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Left: A native Blue-banded bee. Right: A European honeybee

When you think of bees, you think of honey. But did you know that there are hundreds of bee species native to South Australia – none of which live in swarms, produce honey, or have a queen? Meet the native bee, Australia’s homegrown pollinator.

The bees we are most familiar with are feral European honeybees, introduced to Australia to produce honey and pollinate crops. These bees are the kind kept by beekeepers but have since become feral and produce their own nests in the wild. These nests can often be seen and heard on trees. Individual honeybees are highly social and may aggressively defend their nest by stinging nearby threats. While most people have a mild reaction to honeybee stings and do not require medical attention, some people can undergo an anaphylactic reaction that requires further treatment. In fact, the honeybee is the most common cause of allergic reactions to insects in Australia.

In contrast, native bees are typically solitary and do not build large nests with their peers, so they can often be so hard to spot. Instead, these bees nest in small holes within trees or in the ground and cover their nest entrances with natural materials such as resin or leaves.

The great thing about this is that it is very easy to create an inviting habitat for native bees in your garden. You can create something as simple as a bundle of hollow bamboo sticks zip-tied together or something as complex as a native bee hotel! The opportunities to create habitat for these creatures are endless.

The Blue-banded bee, pictured below, vibrates at high speeds to release pollen – a technique known as buzz pollination. Some local native plants, such as kangaroo apples, require this for efficient pollination. Buzz pollination is also critical for food plants, including tomatoes and potatoes. If you grow tomatoes or potatoes at home, you are likely to be receiving pollination from Blue-banded bees! Other fascinating species include Leafcutter bees, which cut semi-circular pieces of leaves to line and seal their nests, and Cuckoo bees, which lay their eggs in the nests of other native bees – much like their namesake!

Native bees are calm and gentle compared to their overseas cousins, as they do not aggressively defend their nests as feral European honeybees do. So while it is possible for some native bee species to sting, the risk is far lower.

At the City of Burnside, we are eager to promote the growth of native bee populations and have supported the creation of several public native bee hotels. We encourage you to create your own bee hotels at home too. The more native bee hotels available across the City of Burnside, the higher chance their populations will grow in our area! Find out more about native bees and bee hotels at www.burnside.sa.gov.au/Environment-Sustainability/Animals/Native-Animals/Bees

Carol with her children (L to R) Zichen, Zhining and Hanyin.

“The workshop was really helpful and talked about how to communicate through play and develop my child’s language skills,” Carol said.

“Rather than playing silently, I learned how important it was to use words when playing with toys – the word association will help to develop her (Zhining’s) language skills. I really learned a lot.

“By doing this I can improve my daughter’s English and help her to be able to speak it before she goes to school.”

Upcoming sessions in 2023 include nature play, healthy device usage, early literacy and more.

This project has received funding from the Department for Education’s Local Government Childhood Community Innovation Grant, administered by the Local Government Association of South Australia.

To find out more about the FISCH program, please email communitydevelopment@burnside.sa.gov.au or visit bit.ly/FISCHBurnside online.

John Bruce retired a few years ago and thought it would be a good idea to help his community in some way. After reading about the need for volunteer bus drivers in the spring Focus newsletter, he signed up.

“I enquired at the council and the rest is history,” John says. “I have been driving and assisting with the shopping bus and the community cars for two to three months.”

John, 64, volunteers with the shopping bus every Thursday from 8.30 am until approximately 12.30 pm. “I collect people who are often quite elderly and no longer driving, from their residences and take them to the supermarket.” Shoppers have an hour and a half to complete their shopping then John helps them back on the bus and takes them home.

“I also take people in the council car to appointments such as doctors, lunches, or hairdressers.”

“I took one group of passengers to Murray Bridge for a lunch cruise on The Captain Proud.”

John, of Linden Park, enjoys his work and says the service is appreciated by the passengers. “This gives me a feeling of value and the desire to continue,” John says. “That is the best way I could encourage other drivers. The council too, are most appreciative of the volunteers.”

It is that exciting time of the year when the great gift hunt for the festive season has officially begun. Little Treasures and its wide assortment of affordable handmade art and craft gifts will solve all your gifting needs.

All items are for purchasing and taking on the day in this ever-changing showcase.

Over 50 artists bring you this opportunity to browse an enormous range including textiles, ceramics, glassware, wall art, jewellery, gift boxes, cards, homewares, wearable art, calendars, decorations, children’s items and more.

Each item is handcrafted, with regular restocking for variety and freshness.

This year there are special twilight sessions.

Friday 25 November and Friday 9 December 5 pm - 8 pm.

Join us for two special evenings for late night gift browsing with extras. A glass of bubbles on arrival, nibbles, artist demonstrations, live music and more.
Free entry for you, friends, family, neighbours and bargain hunters!

The Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial statue in Rose Park has stood for almost 100 years, having been unveiled on Sunday 14 December 1924 by Governor of South Australia, Lieutenant General Sir Tom Bridges. The statue depicts a soldier climbing over the top of a trench and turning back to offer a helping hand to his mate. Interestingly, those with knowledge of weaponry will notice that the bolt is on the wrong side of the rifle. The statue was funded by the Burnside Memorial Committee, which commenced fundraising in 1920. Australian artist Charles Web Gilbert was commissioned to design the bronze sculpture.

The Ferdinand Barbedienne Foundry in France cast the figure, which is mounted on a granite plinth with bronze plaques bearing the names of 87 fallen soldiers of the District of Burnside. In August 2022, the City of Burnside consecrated an additional 22 fallen soldiers in a ceremony along the Avenues of Honour.

