Mitcham Historical Society

10/02/2025

A great opportunity to see inside the beautifully rebuilt gatehouse. Can’t wait for the actual offical opening!!

See inside the reconstructed Gatehouse this month. The staff and Friends of the Waite Arboretum are welcoming the public to view inside the Gatehouse (now on Claremont Avenue) on their Open Doors mornings on Wednesday, 5, 12 and 26 February between 10am-12noon. No bookings necessary.

27/11/2024

The Society is excited to believe launching our school-based history project grant funding. It will be available by application to schools across the Mitcham Council area.

This competitive grant process will see funds made available to local school to work on a history project of their choice & based in their local area. Projects will be presented at an evening towards the end of the 2025 school year.

This is the MHS logo in action - Proud of our past: committed to our future. We’re optimistic that this will be the first of many years of the project.

22/11/2024

This is gorgeous thing to with the little ones in the lead up to Christmas.

Join us for the Friends of Carrick Hill Nutcracker Christmas Mouse Hunt, a festive adventure at Carrick Hill. Made possible by The Friends of...

05/11/2024

Remember, remember the 5th of November for gunpowder, treason and plot….

And we were so very fortunate to have Susan McCormack who is the Director of Carrick Hill address our AGM a fortnight ago where Guy Fawkes was mentioned.

Susan spoke to us about the Ashmolean, the world’s first museum - a collection of collections.

Dozens of researchers and curators work at the Ashmolean - a potent reminder to us all of what a good museum needs to keep it going, contributing and relevant - and there is no doubt that the Ashmolean is first class.

We are so incredibly fortunate to have Susan here at Carrick Hill - she went to the Ashmolean from the V & A, so she could literally work wherever she wants to around the world, and has chosen to return home to Adelaide to work at Carrick Hill. Lucky Adelaide!!!

Why do we post about this now, you ask? One of the slides she shared with us was a photo of Guy Fawkes lantern, shown here.

A huge thank you to Susan for taking time out of her incredibly busy schedule to share her knowledge with us - she was a thoroughly entertaining speaker - riveting in fact - and it was a privilege to have her give us her time. It was great to be reminded of what the role of museums is - a magnificent speaker who performance was almost matched by the sunset - which disappointingly was n o where near as good in the photo as in real life. A gorgeous memory though, that will stay with those who saw it!

29/09/2024

If you’re interested in researching your family history but don’t know where to start, why not get along to the Genealogy SA Open Day on Sunday Coober 13th?

You can find all the detail you need and register your interest on their website.

Everyone is welcome, from beginners to seasoned researchers – drop in and learn how Genealogy SA can help you find your family history!

19/09/2024

This is an amazing service, with great staff and volunteers who are always happy to help. The MHS is incredibly fortunate to enjoy a great working relationship with everyone there and Mitcham residents are so lucky to have this resource! Make the list of it, would be our advice!!

Located within the Mitcham Cultural Village, the Mitcham Heritage Research Centre is a great resource for anyone interested in the history of the City of Mitcham.

Our knowledgeable staff and volunteers are available to assist you with personal and curriculum based research, guided tours and history related events.

If you are a school or a community group please contact us regarding talks or guided tours. We'd love to share our history with you! 📜

08/09/2024

I‘ve been pondering trees and the value they bring to local life - human and other, since attending a rally at the Caltex petrol station at 150 Belair Road, which is adjacent to the Mitcham Mitcham Library last weekend.

The petrol station owner has applied to remove the two significant gum trees on the site as well as to prune the Moreton Bay Fig. They all look pretty healthy to my amateur eye and it strikes me that to remove trees from a petrol station which clearly will be going the way of the dodo, as EVs take over. It’s bad enough to remove them at all, but from a petrol station whose days are numbered?! I’m still scratching my head…..

The importance of these trees was underscored at the rally when I spotted this beautiful sulphur crested cockatoo, popping his head out of home to say hello. The hollow is quite low down the tree and I’ve never seen a sulphur crested cockatoo in a hollow this close to the ground. It made me wonder if this is a result of so many big trees having been removed from across the Mitcham plains.

