FOCUS On Burnside - the news hub

Wow! What a first week at Newland Park!

Mayor Monceaux put a challenge to the Community. Beat the current record of 62,313. And in just the first week, you have amassed a staggering 22,000+ laps! What a fantastic effort, already over a third of the total in just one week!

If you haven't already, be sure to head along and check out the new configuration. You can check out a snippet of the set-up here: #rideburnside Newland Park

Where? #rideburnside is relocated at Newland Park on Hallett Road/Newland Road in Erindale.

In 2019 Burnside secured $3 million in Federal funding, and over $200k from the National Resource Management Board (NRM) for this exciting project that will deliver enormous environmental and recreational benefits to Kensington Gardens Reserve and the surrounding creek ecosystem.

The Council has now secured a further $850k through the State Government’s Open Spaces and Places for People.

City of Burnside CEO, Chris Cowley, said that the grant has allowed Council to broaden the scope of the original project. “At no extra cost to the community, we are adding in a raft of features that will provide much needed unstructured passive and active recreational activities around the park,” Mr Cowley said.

The new features include:

• Installation of a 1.7 km shared walking/running track, providing recreational walking/fitness opportunities for the community at all times.
• Two additional bridges to enable the walking track to be installed (currently no track exists).
• Installation of disability accessible board walk over the wetlands.
• Installation of fitness stations, around the parkrun/walking circuit.
• Expansion of the biodiversity zone, to showcase native indigenous plantings at the reserve, complementing the remnant SA Blue Gum forest currently in-situ.
• Establishment of a Kaurna ‘place of reflection’ in the south-eastern corner of the reserve (possible site of cultural significance and respect).
• Establish a ‘cultural walk’ with interpretive Kaurna signage and
• Installation of Kaurna art to be incorporated with the nature play space, wetland and surrounds.

The original planned revitalisation work in the Reserve includes:

• replacing the unsafe artificial lake with a functional wetland to treat urban water pollution entering Stonyfell Creek.
• visual, recreational and environmental improvements to Stonyfell Creek and the surrounding environment.
• eight reconfigured tournament standard tennis courts with lighting available for club and public use.
• nature play features and biodiversity education elements.

The overall project will include an extensive revegetation program with 30 trees, 230 shrubs and over 6,500 groundcover species to be planted in the area surrounding a new wetland. A dedicated ‘biozone’ area will feature 2,400m2 of plantings across three distinct areas that will complement the remnant SA Blue Gum ecosystem at the reserve. Native species will be used exclusively for all new plantings, and the ‘biozone’ plantings will be locally sourced and indigenous to the reserve and feature an additional 4,800 new plants. The wetland itself will feature almost 15,000 new plants that will visually improve the landscape and benefit the quality of stormwater that enters Stonyfell Creek.

Council is working closely with Kaurna traditional owners to monitor the construction and to develop opportunities for Kaurna heritage recognition such as public art, cultural sites and signage.

Works are scheduled to commence in September 2020 and the tender will be launched within the coming months.

The Kensington Gardens Reserve Redevelopment project is featured in the winter 2020 Focus newsletter being delivered across the City this week. You can also download Focus

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is 'Changing Communities. Changing Lives'.

L - R: Volunteer Coordinator Lisette Bruno, Mayor Anne Monceaux and Group Manager Community Connections Farlie Taylor, show how they miss our volunteers.

City of Burnside has almost 400 volunteers across more than 30 programs. They contribute more than 25,000 hours each year, equivalent to 14 full time equivalent (FTE) staff.

National Volunteer Week 18 – 24 May 2020

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is 'Changing Communities. Changing Lives'.

Leonie Brown has clocked up 20 years as a volunteer at Pepper Street Arts Centre. “I have always been interested in art and craft,” she says. “I was on maternity leave after my daughter was born. I saw an advert and I had a bit of time so I applied.”

Leonie says the centre was a lot smaller then and she helped out in the gallery, on reception and in the coffee shop, making coffees. “I did a regular fortnightly shift but it was a bit too much with my work as well. Now I just fill in on a roster as I live just around the corner.”

Leonie’s interest is in card making but she has not displayed anything in Pepper Street. “I am turning 59 in a few weeks and would love to make my card business more profitable but for now I still need to work to pay the mortgage.”

Leonie says the 20 years has flown by and she intends to keep on volunteering when she can.

National Volunteer Week 18 – 24 May 2020

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is 'Changing Communities. Changing Lives'.

At 80 years of age, Glenunga resident Jill Bransbury is still volunteering in Burnside Library. “I retired at 60 from being a teacher and I was on my own and looking for things to do,” Jill says. “I was always keen on reading so I applied to volunteer at the Library and was accepted.” Jill started out on the home library service going to nursing homes to deliver books. She then moved onto shelving and putting books and DVDs back on the shelf when they are returned. “I volunteer once a fortnight for about two hours,” she says. “I enjoy seeing the range of books that are returned and I get companionship from it. A few volunteers have become good friends.” Jill says it is fun and relaxing. She is also a member of Probus and started a book club some years ago where members choose books from Burnside Library. “I never knew about book clubs before volunteering at the library.” With 20 years of volunteering under her belt Jill has no intention of stopping. “It is quite unbelievable how quickly the time has passed. It is a very worthwhile thing to do.”

National Volunteer Week 18 – 24 May 2020

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers. The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is 'Changing Communities. Changing Lives'.

Don Griffiths has been a Justice of the Peace since 1970 the past 20 of those years at Council. As a manager in the public service he was required to witness documents such as statutory declarations and affidavits. “I was nominated by my Chief Executive,” he says. “There was no selection panel back then.”

