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Kensington Oval was purchased in 1874 by a group of local residents. Seven years later some of the land on the perimeter was sold, the revenue funding a pavilion, fences and a scoreboard.

South Australia’s first inclined cycle track was also built there in 1888. Between 1898 and 1920 the oval fell into disuse and was for a time used as the Council’s works depot.

In 1920 the Kensington Cricket Club leased it and in subsequent years the oval was replanted and other improvements were made. Sir Donald Bradman was a playing member of the Kensington District Cricket Club from 1935 until the late 1940’s and was on the club’s Committee for more than 20 years. His highest score was 303 scored in less than 5 hours at the Kensington Oval against Port Adelaide in 1939.

During World War 2 the army used it for troop training. After the war the South Australian National Football League also used it for league football.

In 1963 the oval was leased to the South Australian Amateur Athletics Association and the South Australian Soccer Federation. A synthetic running track was laid and the oval was renamed for a time as the Olympic Sportsfield.

For many years it was Adelaide’s principle athletics stadium, and was used for soccer until 1990. A portion of the land has since been licensed to nearby Pembroke School, but is still available for public use.

Did you participate in the 2021 City Nature Challenge? Over the past four days, 150 people have recorded more than 900 species in Adelaide on an app called iNaturalist. The app also has a webpage for observations made any time in the City of Burnside (see below).

Council’s Coordinator Environmental Sustainability, Philip Roetman, took a stroll in Wyfield Reserve at Skye after work and captured this beautiful sunset as well as a variety of birds.

Our Conservation and Land Management Program has done a huge amount of work in Wyfield Reserve with both biodiversity contractors and volunteers. They have restored the Mallee Box Grassy Woodland, ridding it of woody weeds and protecting and establishing numerous wildflower and understory species, not to mention maintenance and upgrade of the trails.

Scroll through our photo gallery on the top right.

City of Burnside iNaturalist Page

Mayor Anne Monceaux presents Burnside Highlights.

Burnside Highlights 4 May 2021

RAWsa is working with Council and our contractor CAMCO SA to actively achieve employment outcomes for Aboriginal People across the councils boundaries.

The Kensington Gardens Reserve Project has provided over 2000 hours of indigenous workforce participation in the first three months of this project which equates into 4 full time positions working operationally on the ground. The Council's commitment in reconciliation has invested in a RAWsa employed, Kaurna Yerta Aboriginal Corporation (KYAC) endorsed, Aboriginal Workforce Participation Officer (AWPO), who’s role is to maximise Aboriginal workforce participation.

Activation of the AWPO has provided skilled Aboriginal operators opportunities for employment across the principle and subcontractors, as well as provided the project with access to Kaurna community consultants engaged for community interaction workshops with local Kindergartens and other key stakeholders activities.

#realjobs #realoutcomes cannot be achieved without the hard work and a collaborative commitment from the Burnside Council Steering Committee, Burnside Council Project team, CAMCO SA and the team working within the RAWsa Heritage Environment and Repatriation Strategy.

On 13 April 2021 Council resolved to temporarily place the pump track at other locations in the City such as Langman Recreation Reserve, Burnside, and Penfold Park in Magill.

The pump track will be set up on one of the tennis courts at Langman Recreation Reserve for approximately four months, commencing 29 April 2021.

In September #rideburnside will be relocated to Penfold Park in Magill.

In 1932, Adelaide’s Municipal Tramways Trust trialled the first trolley bus in Australia between Payneham and Paradise. A trolley bus is an electric bus that draws power from overhead wires. After the success of the trial, the new network officially opened in 1937.

In the Burnside District suburb of Knightsbridge, the trolley bus replaced trams in 1952. The service ceased over 10 years later with the introduction of motor buses.

Established circa 1855, Knightsbridge was named after George Taylor’s home on Hazelwood Avenue ‘Knightsbridge House’. Taylor named his property after the London suburb. In 1941, Knightsbridge was incorporated into the suburbs of Leabrook and Hazelwood Park.

Photograph: Leyland Canton trolley buses in Knightsbridge, circa 1960. Courtesy of the Preiss family.

Michael Perry Reserve in Stonyfell was created in the 1970s after the subdivision of Clifton estate. This Bunya Pine tree (Araucaria bidwillii) is believed to have been planted between 1872 and 1901 by Nathaniel Knox, the second owner of Clifton.

