FOCUS On Burnside - the news hub

Sunday, 1 October, marks the start of National Mental Health Month 2023.

This year’s South Australian theme is Have the Conversation, encouraging South Aussies to talk about their mental health and to check in with loved ones.

As part of the National Mental Health Month calendar, Burnside Library will be hosting an Author Talk session with Dr Cate Howell on Thursday, 19 October.

An experienced GP, therapist, researcher and educator, Dr Howell will discuss her new book, The Flourishing Woman.

A unique guide to women’s health and well-being for both the mental and physical – this text speaks to life challenges and how to overcome them, as well as living a satisfying and meaningful life.

Touching on subjects relevant to so many women, this text will help approach hard to discuss topics like anxiety, overcoming stress, dealing with expectations, reproduction, menopause, managing parenthood challenges, relationship issues and more.

For more information on the Flourishing Woman visit Burnside Library Eventbrite page.

To learn more about National Mental Health Month including resources on how to Have the Conversation visit Mental Health Coalition South Australia.

In the latest step for the City of Burnside’s involvement in the Arts and the development of local artists, the city is excited to launch the Burnside Art Boulevard.

With a goal of advancing the city’s already stellar reputation as a hub for South Australian art, the Burnside Art Boulevard will act as a catalyst for community investment and provide exposure for upcoming and yet to be established artists.

With seasonal artist changes the Burnside Arts Boulevard will deliver a safe and friendly space for artists to display and sell their works within the Burnside Civic Centre.

The inaugural artist for the program is Adelaide-based oil painter Gemma Rose Brook, she is a former SALA feature artist, finalist for the 2020 Heysen Prize for Landscape, winner of the 2020 Royal Society of the Arts Youthscape Prize and a previous solo exhibitionist at Floating Goose Studio.

Drawing inspiration from life and environment, Gemma specialises in landscapes, with bold texture and colour a trademark of her work.

‘I like to think of my style as contemporary painting and it’s highly influenced by female modernist and expressionistic painting,’ Gemma said.

With experience living in regional South Australia including the Apy Lands in the north-western region of the state, Gemma has evolved an engagement perspective with nature more in line with Indigenous conceptions of connection with Country.

‘I suppose it’s always an indigenous perspective that we need to look towards within Australia respectfully and I think this is especially true when approaching painting the Australian landscape. When I worked at Ernabella Arts the community taught me so much about respecting the land and place you are interacting with. It strengthened my ideas of holistically connecting to a place rather than owning it, which is generally a Western perspective.’

City of Burnside Team Leader of Community Centres and Events Darren Baynes said the Burnside Art Boulevard was an important outlet in the space and would cater to those interested in South Australian talent.

‘Burnside Art Boulevard celebrates local South Australian artists in the most accessible and inclusive way possible and will allow visitors to appreciate the artwork on display at their own pace,’ Darren said.

‘We expect the exhibitions to attract new visitors and encourage more people to enjoy the wide range of existing programs and services on offer across the Burnside Civic Centre.’

With her Arts Boulevard exhibition to run from October through to January, Gemma said such community commitment to the arts is pivotal for development.

‘I think that community spaces are really important. Funding for the arts is an essential way to connect communities as well shift people's perspectives around the way we see and feel the world,’ Gemma said.

You can view Gemma's artwork at the Burnside Civic Centre from 3 October 2023 until Friday 12 January.

The City of Burnside has taken another step towards becoming carbon neutral, seeding thousands of native trees near Kapunda for the launch of the Burnside Carbon Offset Scheme (B-COS).

A three-way collaboration between the City of Burnside, not-for-profit organisation Trees For Life and local business Mantina Quarries, the trees will absorb hundreds of tonnes of carbon, offsetting the Council’s carbon emissions.

Carbon offsets are a responsible way to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of greenhouse gas emissions. When organisations release greenhouse gases into the atmosphere through activities like driving or air-conditioning, they contribute to global warming. Carbon offsets offer a way to counterbalance or ‘offset’ these emissions by investing in projects that remove an equivalent volume of greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

Suitable space for this scale of planting was not available in Burnside, but with support from Light Regional Council, land for the project was able to be sourced in the Kapunda area. Local resident and Mantina Quarries Director, Rino Obbiettivo, was happy to offer property near Kapunda at no cost to ratepayers. The project is converting over six hectares of open pasture to woodland.

Trees For Life Direct Seeding Manager David Hein said the project could result in upwards of 10,000 new plants, all native vegetation that grows well in the area.

‘There are sixteen different species in the mix. Over the years they sort themselves out into natural-looking vegetation, providing habitat for birds and wildlife,’ David said.

City of Burnside Coordinator of Environmental Sustainability Dr Philip Roetman said the B-COS planting will offset emissions from Council’s George Bolton Swimming Centre and Regal Theatre.

‘The project is not funded through Council rates. Rather, people using the Swimming Centre and Theatre pay a small, 10 cent contribution per visit. These individual contributions are minor, but collectively they enable Council to minimise the environmental impact of these facilities,’ Philip said.

General Manager for Mantina Group, William Short said Mantina Group was excited to provide land for new trees. He described the project as a win-win for all involved.

‘We can provide land to plant thousands of trees. It helps the community offset emissions and the trees will be habitat for wildlife. We also benefit as the trees and wildlife will improve the overall visual amenity of the area and provide valuable buffers along property boundaries,’ William said.

