pine structures. At a costof several thousand pounds,and built at the expense ofother more important roadapproach works (there wereno surveyed or cleared roadsleading to the site from eitherthe western or eastern side ofthe River at this time), it isperhaps not surprising thatParker’s residence quicklyacquired the name of‘Parker’s Folly’.

Between 1876 and 1885 the Round House was usedvariously as a residence (for the bridge workssuperintendent), Port Office,school, church and councilmeeting house, and waslooked upon locally as thebirth place of Europeansettlement in the area.



The Round House is a largeresidence, constructed in two stages of local limestonewith limestone quoins anddressings quarried fromadjacent the site. Themasonry work is of very highquality, and the external wallswere rusticated and thenpointed with sandy colouredmortar, ruled and lined inblack. The roof was coveredwith timber shakes (cost 18shillings per 1000), made fromhardwood imported from Van Diemen’s Land.

The hexagonal plan of theRound House made full use of its exposed riversidesetting, and the anticipatedviews upriver to the north-east, and south overthe proposed bridge. The wide concave-roofedverandahs and angled frontwalls are unusual features,which combined with thehexagonal (and vaulted)central chimney create anexpressive and expensivearchitectural compositionunlike any other building inMurray Bridge or elsewhere inSouth Australia.

The original residence wascomprised of six principalrooms (parlour, dining room,two bedrooms, kitchen andhousemaids bedroom) plus a small office, bathroom and larder. Beneath theparlour / dining room was a large cellar accessed by a trapdoor from the central passage.

The South Australian Railwaystook over the property in1885. Over the following 30 years only minor changeswere made to the building,until 1917–18 when majoralterations and additionswere carried out.

The roof was over-clad withiron (leaving the timber

shakes in place); three extrarooms were added (lobby,bedroom, dresser); a sleep-out and scullery wereincorporated within sectionsof the verandah; two originalrooms were enlarged throughthe removal of the dividingwalls; and the building wasredecorated in the post-federation style of the time.Random rubble retainingwalls were created, acroquet lawn established,and a number of timber andiron outbuildings wereerected in the yard.

Further changes subsequentto the 1917–18 alterationsincluded the creation of toilet/ bathroom and laundryfacilities within additionalsections of the verandah,and the relocation of themotor vehicle garage to therear of the property, whichreduced the area of thecroquet lawn.

The Round House wasconfirmed in the StateHeritage Register in 1987. It was with ‘pride in ancestryand hope for posterity’ that the Murray Bridge andDistrict Historical Societysought their Council’s supportto approach the relevantauthorities in order to procurethe building for thecommunity. After muchdiscussion and negotiating,Council resolved to purchase the Round Houseon 28 November 1988. The contract for the sale wasconcluded some two yearslater, and in early 1991a Volunteer ManagementCommittee was formed tocoordinate the conservationand restoration of the site.

A Conservation Policy Reportwas prepared, and funding inongoing annual budgets wasallocated to carry out work

on the building andsurrounds. Tenders were let for projects of re-roofing, re-painting and re-pointing,and garden restoration works were designed andcompleted by volunteers with assistance from Workskilsupervisors and labourcourses. The building waslisted on the Register of theNational Estate, and grantmonies secured to completebuilding conservation works.

The most recent phasein the development of the

site as a tourist attraction and community asset was to create adequate toiletfacilities for tour groups and small functions. The conversion of the existingmotor vehicle garage intosuch facilities was completedin 2003, using local tradeservices and Workskil labour.

Through the dedication ofvolunteers and with thesupport of the Rural City ofMurray Bridge, a significantpart of South Australia’sheritage has been reinstated as a functioning and vibrantpart of the local communityfor generations to come.

This article is based on areport provided by the Chair of the Round HouseManagement Committee, Mr Peter Harden.



Heritage Directions;A Future for Built Heritage in South Australia

Heritage Directions: A Future for Built Heritage in South Australia was released for public consultation in August 2003 and more than 80 responses were received.

Where the Funding will go:

$2 millionSupport for LocalGovernment

$650,000National Trust Grantover five years

$500,000Heritage Informationand InterpretationPrograms over threeyears from 2006–07

Legislation

The Heritage andDevelopment Acts will bestrengthened to improve theirinteraction, and provide amore streamlined mechanismfor the identification,management and protectionof South Australia’s builtheritage.

Amendments to the HeritageAct will see the establishmentof a single South AustralianHeritage Register for buildingsof both State and Localsignificance.

It is also proposed that thepresent State HeritageAuthority will be replaced bya South Australian Heritage

Council with a more strategicrole in heritage managementand review at both State andLocal levels.

Penalties for offences underthe Heritage Act will bereviewed, and new provisionsfor minimum maintenancestandards for heritagebuildings are proposed.

The Development Act willcontinue to regulateDevelopment Assessment for State and Local heritage,and the creation of StateHeritage Areas, Localheritage places and LocalHeritage Zones through thePlan Amendment Report(PAR) process.

