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Did you know the much-loved Kensington Oval, which has hosted sporting icons including Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Bobby Charlton and Cathy Freeman, celebrates its 150th birthday this year? Opened in 1875, this oval has a unique and special history, which we explore in this episode of Burnside Highlights.

The suburb of Skye was created in 1958, out of a 1950s subdivision by Skye Estates Ltd. The name came from the Gaelic word sgiath (meaning ‘a wing’), and was named thus because the shape of the new suburb was similar to that of the Scottish Isle of Skye.

When development of Skye began in the 1960s, the expense of creating new infrastructure to service this new suburb on the outskirts of developed land meant that it was never connected to the mains water supply. When a re-drawing of Council boundaries in the early 1990s saw Skye absorbed into the Burnside Council area, it became the only suburb in Burnside not connected to the mains water supply. It wasn’t until 2015, after lengthy negotiations between State Government representatives and SA Water, that householders in Skye were presented with the opportunity to commit to a 15-year payment plan to connect their homes with the State’s mains water supply—a deal which was accepted by 92 of the suburb’s 138 homeowners.

Before the subdivision, the land was mostly used for sheep grazing, and Bertram Cox’s 1952 book ‘Farming is Fun’ provides a humorous account of a hopeful accountant-turned-sheep farmer’s attempts to run his own farm on a plot of land in the area that would later become Skye.

Photograph: Newspaper real estate advertisement for Skye, courtesy of the Burnside News Review, December 1958.

This week we celebrate National Volunteer Week 2025, with this year's theme being Connecting Communities. National Volunteer Week recognises the diverse passions and talents brought to the act of volunteering by everyone involved.

Blessed with approximately 360 active volunteers across 36 programs, the City of Burnside is aware of the incredibly important service provided by community members. Collectively City of Burnside volunteers donate approximately 27,000 hours of their time (equivalent to approximately 13.5 full time staff).

On Thursday 22 May, the City of Burnside held a Service and Recognition Ceremony at the Regal Theatre to thank all of Council's volunteers who selflessly give their time to their community.

The City of Burnside would like to recognise the contributions of our volunteers who this year are celebrating significant milestones.

For 25 years of service:

• Leonie Brown
• Heather Martin
• Jenifer Porter

For 20 years of service:

• Michael Croft
• Barbara Paton
• Michael Sachsse (OAM)

As well as 51 other volunteers marking their 5, 10 and 15 year milestones.

The City of Burnside also has the distinction of celebrating a single volunteer who has gone above and beyond with the Outstanding Achievement Award. This year's winner is Mia Lin, volunteer at the Burnside Toy Library.

Mia has generously been giving her time to the Toy Library for the past two years and has enjoyed her time so much that both of her kids also signed up as volunteers.

‘I love being able to dedicate so much time to the Toy Library and give back to the community. The library staff and other volunteers make it a great experience,’ Mia said.

Congratulations to Mia and all our outstanding volunteers for their hard work, dedication and commitment to making Burnside the best it can be!

If you would like to volunteer with the City of Burnside, visit our ‘Volunteer Vacancies’ or email volunteer@burnside.sa.gov.au.

Mia Lin receiving her Outstanding Achievement Award 20 Year Recipient Barbara 20 Year Recipient Michael

Mayor Anne Monceaux with the 10 Year Recipients

Did you know the land which now forms the suburb of Rosslyn Park was originally part of the historic Penfolds Magill Estate? The winery’s founder, Dr Christopher Penfold, was the first ever Chairman of the District Council of Burnside.

During the 1860s and 1870s, the land was leased by cattle dealers for grazing. In 1878 the land to the west of Gordon Terrace (between Kensington Road and The Parade) was subdivided into building allotments, though little was built there until after World War 1.

After the 1878 subdivision, the land became known as Rosslyn Park, though no one can agree on where this name came from. Significant sites include the remaining Magill Estate branch of the Penfolds Winery, as well as the historic Grange Cottage.

Photograph: Rosslyn Park, 1908, Cadet Camp hosted at Home Park, with Penfolds and Auldana Wineries on the hills above. Courtesy of Chronicle, 12 March 1908.

