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Officially opened on Saturday 11 December 1954 by Mayor J H Parkinson, the Burnside Ballroom is this year celebrating its milestone 70th birthday.

With the interior of the building on the State Heritage List, the Ballroom is an iconic building in the history of the City of Burnside and the wider Adelaide region. Mostly untouched since its unveiling, there are few known examples of this modernist style of interior left in South Australia, with most of the Ballroom’s fixtures and fittings still in their original condition.

The Ballroom was originally built to accommodate the growing population, as the Burnside Town Hall was unable to handle the increasing numbers. The residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of the concept and the construction took place over twelve months at a cost of £32,000. Architects Evans, Bruers, Philpott & Partners designed the building and Fricker Brothers Limited were contracted for construction.

The Ballroom offers a spacious ground floor and mezzanine level, entrance foyer, ladies’ powder rooms and gentlemen’s cloakrooms, bar areas on both levels and a ground floor kitchen. The venue also features a stage and seating booths with tables along the eastern and western walls. As an additional wing to the 1928 Town Hall and Council Chambers, the exterior was designed to complement the existing Inter-War Free Classical architecture. The interior is an exceptional example of 1950s modernist design, with art-deco style proscenium, vinyl seating booths, and decorative metalwork.

A high-quality venue with world-class features, the Ballroom was a popular hot spot for many in the community. In the three weeks alone following its grand opening, the Ballroom hosted three balls, three concerts, and a radio show. The space also became the home of the Princeton Club, a popular venue for teenagers from across Adelaide in the 1960s.

Established in 2020, the City of Burnside Heritage Reference Group was created to discuss and propose strategies and projects that identify, promote, preserve, and enhance the City of Burnside’s built and cultural heritage including the Ballroom.

One member of the Heritage Reference Group is Colin Harris. For Colin, the Burnside Ballroom holds a special place in his heart and history, having had his first date with his wife Elizabeth at a Burnside Ballroom event.

Following their date at a Girton Girls’ School (now Pembroke School) Old Scholars Ball in 1965, the two were married in 1969.

‘For us, the Burnside Ballroom was the start of a wonderful partnership with two daughters. Whenever I see the Ballroom my thoughts go back to that date,’ Colin said.

A third-generation Burnside resident, Colin is also a Former President and now Life Member of the Burnside Historical Society and a Fellow of The Royal Geographical Society of South Australia.

Today, the Ballroom continues to be a popular community space for parties, musical events, concerts, exercise classes, volunteer celebrations and civic receptions. Annual events in the Ballroom include the Japanese Cultural Day and the upcoming Annual Glenside Lions Art Show. It has also played host to music acts such as the Penny Rockets, Vonnie Jay, The Clefs, Fraternity, the Twilights and John Farnham.

In Rose Park tucked away in Webb Street Reserve, is the newest community project as funded by the 2023 Your Neighbourhood Budget. Full of books for all ages stands the Little Library, the latest in a lineage of community projects funded through the program.

Webb Street Reserve is known for its red fire truck play equipment and is bordered by Rose Park Preschool and Rose Park Norwood Scout Group. Both Rose Park Community Childcare and Rose Park Primary School are also within a stone throw.

Submitting the proposal in 2023 for the Little Library was Rose Park resident of 57 years Joy Shepherd. The submission also covered the restoration of the fire truck play equipment.

Joy’s idea was sparked after comments from her grandchildren regarding the lack of play equipment in the park for older children, and after seeing an advertisement for Your Neighbourhood Budget, she set to work.

With assistance from her daughter, Joy letterboxed all the houses along Watson Avenue and Hewitt Avenue asking for suggestions of equipment to help widen the appeal of the park.

Joy said she was thrilled with the engagement from residents in the area.

‘Some people replied with quite clever ideas, one of them was the little library.’

After deciding on the Little Library, Joy reached out to Rose Park & Toorak Gardens Council Member Lilian Henschke to assist her with the submission process. During the following community voting period the Little Library received the most votes of all proposed projects.