Along with the thousands of new trees planted for this project, the City of Burnside continues to show leadership in environmental sustainability. Last year, Council installed solar power systems at numerous sites, including the Council Depot, Dulwich Community Centre and the George Bolton Swimming Centre. Over time, these systems will reduce the running costs of the facilities and further reduce Council’s carbon footprint.

Have you ever ridden an electric trolleybus?

The photograph below, taken in 1940, shows a double-decker trolleybus at the intersection of Greenhill Road and Linden Avenue facing south. Adelaide's trolleybus network was used from 1932 until 1963, with the Municipal Tramways Trust replacing trolleybuses with diesel buses which were not restricted by wires and therefore cheaper to provide.

Photo: AEC type trolleybus, looking south at the intersection of Greenhill Road and Linden Avenue circa 1940. Courtesy of Burnside Local History Collection.

Mayor Anne Monceaux brings you the latest news from across the City of Burnside, including:

✅ New RAA electric vehicle chargers now available at the Burnside Civic Centre carpark
✅ Greater Adelaide Regional Plan discussion paper now open for community feedback (https://engage.burnside.sa.gov.au/greater-adelaide-regional-plan-discussion-paper)
✅ Dulwich Community Centre re-opening late November/early December

Find out more about what's going on in the City of Burnside at www.engage.burnside.sa.gov.au

This photograph depicts Glen Osmond Road around 1880, facing south-east towards Mt Osmond, with the Vine Inn visible on the left side. The road leads from the south parklands to Glen Osmond.

Do you know who Glen Osmond Road is named after?

The person is also remembered in other locations across Adelaide including Mount Osmond, Gilles Plains, Gilles Street and OG Road.

If you’re curious about the origins of your street name, the Burnside Historical Society has compiled a resource called Burnside Street Names and their Origins, which you can access here: https://www.burnside.sa.gov.au/Community-Recreation/Cultural-Heritage/Street-Names-Origins

Photograph: Glen Osmond Road circa 1880, Burnside Local History Collection.

The City of Burnside is now home to the fastest electric vehicle (EV) chargers within metro Adelaide.

This morning it was our great pleasure to launch four new Ultra-rapid chargers alongside RAA as part of the ongoing rollout of their statewide Charge network. These four chargers operate at an unparalleled 200kW and can fully charge an EV in 10 to 45 minutes – perfect for those quick trips to the Burnside Civic Centre.

City of Burnside CEO Chris Cowley said the new chargers, which feature a mix of CCS2 and CHAdeMO plugs, were a welcome addition to the Burnside Civic Centre.

‘Since declaring a climate emergency in 2019, the City of Burnside has sought to divest from carbon emitting technologies and facilitate green energy solutions wherever possible,’ Chris said.

‘Electric vehicles are the future of our roads and as uptake increases over the coming years, having the infrastructure to support these vehicles is critical.

‘The installation of these chargers is a positive step forward in welcoming cleaner vehicles to our streets and I hope both residents and visitors of our city enjoy using this new infrastructure.’

Mayor Anne Monceaux said the City of Burnside remained committed to supporting sustainable initiatives for the benefit of the environment.

‘Council is on a mission to become carbon neutral by 2030 so we are excited to work with RAA to bring this project to life for our community,’ Anne said.

‘With EV charging infrastructure developing rapidly across South Australia, there has never been a better time to consider making the switch to an electric vehicle at home.’

The RAA Charge network, which is being rolled out with the support of a $12.35 million grant provided by the South Australian government, is expected to be completed in 2024.

RAA CEO Nick Reade said RAA was ensuring the charging infrastructure would be in place to accommodate the massive growth in EVs in South Australia.

'Since March, the growing network has provided almost 3,000 charging sessions, providing enough power to cover a whopping 230,000km while abating 12.3 tonnes of carbon dioxide,' Nick said.

'With the Burnside Civic Centre 200kw Ultra-rapid charger coming online today, we’re excited to offer EV drivers a place to charge that is both close to the freeway and the city.'

To use the network, download the Chargefox app for iOS or Android and follow the prompts. For more info visit www.raa.com.au/charge

Do you know where this building is located?

These local heritage-listed cellars were constructed in 1918 by Léon Edmond Mazure, a French winemaker who pioneered bottle-fermented sparkling wine in Australia. Originally called La Pérouse Champagne Cellars, the site was later bought by S. Wynn & Co. in 1929. Under the direction of Hurtle and Norman, they produced Romalo Champagne. The Wynns Romalo Vintage Champagne was marketed as being made authentically as the wine never left the bottle during the process.

Photographs: Courtesy of D Darian Smith and Geoffrey Bishop.

Constructed circa 1902, this building on Stuart Road in Dulwich has served many different purposes over the years. From 1902 to 1919 it was a meeting space for the First Adelaide Lodge and later during the 1960s it was used as an indoor tennis court, which is still evident by the court lines on the floor. It has also served as a wholesale warehouse, an antique store, a fruit store, a hair salon and an antique shop. Currently, the building is being used as a retail store.

The building’s most notable purpose was from 1923 to 1960. Do you know what it was?

The name “Melba” outlined on the façade that pays homage to operatic soprano Dame Nellie Melba might give you a hint!

Photograph: Burnside Local History Collection, 1986.

Look out for Spring Focus being delivered to your letterbox this week. Read it online here.