FOCUS On Burnside - the news hub

In partnership with the City of Burnside, the Lions Club of Burnside and Dementia Australia, the Burnside Memory Café is a support and educational based initiative to assist attendees looking for insights and advice on living with dementia.

Held on the second Friday of every month at the Dulwich Community Centre, the Burnside Memory Café gives you the chance to engage with the community, listen to guest speakers and connect with others going through similar life experiences, all while enjoying a free morning tea.

Open to anyone, the Burnside Memory Café is a safe space designed to advocate for those who are affected by dementia including carers, family and friends.

Led by President of the Burnside Lions Club and 2025 Award for Active Citizenship recipient at the City of Burnside Australia Day awards, Mike Neal is passionate about the program and providing a service that he believes has been lacking in the area.

‘When you look at demographics, if there is anywhere in Adelaide that needs a dementia support group, it is Burnside, and there isn’t one,’ Mike said. ‘We needed to fix that.’

‘We looked at similar community groups in other districts and the impact they were having on people. Seeing that firsthand, we knew we had to make this work.’

‘I want this to be something people look forward to coming to. There is an educational aspect to this, but first and foremost this is social interaction. You are spending time with people who have similar issues to deal with. There are a lot of resources, and rightly so their focus is on the person living with dementia, but I want this group to have an equal focus on supporting those who are supporting loved ones with dementia.’

Still in the early stages of development, the group is looking to grow its numbers with the hope of becoming self-sustaining in the near future and independent from the City of Burnside and the Burnside Lions.

‘We are always welcoming new people. We find once we get people here, they keep coming back,’ Mike said.

‘We are here to help. We are here to provide an environment you are going to enjoy.’

Guest presence is vital to the collective efforts to support and advocate for those affected by dementia. Guests are welcome to bring along any friends or family who might be interested in joining.

For more information and dates for the Burnside Memory Café visit bit.ly/BurnsideMemoryCafe or contact Mike Neal on 0400 246 803.

The Burnside Memory Café meets on the second Friday of every month at the Dulwich Community Centre.

For Burnside residents who find it difficult to visit the Library, the Burnside Home Library Service is much more than just books - it’s a lifeline to learning, companionship and community.

About to celebrate 50 years of service, the Home Library continues to have an impact on many of the City of Burnside’s isolated residents.

The service delivers Library materials directly to your front door, supporting those affected by illness, frailty, disability or caring responsibilities. Whether it’s a stack of thrillers or the latest biography, items are selected based on individual preferences and delivered by knowledgeable and friendly staff.

For Alma, a resident of Leabrook, the service has been nothing short of transformative.

‘These ladies are wonderful,’ Alma said. ‘We discuss different books and they make suggestions they know I will like. I’ve discovered authors I would never have picked up otherwise.’

Having downsized over the years, Alma no longer has the space to build her own collection, making the library’s regular visits a welcome alternative.

‘This service helps keep my mind alert, learning and alive. It is an incredible service to the community. I can’t say enough about them.’

But it’s not just about the books, the Burnside Home Library Service also serves as a social touchpoint for many in the community.

‘Sometimes they’re the only people you have,’ Alma said. ‘You need human contact and I can count on these beautiful ladies.’

Ian, a Kensington Park resident who has been a member of the Home Library Service for over 20 years, shares a similar sentiment. A devoted reader, Ian has read roughly 975 books through the Home Library Service since 2017. Now a spy and thriller reader, Ian used to focus more on the non-fiction section, with economics, politics and current affairs as his go to read – an evolution he attributes in part to the Home Library staff.

‘The staff provide a service that’s vital to an older community,’ Ian said. ‘It’s not just about the books - it’s social work. It gives people connection, especially when you’re on your own.’

Whether it's staying mentally sharp, discovering new stories, or simply hearing a friendly voice at the door, the Burnside Home Library Service is helping to turn pages and brighten days for residents across the city.

If you or a family member would be interested in signing up for the Home Library Service, give the Burnside Library a call on 8366 4280 or apply online.

Alma of Leabrook Ian of Kensington Park

Since 2022, residents in Queen Victoria apartments have composted over 24 tonnes of food scraps and compostable packaging through their green organics bins. That’s the same weight as 18 Toyota Corollas!

Many apartments miss out on the standard three-bin system due to space and service limitations. To help bridge the gap and promote organics recycling, Council contributes to the cost of waste services in eligible apartment buildings.

Residents are embracing the change and looking for even more ways to reduce what ends up in landfill. Chris, a resident at Queen Victoria Apartments said the group was always improving.

‘Those of us who are promoting recycling in our building, are delighted in our overall progress, which doesn’t stop, but we continue to improve.’

Composting food waste is not only better for the environment, but also five times cheaper than sending it to landfill. Less food in landfill means lower costs and a more sustainable community.

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.