The Burnside District Fallen Soldiers' Memorial (both the Avenues of Honour and the Memorial Statue) was confirmed as a State Heritage Place in 1989.

Photo: Unveiling ceremony of the 'Helping Hand' bronze statue on 14 December 1924 by Governor Sir Tom Bridges. Burnside Local History Collection.

More than 300 people attended Burnside Ballroom to hear tennis great Ash Barty being interviewed by fellow player and good friend Casey Dellacqua. Ash was launching her autobiography My Dream Time: A Memoir of tennis and teamwork.

Ash says:

"It's a tennis story. It's a family story. It's a teamwork story. It's the story of how I got to where and who I am today. My story is about the power and joy of doing that thing you love and seeing where it can take you, about the importance of purpose – and perspective – in our lives."

Thanks to Dillons Bookshop.

On Friday 11 November the George Bolton Swimming Centre will be closed while works are underway to remove several feral European honeybee nests.

These works will commence at 8 am and are necessary as a matter of priority for the health and safety of City of Burnside residents and all other visitors to the pool. Feral European honeybee stings are known to cause health complications such as anaphylaxis, and the City of Burnside aims to reduce this risk as much as practically possible.

During this closure, we will remove the feral European honeybee hives within the vicinity of the pool, which we hope will reduce the presence of these bees during the upcoming swimming season. The City of Burnside will only target feral European honeybees during these works – native Australian bees will not be targeted.

Acting Senior Urban Forestry Officer Tom Jolley said the works would effectively remove the hives and improve public safety.

“Within 24 hours of the works, we will see a noticeable decrease in hive activity, and eventually no activity in the days following,” Mr Jolley said.

“As spring slowly warms up, there has been an increase in feral European honeybee activity, and when you have so many people within close proximity of multiple hives for an extended duration of time, there’s always a risk of stings. With stings comes the risk of severe allergic reactions.

“Being in a pool environment with visitors having a greater level of exposure than normal, the risk of being stung elevates even further, which is why this work is so crucial.”

George Bolton Swimming Centre Team Leader Ben Grant said removing the hives is necessary to ensure the ongoing safety of all guests at the pool.

“Our number one priority at the George Bolton Swimming Centre has always been, and always will be, the health and safety of our visitors,” Mr Grant said.

“Whether it’s water safety or safety from bee stings, we want all our visitors to be able to enjoy a safe, fun experience at the pool and come away happy and healthy.

“Over the past few weeks, we’ve seen a spike in stings from feral European honeybees, more so this year than in previous years.

“By removing these bees, we will be able to continue to offer a great, family-friendly outdoor experience and provide peace of mind to parents and guardians who want to bring their children to the pool.”

The George Bolton Swimming Centre has EpiPens onsite as a precautionary measure in the event of an emergency; however, we recommend that anyone who has been prescribed an EpiPen please bring it to the pool.

If you have any questions, please contact our Customer Experience team on 8366 4200.

These tickets and pass out cards (circa 1945) are from Kensington Oval. The oval has been home to many things over the years including cricket, athletics and SANFL football. It has been the home of Kensington Football Club, Norwood Football Club and even for a short time West Adelaide Football Club.

The ground was also home to the Kensington District Cricket Club, which means that none other than Sir Donald Bradman also played on this oval. In the 1960s the oval was renamed the Olympic Sports Field and was the premier athletics facility in Adelaide until 1998 when Santos Stadium opened.

These items and many others are on display in the Local History Room at the Burnside Library. Feel free to pop in and check them out some time.

Photographs: Tickets and Passouts (Burnside Local History Collection), The First Bounce – Post War Opening Game 1945 (Burnside Local History Collection) and Boys at Kensington Oval – 1945 (Burnside Local History Collection).

Here's an update of what's been happening in the City of Burnside this month from CEO Chris Cowley, as well as a look at what's to come! Exciting updates include:

✅ Water Smart Burnside website launches (bit.ly/WaterSmartBurnside)
✅ Work progressing on shared use path at the bottom of the freeway for the Crafers Bikeway
✅ New wellness space open in the Burnside Community Centres
✅ Council elections closing Thursday 10 November
✅ New LED parking signage at Waterfall Gully and Chambers Gully coming soon.

To find out more information and receive the latest updates about what's going on in Burnside, sign up to engage.burnside at www.engage.burnside.sa.gov.au

The Glen Osmond Institute had its grand opening in 1877 and was an important part of the community, housing a library of over 1,000 books and a reading room that was open to the public some evenings during the week. The institute building was also used for a number of social gatherings including concerts and lectures, with the schedule for evening events planned around the phases of the moon due to the darkness of the unlit roads.

In 1965, the foundation stone of the Glen Osmond Institute was removed. Underneath the stone were two glass bottles that contained documents and items from the time. One bottle was opened, while another remains closed to this day! The opened bottle included a photograph of Elizabeth Boothby, who was the owner of The Glen in Glen Osmond at the time. It also contained coins and pen nibs, as well as a lead bullet (not pictured).

The bottles were initially put back under the foundation stone, along with souvenirs from 1965 in a large brass cylinder. They were, however, recovered again in the early 2000s and added to the Burnside Local History Collection. These items and others are on display in the Burnside Treasures cupboard in the Local History Room in the Burnside Library.

Photos: Left - Glen Osmond Institute, circa 1904. Right - Message in a bottle items on display in the Local History Room at the Burnside Library