‘We had the support of the kindergarten, the parents and members of the community, they all voted for us. We hope this will appeal to people of all ages in the community,’ Joy said.

Following approval, the Little Library was constructed by members of The Shed on Conyngham Street, before being handed over to local artist Sarah Moller, who in collaboration with the children at Rose Park Preschool designed the artwork for the exterior of the Little Library.

‘I came in and spoke with the kids about some designs,’ said Sarah who is also a parent of the preschool. ‘We incorporated designs from various picture books including Garden Stew by Carrie Gallasch.’

‘We have a pear tree on the box that is inspired by the pear tree at the back of the preschool and the lemon-scented gum from Webb Street Reserve. It took about 20 hours over one month to paint.’

Director of Rose Park Preschool Marie Kelakios said after working with Sarah the children were extremely excited to see the new installation and to be able to read the books inside.

Known as a community hub for the area, Webb Street Reserve is utilised daily by the preschool parents, Scouts group, nearby businesses and a local mother’s group.

In attendance for the installation of the Little Library that she assisted the paperwork for, Council Member Lilian Henschke said community initiatives like those from Joy were important for community and youth development.

‘When we hear from the community, ideas emerge, especially from the youth,’ Cr Henschke said. ‘This time it was from the grandchildren of a long-term resident.’

‘Spots like this where a child can walk out into the open air near a playground and then to be able engage with a book in play is so important for their development and their growing love of reading.

‘The experience of where you read is really important. We all reflect on our first memories of when we started reading, it is fundamental to create that foundation.’

The Webb Street Reserve Little Library is now available for your reading needs. Residents are encouraged to take and leave appropriate books for all reading levels.

You can find other Little Libraries located across the City of Burnside including: Bell Yett Reserve, Chapel Street Reserve, Constable Hyde Memorial Garden, Hazelwood Park, Laurel Avenue Pirkurna Wirra, Tusmore Park and Webb Street Reserve.

Standing next to the newly installed Little Library in Webb Street Reserve, Rose Park (left to right): resident Joy Shepherd, artist Sarah Moller, Director Rose Park Preschool Marie Kelakios and Cr Lilian Henschke.

Shed member prepares the Little Library

Last year we brought you the story of the Burnside Women’s Shed Program located at The Shed workshop on Conygnham Street, and their goal of helping support women experiencing homelessness through local charity Catherine House.

On 29 August 2024, the group achieved their goal, handing over dozens of stunning handmade items to be sold at auction by Catherine House to help raise funds for their many support services.

The only dedicated women’s homelessness service in the State, Catherine House supports women who are experiencing homelessness, offering crisis, longer term accommodation and support services for women over the age of 18, unaccompanied by children.

The items built by the Women’s Shed include stools, toys, tables, kitchen boards and picture frames.

Member of the Catherine House Fundraising team, Molly said the handmade items were an act of incredible kindness and generosity by the Shed members.

‘This is about the community coming together and supporting each other. It means the world to us,’ Molly said.

‘For women to know they have the support of their community is special.’

The Catherine House Auction will go live online on 4 October 2024 with the winners to be announced at a gala dinner 12 October. If you are interested in supporting the auction you can visit the Catherine House website catherinehouse.org.au to subscribe for updates or contact their admin team.

The Burnside Women’s Shed Program is run Thursday mornings at the Shed on Conygnham Street, with mixed gender in the afternoon, while Men’s Shed Programs are run Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

Read our previous story on the Shed and their support for Catherine House here.

Members of the The Shed Women's Program present the array of hand built donations to Amy and Molly (far right) of Catherine House. The items will be auctioned off by Catherine House.

The City of Burnside is proud to be home to many remarkable individuals, including Norma Thrower of Glenside, a former Olympic 80-metre hurdler who now participates in the city’s 3R’s program.

