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Active Citizen of the Year – Burnside Military History Research Group

Ian Fitzgerald, Colonel Peter Scott and Ian Sando (dec).

Over the past year, the Burnside Military History Group has spent countless hours researching soldiers honoured in the Burnside District Fallen Soldiers Memorial (WWI) located in Rose Park, known as the Avenues of Honour.

This site is a part of the State Heritage List and acts as a community point of remembrance for those who lost their lives.

The Burnside Military History Group were responsible for auditing the current memorial plaques, revealing spelling errors, inaccuracies in service history details, as well as other discrepancies. To fill in the gaps in information, the group accessed primary sources such as service records and provided the City of Burnside with the accurate information. As a result, details of each soldier will be updated to include correct information on all plaques across the Memorial. The findings of the Burnside Military History Group’s research will contribute to the ongoing preservation of the Memorial and will have a lasting role in honouring the fallen in the District of Burnside.

The City of Burnside is currently using the research of the Burnside Military History Research Group to update the plaques and interpretative text along the Avenues of Honour. Updates are expected to be completed by mid-2024.

Left to right: Brett Sando (accepting on behalf of Ian Sando), Colonel Peter Scott and Ian Fitzgerald

Young Citizen of the Year – Brandon Marlow

An inspiring community leader demonstrating remarkable mentorship abilities at age 18, Brandon was selected to be a South Australian Youth Forum Member (SAYF) in 2022 and progressed to Executive Member and Mentor for the Forum in 2023.

The Annual Report is the main goal of the Forum and includes meeting discussions, models of engagement and data collection from surveys. At the conclusion of each year, Forum members meet with ministers, politicians, community leaders, local government and businesses to present findings from the report and to educate decision-makers on their role in helping to enact change.

Brandon’s other achievements include:

• (As part of SAYF) Co-led the Gender Inequality sub-committee conducting research into young people’s experiences with gender inequality at school.

• (As part of SAYF) Worked with the Department of Human Services (DHS) on their new coercive control campaign, the See The Signs campaign.

• (As part of SAYF) Commenced a partnership with Flinders University to collect world-first data on how loneliness affects young people.

• Contributed to the development of the DHS’ new Youth Action Plan.

• Collaborated with SA Power Networks as a youth representative, offering insights into their Regulatory Reset 2025–2030 Plan.

• Provided evaluations as a Voice of Youth Representative for the Uniting Communities #UnlockingLoneliness campaign.

• Premier’s Recognition for Outstanding Service to the Community

• Volunteering SA Award for being a Community Changemaker.

• Elected Head Boy of Pembroke School.

Citizen of the Year – Andrew Bills

A staple of the Burnside community, Andrew Bills has been the Area Coordinator of Neighbourhood Watch in Linden Park for 13 years. Andrew is described as a dedicated and valued leader of Neighbourhood Watch.

The Neighbourhood Watch program is instrumental in educating the community on safety and security strategies, raising awareness and inspiring local action to prevent crime by working between police and the community.

With only three Neighbourhood Watch groups left in the City of Burnside, Andrew’s contributions and commitment have been a key factor in keeping the Linden Park group running for as long as it has.

This Friday marks the beginning of the Adelaide Fringe, with over 20 shows coming to the City of Burnside! Find out about this and much more in this episode of Burnside Highlights.

Here to help the community, that is the mantra of the City of Burnside’s award-winning Customer Experience team.

Recently named one of the Snap Send Solve Top 10 Australian Solvers of 2023 as rated by the community, the Snap Send Solve Solver of the Year Award highlights the organisations that make a notable difference to their local communities throughout Australia and New Zealand.

Chief Executive Officer Chris Cowley said this win is a testament to Burnside’s approach to customer service.

‘Our OneTeam approach is fully collaborative and integrated across the entire business,’ Mr Cowley said. ‘This means our teams work together to deliver quality results for our community.’

‘This acknowledgement from Snap Send Solve is fantastic and a testament to our customer focussed approach,’ Mr Cowley said.

Team Leader of Customer Experience Kate Royle said while the award was greatly appreciated, it was the recognition by the community that was the most significant.

