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Margaret Bond AM was the first female Mayor of the City of Burnside, serving in this role from 1975 to 1979. She also served as Councillor from 1968 to 1973, Alderman in 1974 to 1975 and then again as an Alderman from 1979 to 1981.

Throughout her time at City of Burnside she served as State and National president of the Local Government Women’s Association. In recognition of her commitment to the City of Burnside, Margaret was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia.

Margaret Bond Playing Field in Glenunga was named in her honour.

Daisy Maud Salotti (1889-1970) was a generous benefactor who bequeathed funds to the Dulwich Senior Citizens Club (now known as the Dulwich Community Centre). These funds were used to extend the Club in 1974, including the addition of a hall at the rear of the original house. The Centre’s hall is named in her honour.

Daisy was also an accomplished pianoforte player, and through a bequest of $6,000 to the University of Adelaide, established the "Daisy Burmeister Salotti Pianoforte Scholarship" for students taking piano as their chief practical study. Daisy passed away in August 1970 and is buried at Glen Osmond Cemetery.

Coralie Soward was a trailblazer, becoming the first female Elected Member of the City of Burnside in 1968. Later, from 1979 to 1982, she served as Mayor. In recognition of her dedicated service, she was awarded an Order of Australia Medal in 1999 for her contributions to social welfare and health organisations, as well as local government. In honour of her contributions, the Coralie Soward Hall at Burnside Community Centre was named after her.

Dorothea Black (1891-1951) is one of Australia’s most highly recognised modern artists. Born and raised in Burnside, she studied at the South Australian School of Arts and Crafts and the Grosvenor School of Modern Art in London. Modernism was not always popular, but Black continued to paint, exhibit and teach modernist art principles throughout her life.

She painted from her house in Magill, painted landscapes of the Adelaide Hills, taught at the School of Arts and Crafts, was on the committee of the Royal South Australian Society of Arts in 1938, vice-chair of the Contemporary Art Society of South Australia and was an active member of the Australian Labor Party. She worked across mediums – watercolour, oil, still life, portraiture and landscapes. Dorrit is buried with her family at the Historic Magill Wesleyan Cemetery.

Photograph: Dorrit Black, 1921, photograph by Judith Fletcher.

Mary Penfold nee Holt was born circa 1818 in Edmonton, England. In May 1835, Mary married medical student Christopher Rawson Penfold (1811-1870). In 1844, Mary, Christopher and their daughter Georgina migrated to South Australia and purchased land in the Village of Makgill (now known as the suburb of Magill). Winemaking on the Magill property began in 1847, with the wine intended to treat Christopher’s patients. Mary assisted in this process, supervising workers and completing the bookkeeping.

After Christopher died in 1870, Mary became the sole owner of the vineyard. Under her care and with the support of vigneron Joseph Gillard junior (1836-1927) the business thrived. According to newspaper articles of the time, all blending of wines and the selection of grape varieties was done under her direction, according to her judgement and taste. At age 77, Mary died on 3 December 1895. Mary had a significant role in pioneering the company and is worthy of recognition as a pioneer vigneron.

Pictured: Mary and Georgina Penfold, circa 1850. Courtesy of Geoffrey Bishop.

Last week we were thrilled to be named a Tree City of the World for a fifth year running, and we have plenty coming up in the next few weeks to get excited about! Find out more in this edition of Burnside Highlights with Mayor Anne Monceaux.

Do you know where this olive grove is?

Hint: The olive trees are believed to be remnants of Sir Samuel Davenport’s olive plantations. Sir Samuel Davenport (1818-1906) of Beaumont House, is responsible for the proliferation of olives in the Burnside area. A nearby road, Olive Grove, takes its name from these trees which grow to its north.

Answer: The olive grove is located in Hazelwood Park. Olive Grove (the adjacent street to the western side of the park near Greenhill Road) was originally part of the Hazelwood estate owned by the Francis Clark family and was named in 1935 after the olive plantation in this area. This land at Olive Grove was subdivided for houses in the 1930s.

Dulwitches, a group of local artists, are getting ready to celebrate 50 years as part of the City of Burnside community.

Currently home to more than 20 talented South Australian craftspeople, Dulwitches’ store offers a wide range of products including baked goods, baby products, clothes, and around-home necessities.

Artist Lisa George said Dulwitches is continuing to grow even as it enters its half-century.

‘The shop changes week to week and we constantly have artists evolving,’ Lisa said. ‘We have customers come in whose mothers and grandmothers used to come in to buy, we’ve become a family institution.’

With the goal of brightening the lives of their customers through personal and distinctive artworks, Dulwitches are looking forward to sharing this outstanding milestone with the community in 2024.

Artist Tanya Curran said the team is planning to host a morning tea on Devereux Road in late April as a celebration for the big 50.

‘We have members coming who have been here from the start,’ Tanya said. ‘We can’t wait to celebrate such a milestone.’

Sometimes you can find beauty in unexpected places, and thanks to the Your Neighbourhood Budget funding and the artistic touch of a Burnside native, the Tusmore Park toilet block has gone from grey and gloomy to purple and proud.

As part of the 2023/24 Your Neighbourhood Budget, six projects around the City of Burnside were approved following public voting. One of which was the commissioning of a mural to be painted on the exterior walls of the toilet block on the eastern side of Tusmore Park, near the tennis courts.

Genevieve Byrt of Gen + Tonic Art who submitted the Your Neighbourhood Budget project proposal, was the artist to bring the space to life.

Born and raised just a few doors down from Tusmore Park along Northumberland Street, Genevieve, now in her 30s, said the park has maintained a special place in her heart ever since her childhood days in the wading pool.

‘I love the idea that my future kids will be able to come down here and see something I have created and be in a welcoming space,’ Gen said.

‘I grew up around the corner and I’ve spent a lot of time in this park, so it was really important to me that I painted something that was not only going to be engaging for people to watch being painted but to also come and enjoy on a regular basis.

‘For a space that is so heavily involved in the community and so many families and children around - I wanted to try and ignite energy and joyfulness. I suggested the project as part of Your Neighbourhood Budget and one thing led to another and it was approved.’

Composed of bright purples and blues, the mural design was created to reflect elements of the Burnside area. Featuring native flora and fauna and highlighted by a striking wave through the middle that represents the Burnside creek system. Come have a look yourself and see if you can identify all the symbols of Burnside.

Painted towards the end of January in near 40-degree heat, Tusmore Park was teeming with hundreds of visitors taking advantage of the wading pool. Gen said community feedback from those at the pool had been overwhelmingly positive.

‘I’ve met so many people who travel from all over Adelaide to come to this spot – the wading pool especially is such a great resource for kids. Everyone has loved the mural, especially the kids.

‘Seeing art in public spaces is not only interesting and exciting, but it shows young people and other community members that art doesn’t have to be in a gallery and you can create interesting spaces that are engaging to be in.’

In total the mural took around 60 litres of paint and roughly 35 hours across four days to complete.

2024/25 Your Neighbourhood Budget submissions are now open to all City of Burnside residents. To submit your suggestion for the 2024/25 Your Neighbourhood Budget, head to https://engage.burnside.sa.gov.au/your-neighbourhood-budget-2024

Artist Genevieve Byrt

full mural design