In recent years all Justices of the Peace were reviewed and Don had his tenure renewed by the Governor for a further 10 years. He works at the Adelaide Magistrates Court every Wednesday morning and is now on a reserve list for council. “I did a regular stint on Thursdays with Council until about five years ago,” Don says. “As the grandchildren grew so did our responsibilities as grandparents,” he says. “But I still do two or three shifts a month.”

Clocking up 20 years as a volunteer came as a surprise to him. “I wasn’t counting and it just snuck up on me!” Don gets much satisfaction from helping people in the community and does not intend to stop any time soon.

In December 2018 he completed 18 years as volunteer at the (now closed) Daw Park Repatriation Hospital.

National Volunteer Week 18 - 24 May 2020

National Volunteer Week (NVW) is the annual celebration to acknowledge the generous contribution of our nation’s volunteers.

The theme for National Volunteer Week 2020 is 'Changing Communities. Changing Lives'.

When Pepper Street Arts Centre opened 25 years ago Wilma Bajka-Van Vilze was one of the first artists to exhibit. She is now one of our longest serving volunteers celebrating 25 years with a service award during National Volunteers Week. Wilma, 80, uses a loom to make scarves, wraps and shawls. She has travelled every Friday from her Bridgewater home to volunteer at Pepper Street. “I demonstrate spinning wool and do other odd jobs around that need doing, maybe helping with exhibitions.”

She says she was flabbergasted to receive her 25 year award. “I was just showing off my hobby and meeting lots of people. Pepper Street is such a lovely place.”

Community members who were attending the City of Burnside’s 3Rs group (a weekly social group for isolated people over 65 years of age) have been able to maintain some social connections during the Coronavirus restrictions thanks to Meagan and our wonderful team members. Casual staff have been phoning residents for a chat each week, hand writing them letters, and delivering them activity packs (including games, puzzles, crafts and things to read) and frozen meals to keep them entertained (and smiling their beautiful smiles).

“I have been quite lonely during the COVID-19 restrictions,” says Maria, a 3Rs client. “I am really missing my regular 3Rs/community groups/programs, and can’t wait to get back to socialising as normal.”

Despite tough times, and missing her social interactions, Maria still wears a big cheeky grin, and loves to tell a joke or two. She also showed off her little furry friend, and proudly boasted about her rose garden. A phone call/visit/letter from the team really does make her day.

Meagan also said that she loves interacting with members of our Community who utilise services such as 3Rs, and how charismatic and full of life they all are (particularly Maria).

“It is great to add a bit of extra joy to someone’s day, especially those who live alone.”

If you would like to find out more about the 3Rs program and other social activities that will recommence once restrictions have been eased, please phone the Home Support Team on 8366 4144.

Pam Dean is following her father’s tradition of volunteering. Her father Bill was a volunteer for 25 years and set up and ran the Community Bus Service. The Bill Dean Lounge in the Civic Centre is named after him.

Pam’s introduction to volunteering is a bit different. After she was made redundant in 2015 it took a while to find things in the community to do. “I learned that the Burnside Council offered table tennis on a Saturday afternoon, and I used to play as a child with my family, and more competitively while at university,” Pam says. “Although I had a gammy knee at the time, I decided to give it a go.”

Pam, 65, visited the Community Centre on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed it and was made welcome, so continued to go. “I enjoyed the activity, the company and the diversity of the group,” says Pam. “There were young people (youngest 23), old people (oldest member at the time was 93), and people of many different cultural backgrounds and abilities.” The group played for the enjoyment of just playing and were inclusive rather than competitive. Two volunteers ran the group, one who communicated with the council, collected the money and discussed things with the group when required, the other who set up the tables and did some coaching if required.

When one of the volunteers resigned the group was looking to fill the position and decided to share the responsibilities among a few people. Pam put her hand up and was given the job of facilitator, the person who communicated with the council and therefore had to become an ‘official’ volunteer.

“I was thrown in the deep end to some extent,” Pam says. “Soon after I took on the role, the group was confronted by the effects of the Fringe on our activity.”

After negotiating a solution the group decided to meet at different times if they could still play together, which resulted in playing on Wednesday afternoons (which has continued and become permanent) as well as Saturdays.

“The group has continued to grow,” says Pam. “It retains its norm of being inclusive and supportive to its members. It is a very special group and I am very proud to be part of it.”

Now that the Covid 19 virus has forced closure of the group, Pam, of Tusmore, is attempting to continue to retain links with the group by weekly email communication, just so people know they have not been forgotten.

Pam found she still had a bit too much time on her hands and always having been a keen gardener, when she saw the call for a volunteer facilitator for the new community garden at Conyngham Street she put her hand up for that as well. “I have training and skills in group work, communication and facilitation, so this type of role seems a good fit,” says Pam. “I have done a bit of research on how the ‘usual’ community garden is run, and already identify that this one will probably not be able to run in the same manner, due to the very limited number of garden plots available.” Pam will consult with the people who have expressed an interest in the community garden, and in her usual democratic, consultative leadership style will work out what suits the group best under the circumstances. “It will evolve into hopefully something productive and constructive,” says Pam.

Bill would be proud of his daughter.

Burnside's Historical and Cultural Officer, Michelle, received a history enquiry about a property on L'Estrange Street. Research uncovered the story of the "Knoxville Tragedy".

In 1931 eyes across Australia turned to the suburb of Knoxville (now Glenunga) as the tale of a missing woman unfolded into something more.

On 23 July 1931, the body of Mary Katherine Edson was found underneath the cement floor of a shed at a house on L’Estrange Street in Knoxville. She was only twenty-two years old.

On the same day her body was found, her twenty-eight year old husband Lawrence Vincent Charles Edson committed suicide.

Read more about the Knoxville Tragedy in our most recent blog post in the History Corner.