Did you know that Barr Smith House, located at Seymour College, was once known as Wooton Lea? Francis Hardy Faulding (1816 - 1868), who founded Faulding 180 years ago in May 1845, built Wooton Lea in 1861 in Glen Osmond. The large stone house was designed by local architect James MacGeorge (1835 - 1918) and included seventeen rooms, with a kitchen and laundry and an extensive garden. MacGeorge is also known for his work designing the first part of the Savings Bank of South Australia on King William Street.

The third owner of Wooton Lea, Arthur Crossing (1871 - 1952), sold the mansion in 1921 to Presbyterian Girls’ College, now known as Seymour College. Since 1938, the house has been known as Barr Smith House. In 1989, it was confirmed as a State Heritage Place.

Photograph: Wooton Lea, 1874. Burnside Local History Collection.

There’s plenty happening in the City of Burnside this month, with South Australia’s History Festival ongoing, our Environment Expo on Saturday 17 May, and our upcoming drop-in session for the 2025/26 Draft Annual Business Plan and Budget on Wednesday 14 May.

If you haven’t had your say on the 25/26 budget or have some questions, we invite you to visit the Burnside Civic Centre between 6 pm – 8 pm on Wednesday 14 May for our drop-in session. At this session you’ll have the opportunity to ask one-on-one questions and chat with staff about the budget, find out how your rates are calculated, submit your response to the budget consultation and more. We hope to see you there!

Rose Park stands out as one of the city's most well preserved 19th century suburbs, with its streets lined by charming stone villas and cottages. In 1838, the South Australian Company acquired the land that would become Rose Park. By 1840, it was leased to William Prescott and his family, who established a wheat farm and dairy operation. Their farmhouse and outbuildings were located near what is now Prescott Terrace.

Named after Sir John Rose, Chairman of the South Australian Company, the suburb of Rose Park was gradually developed into a residential area in stages between 1878 and 1909. One of the suburb's distinctive features is its night cart lanes - narrow alleys once designated for the collection and disposal of waste. These lanes were historically used by night carts, horse-drawn vehicles that carried away household waste during the night.

Photograph: Prescott Farm circa 1890, courtesy of State Library of South Australia B8010.

Today, Mount Osmond is known for its stunning views of the Adelaide CBD. The suburb is named after Osmond Gilles (1788-1866), a colonial treasurer and pioneering figure in South Australia’s early development. Initially, the area was characterised by mining and cattle grazing, followed by attempts at urbanisation in the 1880s, which did not gain significant momentum at the time.

A key moment in the suburb’s development occurred in 1930 with the founding of the Mount Osmond Country Club. Initiated by Henry Eoin Sydney Melbourne, District Engineer of the Burnside District Council, and supported by a group of local residents and councillors, the club was established on land originally earmarked for residential development. The group, however, made the decision to reserve the most scenic areas for a golf course, while selling off the remaining land for other development.

Photograph: Golfers at the Mount Osmond Country Club grounds, 1940s. Courtesy of the Eastern Courier.

In this episode of Burnside Highlights we catch up with our first ever biodiversity volunteer, Christine Baillie, who has been a volunteer with the City of Burnside for 25 years. Chris has been nominated for a National Award for Local Government in the Women in Local Government category, and it was our pleasure to catch up with her to find out about her role.

Every Wednesday from 9 am – 12 pm the Biodiversity Volunteer team work hard tending to Waterfall Gully Reserve along First Creek, ensuring the area is clear of weeds and debris to allow for native species to grow. This group’s work is vital in ensuring the reserve remains a beautiful, diverse open space that is accessible to wildlife and visitors.

Before the village of Makgill was established in 1838, the area that we know as Magill today was woodland filled with scattered gums and native grasses. In 1836, approximately 700 Kaurna people were known to be living in the area.

In 1838, Scottish emigrants Robert Cock and William Ferguson purchased the land and began creating a village. They named the area ‘Makgill’ after a family trustee and started subdividing the land into allotments. By 1840 the village was selling land and farmers, blacksmiths and tradespeople began settling there. It also became an important access point to the hills, with services like tearooms, hotels and a post office.

Over time, the spelling of Makgill changed and it became commonly known as Magill.

Photograph: Magill in the 1930s, along the Old Norton Summit Road. Burnside Local History Collection.