And then Friday 6th, Arbor Day for schools plantings, saw me at Harvye Hayes Reserve, in Day Avenue, just off the southern end of Winston Avenue. Students from Friends of Springbank Secondary College SRC (Years 7-11) planted numerous trees in the reserve (Acacia melanoxylon - Australian Blackwood - and Calytris - Native Pine). The reservs is a smart stormwater project and has transformed the local area. The trees were full of birds and it was so nice to hear them enjoying the rain. The joyful racket they made and the enjoyment, in spite of it being cold and wet, of the students who planted the trees really drove home the important role they play in our lives.

Whilst tree planting is incredibly important, as it is an investment in future generations, the retention of the mature trees that form the protective canopy that benefits other flora and fauna, as well as us cannot be under-estimated.

29/08/2024

Interested in the history of the Belair National Park - part of our local heritage? The State LIbrary has a one hour talk on it, which sounds fascinating.

You can find out more and book your free ticket at the link.

Get tickets on Humanitix - The people’s park: the fascinating story of Belair National Park hosted by State Library of South Australia. State Library of South Australia, Institute Building - Hetzel Lecture Theatre, Institute Building, Adelaide SA 5000, Australia. Tuesday 8th October 2024. Find eve...

26/08/2024

We just found this articled which Joanna Wells, our Deputy Chair, was interviewed for months and months ago - published at the start of May. Whoops! Better late than never. We guess that makes it just about historical. ;-)

Login Home Lumen Lumen Stories 2024 05 01 Current: Brick by brick Brick by brick The laborious reconstruction of the Urrbrae Gatehouse is about more than retention of the built form. The Urrbrae Gatehouse, pre-deconstruction In the early 1880s, Peter and Matilda Waite decided their expansive Urrbrae...

04/08/2024

In 1919 Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes was at the Versailles peace talks and recognised the potential of aviation in connecting the world, it was his idea for a competition for the first Australian airmen to fly from England to Australia in 30 days. Seven crews took up the challenge.
Only one plane made it home flown by South Australian brothers Ross and Keith Smith, who were immediately knighted by King George V for their record-breaking feat.
Mechanics Wally Shiers (SA) and Jim Bennett (Vic) received commissions for keeping the engines roaring and the plane in the air. The race remains one of the most significant events in the history of aviation.
It was as awe-inspiring as landing on the moon 50 years later. Of the two original extant Vickers Vimy aircraft, one is at Adelaide Airport; the other flown by Alcock and Brown non-stop across the Atlantic in 1919 is in London’s Science Museum.

Lainie Anderson was a columnist with Adelaide’s Sunday Mail for 17 years and worked for the Herald Sun in Melbourne and The Times in London. In 2016 Lainie won a Churchill Fellowship to gauge the significance of the 1919 Air Race from England to Australia and the historic Vickers Vimy at Adelaide Airport. She’s since written a novel and co-produced an SBS documentary on the topic. Lainie recently completed a PhD at the University of South Australia, about pioneer policewoman Kate C***s. Her debut historical murder mystery novel The Death of Dora Black will be released by Hachette Australia in August.

Date: Tuesday 20 August 2024 Time: 10.00am for 10.30am start
Venue: Mitcham Institute, 103 - 105 Princes Road, Mitcham
Tea and coffee will be available.
NOTE: No admission charge but entry ticket(s) required: Book at Humanitix. https://bit.ly/3SAO5dj
Supported by City of Mitcham.

Get tickets on Humanitix - The 1919 Air Race from England to Australia & the Vickers Vimy at Adelaide Airport: A talk by Dr Lainie Anderson CF. Mitcham Institute, 103-105 Princes Rd, 103-105 Princes Rd, Mitcham SA 5062, Australia. Tuesday 20th August 2024. Find event information.

21/07/2024

Members and their guests of the MItcham Historical Society just spent a lovely afternoon in the Drawing Room at Scotch College, enjoying our 3rd annual high tea, accompanied by Trevor Heard on the grand piano. Thanks to Scotch for hosting us.

It was so lovely to be inside in the warm and be treated to the company of friends old and new as well as to a gorgeous spread of food.

A highlight of the afternoon was a presentation made to John Wood, has recently retired from the committee. John has been a long-serving member, including a stint as Chair, since the MHS was incorporated in 2007. He was awarded Life Membership for his services to the MHS and also received a Premier’s Certificate for his volunteering, both to the MHS and to Scotch College.

Congratulations John! And thank you.