In line with current provisionsfor State heritage places inthe Heritage Act 1993,changes proposed in theSustainable Development Billinclude requiring councils toinclude all placesrecommended in heritagesurveys in the listing processfor Local Heritage, and theconcurrent preparation ofheritage Plan AmendmentReports (PARs) and heritagesurveys to provide earlierprotection of potential localheritage places after aheritage survey is completed.These provisions providegreater certainty for owners,developers and localcommunities.

Review of Government-owned Heritage Buildings

Of almost 2,200 places in the State Heritage Register,more than 300 areGovernment-owned. A review of these places hasrecently commenced, with aview to scoping the detailedwork required to ensure thatall of these buildings havevalued uses, and theirheritage significance isconserved. It will determinethe best long-termmanagement strategies

and identify opportunities fortransfer of ownership and/or adaptive re-use (such as the Medina GrandTreasury Hotel).

In addition, the future of the42 State-owned propertiesmanaged by the NationalTrust of South Australia on theGovernment’s behalf will beexamined. An additional$650,000 will be allocated tothe National Trust over fiveyears from 2004–05, bringing

the total grant to $1 millionover five years.

This funding will be used todevelop a propertymanagement program thatidentifies the potential fortransfer of ownership ormanagement of selectedproperties to others, and to provide a framework forsustainable management of core properties to remainunder National Trustmanagement.

On Friday 21 May 2004, at Edmund WrightHouse, Minister for Environment andConservation John Hill announced theGovernment's response: an additional $2.9 million in funding for heritagemanagement over the next four years(commencing 2004–05), the most significant

funding boost for heritage management inSouth Australia since the passage of the 1978 Heritage Act.

Heritage Directions provides a framework forthe ongoing management of South Australia'sheritage assets. A summary of the key areasof Heritage Directions is provided below:

Key Priorities:



Local Government

Support for LocalGovernment will beincreased through asignificant expansion of thecurrent Heritage Advisersprogram to progressively

service most settled areas in South Australia, andprovide training for LocalGovernment councillors and staff.

Education, training and celebration of heritage

Heritage Directionspursues several areas of educational reform:

• Environmental sustainabilityA program to promoteenvironmentally sustainabledevelopment through therecycling of buildings andbuilding materials.

• Promoting and marketing heritagePrograms to promotecultural tourism andheritage conservation byincreasing communityunderstanding of SouthAustralia’s heritage throughits heritage places.

• Heritage education andprofessional expertisePrograms to integrateheritage conservation intoschool curricula, and toaddress the shortage oftertiary and post-graduateheritage education.

• Endangered trade skillsTo revive and disseminatetrade skills in specialistheritage trades essential to high quality heritageconservation.

Heritage Directions; A Future for Built Heritage in South Australia aims to:

• Increase support for Local Heritage;

• Develop a framework for the sustainable managementof Government owned heritage buildings;

• Celebrate our heritage through a renewed focus onheritage education, interpretation and promotion; and

• Strengthen heritage legislation to provide a morestreamlined mechanism for the identification,management and protection of South Australia’s built heritage.


This year a total of 10 prizes wereawarded to thefollowing recipients:

Blackforest Primary SchoolMost Outstanding (Years R–3)

Curramulka Primary SchoolCommendation (Years R–3)

St Aloysius CollegeCommendation (Years R–3)

Curramulka Primary School Most Outstanding (Years 4–5)

St Joseph's SchoolGladstoneCommendation (Years 4–5)

Loreto CollegeMost Outstanding (Years 6–7)

Keith Area School Commendation (Years 6–7)

Miltaburra Area School Most Outstanding iMovie(Years 9–10)

Blackwood High SchoolMost OutstandingPowerPoint (Years 9–10)

Miltaburra Area SchoolCommendation (Years 9–10)


2004 Schools Heritage Competition

On 31 August 2004, prizes for the second Schools HeritageCompetition were presented by the Minister for Environmentand Conservation, Hon John Hill, at the State heritage-listedSunnybrae Farm, Regency Park.

Further information about the Schools Heritage Competition is available on theEducation & Research section of the Heritage Branch website,www.heritage.sa.gov.au, or from Robyn Hartell, Senior Heritage InterpretationOfficer, on 8124 4957. Winning entries can also be viewed on the website.

Good afternoon Minister,ladies, gentlemen and children.

My name is Mikhaila Dignamand I am speaking on behalf of Year 6 Blue atLoreto College.

Loreto College is built aroundthe Acacias, a beautifulheritage building that wasonce owned by the Mayor of Adelaide. This competitiongave us the opportunity toinvestigate the Acacias, andas the project developed wediscovered many moreplaces that this man, Edwin Thomas Smith, was involved with.

The Schools HeritageCompetition is an annualevent that encouragesstudents to appreciate thediversity and significance ofState and local built heritage.It also provides opportunitiesfor students to link schoolcurricula to a meaningful andrewarding project and toapply modern informationand communicationtechnologies to promoteimportant heritage concepts.