Representing Australia at the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, Norma earned a bronze medal in the 80-metre hurdles, finishing behind fellow Australian Shirley Strickland. However, it was her gold medal win at the 1958 Commonwealth Games in Cardiff that Norma cites as the pinnacle of her athletic career.

‘Winning the Commonwealth Games in Wales, that was my career highlight. In Rome, I was in the team, but I bombed out in the semi-final,’ Norma said with a laugh.

Inducted into the South Australian Sports Hall of Fame in 2023, Norma was honoured as one of the state’s premier athletes. Beyond her Olympic achievements, she has excelled in golf and tennis and was formerly the captain of the South Australian A-grade women’s basketball team.

Norma’s family has always been at the core of her journey. Married at 20, she has two children and four grandchildren. Her father, Arnold Austin, was a pivotal figure in her career as her lifelong athletics coach.

Norma has been a member of the City of Burnside’s 3R’s program – Respite, Recreation, and Revitalisation – since the start of this year. Encouraged by her daughter, she now attends weekly sessions at the Civic Centre.

‘A group of us come every Wednesday; we’re all over 80. I enjoy coming in, I always have a ball,’ she said.

The 3R’s program offers a variety of activities designed to keep participants engaged and uplifted, while also providing essential social support. ‘We have musicians come in, and we have a dance. It really boosts your mood. Other days, we’ve had an exercise instructor visit and art workshops,’ Norma said.

The program aims to foster a sense of community and wellbeing among senior residents, offering opportunities for social engagement. Norma’s experiences reflect the program’s impact.

‘After a few years, the girls start to rely on each other and lean on each other to talk. It’s a supportive environment.’

The 3R’s program is designed for individuals over the age of 65 who are socially isolated and want to connect with the community. Funded by the Federal Government through the Commonwealth Home Support Programme (CHSP), the program is accessed via a My Aged Care referral. Groups meet weekly from 10 am – 2 pm, with coffee and lunch provided, and offer a variety of activities including exercise, art, music, puzzles, and entertainment, all with the goal of getting people out of the house and enjoying themselves.

If you or a family member would like to join the 3R’s program, contact Council’s Home Support Program on 8366 4193.

Norma Thrower

Did you know a post office has operated in Glen Osmond (on Glen Osmond Road between Vine Lane and Queens Lane) since 1884? The post office was started by Mrs Mary Bowen, who ran her business at what is now 367 Glen Osmond Road until 1906.

Records indicate that the post office operated in this location for close to 90 years. In the 1970s it moved to the adjoining shop at 365b Glen Osmond Road where it has continued since.

Yesterday saw the final day of service of the Glen Osmond Post Office, which is now permanently closed as of Wednesday 4 September. The Glen Osmond Post Office has served the community in it's current location for over 50 years and will be missed by many nearby residents who accessed it on a regular basis.

The image of the Glen Osmond Post Office below is undated but is likely to have been taken pre-1970 at 367 Glen Osmond Road, which has since been demolished and redeveloped.

This week we farewell a City of Burnside institution for many of our residents – the Glen Osmond Post Office. Which is scheduled to close its doors for the final time on 4 September 2024.

Located between Vine Lane and Queens Lane on Glen Osmond Road, the post office has sat here for over 50 years, with current Postmistress Alison having been here for 10 of those.

Glen Osmond resident Peter Traynor has been visiting the post office 20 years and said losing both the Post Office and Alison will be felt in the community.

‘It’s the convenience of the post office. It is something we grew up with, rely on and depend on. Small suburban post offices are a part of the community,’ Peter said.

‘Alison has provided a great service over her time. But it is the sense of community that she has built, I’ve seen the caring and nurturing approach to her customer service, especially the elderly people who often come there.

‘We’re losing an important pivot because it provides so many services. It is a place where people come to do a lot of their business.’

The land on which the group of shops were built was purchased in 1918 by William Hart, a butcher. The butcher shop was located where the adjacent motel now stands on the corner of Queens Lane. On the other side of the shops runs Vine Lane and north of that corner was the Vine Inn. The Vine Inn was built in 1850 and comprised 11 rooms in a two-story building with stables, stockyards and cottages along Vine Lane.