This Bunya Pine is one of the largest specimens in Adelaide. Interestingly, the Bunya Pine is not a pine but is a member of the ancient Gondwanan plant family Araucariaceae, which is found naturally in South America, South Africa and Australasia. In its natural habitat in the Bunya Mountains, Queensland, it was an important resource for the traditional owners the Wakka Wakka, Jarowair and Barrumgum people and was the focus of harvest festivals.

Here at the City of Burnside, the conservation volunteers are treated to an annual feast of Bunya nut muffins (photo below) or cake baked by our Conservation Officer Dr Mark Ellis.

Burnside Library celebrated its 60th Birthday on Thursday 8 April.

There were three events on the day, starting with a talk on the history of the Library. In the afternoon an event was held on the lawn and forecourt with entertainment by The Amazing Drumming Monkeys and MCs Hayley and Lauren from Adelaydy. Guests included The Hon. Vickie Chapman MP, Member for Bragg, James Stevens MP, Federal Member for Sturt, Mayor Anne Monceaux and children’s author Mem Fox. Mr Stevens read a letter from the Prime Minister The Hon Scott Morrison MP. In it the PM said “I know that all at Burnside worked with great innovation throughout the time of COVID lockdown to connect with your community, keep children learning, and help local people stay optimistic during difficult times”.

The inaugural Environment Day Awards were announced at Beaumont House on Sunday 11 April.

The awards celebrate initiatives and activities that Burnside community members are implementing, across four award categories in the City.

Climate Change Challenge award winners, and Burnside residents, Dr Susan Marsden and Michael Szwarcbord said that they feel strongly about the threats to us all from the climate crisis.

"Everything we can all do, large and small, is really important," Dr Marsden said.

The award winners each received a wooden bowl made by Burnside resident and local wood turner, Flora Rumbelow, as their award 'trophy'. Most of the trophies were turned from a section of a fallen Red Gum branch. One trophy was made from an Olive tree branch taken as part of a regular pruning program at Beaumont House.

The winners are:

Local Sustainability

Andrew Crompton

Andrew works tirelessly as a volunteer at the Waterfall Gully site and gives so much time and incredible knowledge to other volunteers. He even provides extra hours when there are outstanding jobs needing attending. He is an inspiration due to his beliefs in the environment generally. He has been a leader and teacher in environmental management for many years.

Unsung Hero/es

Rotary Club of Burnside Inc.

In the early 1990s David Harvey a member of the Rotary Club of Burnside, initiated an environmental project in conjunction with the Burnside Council to revegetate a disused quarry and council rubbish dump within Chambers Gully Park. During the 2020 lockdown, small groups constructed 22 new habitat boxes for birds and possums.

High commendation: Rob Hilditch. Rob is a volunteer at the Burnside Men’s Shed where he uses and promotes the use of recycled material.

Waste Innovation

Leabrook Quality Meats

This Leabrook butcher has been extremely proactive in waste management and sustainability, reducing plastic consumption by switching to compostable packaging where possible, and recycling shopping bags instead of providing new ones for customers.

High commendation: Aiden Fisk and Ivana Alvarado, two students from Glenunga International High School. Aiden and Alana created a fantastic concept, called Better World System, an app, powered by students, aimed at reducing pollution and rewarding correct waste allocation.

Climate Change Challenge

Dr Susan Marsden & Michael Szwarcbord

Susan and her partner Michael, who are both experienced gardeners, have in the past 15 years had to learn to adapt to the micro-climate and soils in their own locality and to address the impact of climate change. They have reduced their own footprints… and they have helped others along the way.

Originally a six-room stone house, Sunnyside on Lascelles Avenue in Beaumont was built circa 1848. In the 1850s, the second owner Sir William Milne, a wine merchant and politician, transformed the home into a two-storey mansion. The second storey was removed in the 1920s.

Sunnyside was later purchased by documentary film producers Edna and Jack Campbell-Dobbie. From 1950 to 1962 they used the historic home as a film studio. Edna and Jack are considered pioneer documentary filmmakers and are credited with producing Children of the Musgraves (1947) and We Three (1950).

Photograph of Sunnyside circa 1872, City of Burnside Local History Collection.