‘To know this award was based off of feedback by those we have assisted, means we have been consistently delivering positive outcomes for the community.’

Interacting with hundreds of people everyday, the Customer Experience team remains ready as the first point of contact for the community. Excelling under pressure, the team was put to the test following a freak storm event on the morning of 11 December 2023. Facing 150 customer contacts within the first 2.5 hours of business the team handled the surge with their usual professionalism and knowledge, assisting inquiries from across the city.

This weather event saw rainfall of over 30mm, winds of up to 69 km/h, numerous trees felled and property damaged throughout the city.

Congratulations to the City of Burnside Customer Experience team!

The Burnside Customer Experience team

Do you know what material a cob building uses?

The cottage in this photograph, of three rooms, was built circa 1850 and was one of the earliest residences in the area. The village of Burnside was laid out in 1849 and by 1883 it included 45 houses, several shops, a hotel, two churches and a tram service.

The word ‘cob’ derives form an old English word meaning lump or rounded mass. Cob building is a mix of lumps of dirt with sand and straw, sculpted into a clay.

To discover more about the history of Burnside visit https://www.burnside.sa.gov.au/About-Council/About-Us/Our-History/Our-History-Video-Series

Photo: An early cob cottage in the village of Burnside, circa 1876.

On Tuesday we had our first Council meeting for the year, with plenty to look forward to in 2024. Find out more about what’s on over the next few weeks in this episode of Burnside Highlights.

Do you remember the Symons & Symons playground on L’Estrange Street, Glenside?

William Symons, a glass manufacturer of the company Symons & Symons, built the playground in the mid-1950s using the vacant block next to his house. The playground featured swings, seesaws, a slide, a climbing tower, a trapeze and a merry-go-round, providing a fun and enjoyable experience for the local children. Symons connected the playground's loudspeaker with his home radiogram, allowing children and their parents to listen to music while they were in the park.

The annual Progress Association Picnic at the playground, pictured below, was held to raise funds for the construction of a community building for local youth.

Photo: Symons & Symons playground circa 1957. Burnside Local History Collection.

Fire Danger Season – what you need to know

Changes to available services on catastrophic fire days

On Extreme and Catastrophic Fire Danger days there will be a reduction in the services that Council provides in the Mt Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District. Services will recommence following a return to normal weather conditions with extra servicing for domestic waste collection to maintain an up-to-date service.

Services will be uninterrupted on Moderate or High Fire Danger days.

For further information on service reductions visit bit.ly/CoB_changestoservice

Australian Fire Danger Rating System

Most of the City of Burnside area is leafy suburbia with no direct bushfire risk. However, on the eastern extremes of the Council area is the Mt Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District. This area extends along the foothills of the southern Mt Lofty Ranges, one of the most fire prone areas in the world due to the Mediterranean climate and the characteristic hot summer months.

Every year the Adelaide Hills experience a number of summer days with occasionally strong dry northerly winds and low humidity that create conditions for extreme bushfire risk. If you live within the Mt Lofty Ranges Fire Ban District danger is on your doorstep!

The Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) is your simplified survival tool, telling you how dangerous a bushfire would be if it broke out, and what you need to do to stay safe on Moderate, High, Extreme and Catastrophic days. Go to bit.ly/CFSAFDRS

Fire Safety Plans

Learn about bushfire behaviour and how to survive by visiting the CFS website www.cfs.sa.gov.au.

You can also refer to the City of Burnside website for further information and advice at bit.ly/CoBFire

If you and your home are not fully prepared for a bushfire, or if you have any doubts about your ability to defend your home, you should plan to leave early.

Prepare now: clear around your property, pack an emergency kit and know your closest Bushfire Safer Place.

Plan ahead: do your 5-minute bushfire plan and share it with loved ones today, and plan for all your pets and livestock.

Stay informed: check the fire danger rating each day and stay informed using more than one source of information in case a fire starts near you.

Know your Fire Danger Rating, monitor local conditions and keep informed.