Running as a hotel until 1909, the space was converted to a boarding house and then a corner shop, until it was demolished in 1970. The Hart family owned the property until 1988 and leased the land in 1962 to the Commonwealth of Australia and then to the Australian Postal Commission in 1983.

Records indicate that there has been a post office between Vine Lane and Queens Lane since 1884, started by Mrs Mary Bowen who purchased the land in 1878 and ran a store, becoming the first Postmistress.

You can hear more from Peter Traynor on the 28 August edition of Burnside Highlights.

Glen Osmond resident Peter Traynor

In this episode of Burnside Highlights we remember the amazing service provided by the Glen Osmond Post Office, which will close down on Wednesday 4 September after more than 50 years of service. We are grateful to local resident Peter who took the time to share his fond memories of this important community service with us.

Do you know what the name Beaumont means?

Founded by Sir Samuel Davenport (1818 - 1906) around 1853, the suburb of Beaumont was designed as a purpose-built village with a park at its heart, known as the Beaumont Common. The park was inspired by traditional English commons, with ownership originally held in trust for the village residents.

In this photograph from around 1887, there is a view of the Adelaide Plains featuring Beaumont. In the foreground you can see Sir Samuel Davenport’s vineyards and olive press, as well as Tower House in the distance, just west of the vines.

Answer: Derived from French, ‘beau’ means beautiful and ‘mont’ means mount, reflecting the suburb’s high setting.

The George Bolton Swimming Centre (the centre) will reopen for the 2024/25 swimming season in late November 2024.

Construction delays at the centre will impact the commencement of the 2024/25 swimming season.

A new electric heat pump and plant room is being installed at the centre, replacing the existing gas heating system.

The pool is currently responsible for around a third of the City of Burnside’s entire carbon emissions, and the switch to an electric heating system, which will be supported by solar panels already installed at the pool, will make a major impact in Council’s journey to achieving carbon neutrality by 2030.

Construction commenced at the centre at the end of the 2023/24 swimming season in May 2024, with the works intended to be completed before the commencement of the 2024/25 swimming season (historically in late September each year).

Challenging site conditions including proximity to the nearby creek line, the protection of regulated and significant trees, constrained access for heavy vehicles/machinery and weather conditions have delayed these construction activities, impacting the scheduled completion of the project.

Further updates on the reopening date will be given in mid September 2024. Council is exploring opportunities to extend the 2024/25 swimming season.

Need more information? Please do not hesitate to contact Council’s Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Bernie Auricht, on 8366 4200 or email burnside@burnside.sa.gov.au.

Meals on Wheels 70^th Birthday

On Friday 9 August, Mayor Anne Monceaux joined Meals on Wheels SA's Burnside branch to celebrate the organisation’s 70th birthday and the branch's 60th!

Founded in 1954 by Doris Taylor MBE, Meals on Wheels SA has delivered over 50 million meals to South Australians over the past 70 years, supporting those unable to cook or shop for themselves. Through this service, Meals on Wheels SA supports these individuals to continue to live independently.

Member of Meals on Wheels, Gayle said the service was about more than just food delivery.

‘The daily visits ensure they are safe, well and okay,’ Gayle said.

‘The main thing is to keep people in their homes feeling safe and secure.’

‘We always need more volunteers not just in the kitchen or drivers but in administration as well. We have 120 households we visit across five routes. Each route we we go on we need one driver and one passenger meaning we need 10 volunteers each day. In the kitchen we also have about 8 volunteers at minimum.’

Burnside Lions Club supported this special occasion by generously funding all the meals made at the Burnside branch for the anniversary.

Burnside Lions Club member Barry said it was important to support the local work undertaken by Meals on Wheels.

‘We are Burnside - we like to spend our money in the Burnside area and celebrate with them as well,’ Barry said.

Happy birthday to Meals on Wheels SA and here's to another 70 years of supporting those in need.