The first allotments in what was to become Linden Park were made available for purchase from 1881, although few sold due to a lack of water and other essential facilities. It was not until the 1920s that demand for allotments began to grow. A 1922 town plan introduced the diagonal Austral Avenue, which cut across existing street lines and rectangular allotments, creating internal parks that reflected the contemporary town planning trends of the era. The Tudor-style architecture of the 1920s and 1930s is particularly evident in the streets of Linden Park, especially along the boundary roads.

As the population increased and the allotments filled, Linden Park School opened in 1950 to accommodate the growing number of children in the area. The school was built on seven and a half acres of farmland and initially had seven teachers and over 250 students. To beautify the school grounds, both students and teachers planted dozens of trees.

Photograph: Linden Park School in 1956. Burnside Local History Collection.

In this episode of Burnside Highlights we visit our Chat with a Local program, with our wonderful volunteer Sophie sharing what makes the initiative so important for the community. This free program gives participants a chance to improve their conversational English with the help of one of our dedicated volunteers, who catches up with them at regular intervals to support their learning.

The National Awards for Local Government shine a spotlight on the incredible projects councils are delivering in communities right across Australia. From grassroots initiatives to big ideas making a real impact, these awards celebrate the creativity, passion and dedication of local government in bringing people together and building stronger, more connected communities.

The City of Burnside has been nominated for three awards across the categories. To vote, register at the National Awards for Local Government: https://nalg.awardsplatform.com/

Nominated in the Environmental Sustainability category for the awards, the EARPPA was an agreement forged from innovation by a group of local Adelaide councils.

Faced with rising electricity costs and a commitment to sustainability, the City of Burnside, alongside six other eastern Adelaide councils, has played a key role in securing a Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA). This long-term deal for wind-generated electricity delivers both financial savings and significant emissions reductions.

The seven councils – Burnside, Norwood Payneham & St Peters, Prospect, Tea Tree Gully, Unley, Campbelltown, and Walkerville – aggregated their energy consumption to negotiate competitive pricing, creating a more attractive proposition for electricity retailers. The decision to collaborate was driven by three key factors: first, one council alone wouldn't consume enough electricity to access competitive market pricing; second, many had already taken steps toward reducing emissions, such as installing solar systems, making the purchase of renewable energy a logical next step; and third, the group’s consumption patterns aligned well with renewable energy, particularly wind, which is produced more efficiently overnight when streetlighting is at its highest.

The agreement allowed councils the flexibility to choose their approach: some opted for certified renewable electricity, while others focused on affordability. This innovative initiative not only benefits participating councils but also sets a precedent for others across South Australia. Through collaboration and strategic planning, these councils have demonstrated how local government can drive practical, cost-effective solutions for a more sustainable future.

City of Burnside CEO Julia Grant said the agreement would save $100,000 per annum - a massive saving for rate payers.

‘It is no longer the case that good business does not marry up with good environmental outcomes,’ Julia said.

‘This has been such a great outcome for our city that other councils are looking to us for advice for how they too can get the same success.’

To vote for the EARPPA, register at the National Awards for Local Government here: https://nalg.awardsplatform.com/

The National Awards for Local Government shine a spotlight on the incredible projects councils are delivering in communities right across Australia. From grassroots initiatives to big ideas making a real impact, these awards celebrate the creativity, passion and dedication of local government in bringing people together and building stronger, more connected communities.

The City of Burnside has been nominated for three awards across the categories. To vote, register at the National Awards for Local Government: https://nalg.awardsplatform.com/

Christine Baillie has dedicated over 25 years to environmental and biodiversity initiatives in the City of Burnside and has been nominated for Women in Local Government award. As the first official biodiversity volunteer, Christine began her work long before the Council’s Conservation Volunteer Program, contributing significantly to local conservation efforts.

Christine has been instrumental in the restoration and care of key biodiversity sites, including Bell Yett Reserve, Kensington Park Reserve and Tusmore Park. Her work has protected native vegetation and ensured sustainable habitats for local wildlife.

In addition to her public efforts, Christine actively participates in the Karra Tartu bush regeneration project and nurtures native species in her own garden, further enhancing the local ecosystem. Her passion, leadership and dedication inspire a growing community of volunteers, leaving a lasting impact on Burnside’s environmental landscape.

Speaking on her time as a biodiversity volunteer, Christine said the big reward for her was seeing the difference she was able to make on the local landscape.

‘It’s a very good feeling being at Waterfall Gully and seeing the indigenous regeneration once the weeds are gone,’ Christine said.

‘It’s wonderful to get out with likeminded people and be learning on the job and seeing the rewards of what you have accomplished. The knowledge I have gained is invaluable, and the experiences I have had while volunteering are hard to explain in words.’

Read more about our volunteer opportunities here: https://engage.burnside.sa.gov.au/FOCUSOnBurnside/news_feed/new-experience-for-volunteers

To vote for Christine, register at the National Awards for Local Government: https://nalg.awardsplatform.com/