The theme for the 2004competition, MappingCommunity Heritage, was widely interpreted bystudents and teachers fromReception to Year 10. Almost80 entries were received, withmany from country schools.The range and quality of theentries indicated the specialappeal of this year's theme,which encouraged schools to engage with theircommunities to investigatelocal history and heritage.

The competition is as muchabout the process as it isabout the end product.Feedback from all teachersinvolved in the process hasindicated overwhelmingly thevalue of participation in thisheritage education initiative.It has also shown the range of activities undertaken byclasses, as well as the diverseeducation programsdeveloped around theCommunity Mapping theme.

On the day of the awards, a representative of each ofthe five Most Outstandingentries was asked to talkabout their presentation.Each of these speechesreinforced the benefits of thiscompetition, and againhighlighted the diversity ofeducation programs thatresulted across the State. One speech in particular,prepared by Loreto Collegestudents and presented byMikhaila Dignam, capturedthe possibilities and rewardsof participation in this annualevent, and is reprinted below.The girls' entry, which won theaward as Most Outstanding inthe Year 6-7 category,mapped the contributionand influence of one man, Sir Edwin Thomas Smith, withinthe local Norwood area.

Year 4/5 students from

Curramulka Primary School

“



Mikhaila Dignam and year 6 students from Loreto College

recieving their award from Minister Hill

Curramulka Primary School

Matthew Duffield from Miltaburra Area School

explaining his groups winning entry

First we researched what ETSmith did to Norwood and hishuge influence on the area.We found out all the placeshe had something to do withand were astounded howone person could have suchan influence on an area. We walked around theAcacias and tried tounderstand what it must have been like in his time.

Then we started gettingserious; we took photos of theAcacias and coach houses,and started researching all ofthe places he had influenceon, taking digital images aswe went. Many of these wereused as backgrounds in ourslideshow. We formed intoresearch teams, with eachteam looking at a differentlandmark building.

Then came the day of ourheritage walk, we walkedaround the Norwood area,filming places that Smith builtor leased, sharing facts foreach place with others andlearning new facts too. We had a lot of fun,especially with publicansshowing us where ghosts aresupposed to walk, attendinga Norwood match andinterviewing locals.

With the slideshow we all hada part. Some people addedvoices, others added text,some put in backgroundsand others put in thehyperlinks and filmingsections. After a strenuousterm we eventually had aslideshow ready. Everyonewas pleased with what wehad achieved and knew thatit didn't matter whether wewon, but it mattered that we

learnt something andunderstood more about our local area and theimportance of preservingheritage because it showswhere we came from.

Walking around Norwood is a different experience for usnow as we look at oldbuildings with new eyes, and imagine Smith and hiscontemporaries doing someof the same things we do.When we see dates onplaques around Norwood wenow can relate it to what ETSmith was doing and whatwas happening in Norwoodat the time. We understandour home in a new way.Some people felt angry orsad about buildings that hadbeen demolished and lookedinto the National Trust.

It was moving to finish ourwork at Clayton Church byvisiting Smith's grave; we feltglad that we now knew so much about such aninfluential man and the sitefelt significant, like the graveof an old friend.

We would like to thank theHeritage Department forgiving us the chance to learnso much about ourcommunity. We will take thisunderstanding with us into ourfuture lives.”

Students from Blackforest Primary School

with Minister Hill



Book Review

The publishing history of this series

speaks for itself. Public demand

has required the three previous

volumes to be reprinted and

combined sales now exceed

16,000. This fourth volume

continues the tried and proven

format of succinct, well-illustrated

articles on very diverse subjects.

Ships’ figureheads, memorial

horse troughs, the replica oil

drilling rig at Salt Creek, the

manure pits near Brownhill Creek

at Mitcham, the often overlooked

statue of King George V in the

Adelaide Park Lands, the

extraordinary career of sometime

Police Commissioner Alexander

Tolmer and the world’s only

working Humphrey Pump at

Cobdogla in the Riverland are

some of them.

My only suggestion for

improvement would be to

include some directions for further

reading. Footnotes and long

bibliographies would not be

appropriate in a series of this

nature. Perhaps a select list of

‘Further Reading’ or a sentence

or two at the end of an article

would suffice. For example,

readers intrigued by Tolmer’s

exploits should be alerted to his

two-volume autobiography

Reminiscences of an Adventurous

and Chequered Career at Home

and at the Antipodes (1882, State

Library of SA facsimile edition,1972). The history of many ofAdelaide’s statues can be foundin Simon Cameron’s SilentWitnesses (Wakefield Press, 1997)while there is a chapter devotedto the search for oil (‘Coorongite’)in the South-East in H Mincham &T McCourt’s book The Coorongand Lakes of the Lower Murray(Beachport National Trust, 1987).

This attractively produced andcarefully researched series welldeserves its popularity and canbe obtained from manynewsagents or the author(telephone 8337 6269, [email protected]).

Brian Samuels

R. Smith

Curiosities of South Australia 4

Smithbooks, Athelstone, 2004.

104pp $12.95


Documents

Edition 25 November 2004