Backyard Burning

Outside of the fire danger season, you can apply for a permit to burn vegetation as part of your fuel reduction program. Permits will only be granted for residents in the Hills Face Zone.

In the fire danger season you will not be granted a permit to burn fuel. Please ensure your fuel reduction program is concluded prior to the fire danger season. While no permits for burning will be granted for the fire danger season, residents are able to light a fire for cooking food or providing comfort (all year) provided conditions are met, except on a total fire ban day. For more information about the conditions and fires generally, please refer to our website: https://bit.ly/firesinCOB_dosdonts or contact the Fire Prevention Officer on 8466 4200.

A sustainable Christmas can still be a merry Christmas.

The City of Burnside is always looking to bring you more ways to lessen your carbon footprint, and as we enter the festive season here are our tips to help you stay environmentally conscious this Christmas.

Many of us see Christmas as a time for giving. How often has someone told you 'I really don’t need anything... No really, I don’t need anything’? But we all know you have to get them something!

Giving gifts to long-time family and friends can be difficult – by this point, you’ve given them everything, right? Rather than buying dad socks and jocks for the sixth time, or another knick-knack that will take up space, why not consider trying something different?

With summer here and the weather perfect for getting out and about, why not purchase an experience or a memory that will last a lifetime?

• If you know someone who likes to be pampered, you can purchase gift cards for manicures, pedicures, facials or a spa visit

• For movie buffs, The Regal Theatre on Kensington Road always shows the latest releases

• Classes or short courses can be fun and educational, with local options including one of the many activities available at Pepper Street Arts Centre

• For the foodies in your life, you could consider dinner vouchers, cooking classes or vouchers for wine, beer or spirit tastings. South Australia has some of the best food and wine venues, all within a short drive of Adelaide

• For animal lovers there are many options: Cleland Wildlife Park is right on Burnside’s doorstep and is not far to Adelaide Zoo or Warrawong Wildlife Sanctuary. If you are buying a present for someone more adventurous, why not consider Monarto Safari Park or a ferry ride to Kangaroo Island?

• If adventure is the primary objective, consider opportunities like rock climbing, abseiling, or a roof climb at the world-renowned Adelaide Oval

• For the active people in your life, the City of Burnside offers multi-passes to the George Bolton Swimming Centre.

Giving gifts can be rewarding, but some people seem to have everything they need. In these cases, rather than buying something superfluous, why not give a donation? Again, there are options to suit a range of tastes and budgets!

• If you are buying a gift for someone who likes to give to charity, you could consider one of Oxfam’s ‘unwrapped’ gifts; there are a range of prices and the donation can include a card or an e-card

• Planting trees has many environmental benefits and is particularly important in the wake of the rising effects of climate change. Several organisations provide gift certificates to plant trees, including Trees for Life. It can all be organised online or with a phone call.

Not all ways to be sustainable in the festive season relate to gifts themselves - we also need to consider the other Christmas traditions that contribute to unnecessary waste.

• If you are giving a material gift, you can wrap presents in something reusable, rather than generating waste. For example, wrap gifts in a reusable shopping bag or a reusable gift bag. You can also use old newspapers to keep the joy of tearing into presents while minimising waste

• Consider switching your Christmas lights to LEDs. These use less energy and last longer than incandescent lighting

• We can also reduce food waste with a little planning. Carefully considering how much food everyone needs can save both money and waste. And if you do overcook, refrigerate the food in reusable containers and use them as lunches and easy dinners.

• Even with careful planning, you might still have some food scraps. It’s important all food waste goes in the green bin. This action will ensure the food is composted, rather than sent to landfill. Putting food scraps in the green bin saves money and creates jobs in South Australia. Any food scraps you have go in the green bin, including vegetables, fruits, breads and meats - even prawns and seafood can go in the green bin. If you are concerned about the smell, wrap the seafood in a compostable bag (available from Council) and pop it in your freezer until bin day.

You can have your Christmas cake and eat it, too! Consider which ideas will work best for you and implement them to celebrate the Christmas holidays sustainably.

At the City of Burnside we hope you all have a safe and happy (and waste-free) festive season.