West Torrens Historical Society | Community organisation

West Torrens Historical Society

Phone: +61 8 8443 3380

Address: 327 Marion Road 5037

Website: https://sites.google.com/view/wths-2020

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23.01.2022 An identity in the Thebarton area for many years was Robert Swandale. Many communities had a bottle-oh (or more correctly a marine collector) and this is a photograph of R.J. Swandale driving his horse and cart, circa 1970. Robert James Swandale (October 1900-May 1987) was one of eight children and was a ‘bottle-oh’ for most of his working life. He lived much of his life in the family home in Maria Street, Thebarton. However when he married his wife Doris (1905-1966) in the late 1950s they lived in Light Terrace Thebarton. Mr Swandale died at the Torrensville Nursing Home in 1987. There would be many people in the West Torrens district who would have keen memories of "RJ" and his blue cart traveling around the streets.

22.01.2022 With Remembrance Day in mind, the West Torrens Historical Society particularly remembers six World War II servicemen who were all former Lockleys Primary School students killed during that war. In November 2009 a hand crafted cabinet built to honour the servicemen was the focus at a special Remembrance Day ceremony at the school. The details were published in the West Torrens Historian of December 2009.

22.01.2022 There has been some recent discussion concerning the Reedbeds Rifle Club. To start the story we first have to know about the Reedbeds Mounted Volunteers. Future posts will continue the story of the rifle club. The Reedbeds Rifle Club grew out of the state militia unit the Reedbeds Mounted Volunteers (Reedbeds Cavalry). The Reedbeds Cavalry was formed in February, 1860, as part of a Government-sponsored movement to establish a state-wide volunteer military force. In 1868, the ...Reedbeds Cavalry became part of D (Adelaide) Troop of the Duke of Edinburgh’s Light Dragoons. This title was given by the Duke of Edinburgh to the South Australian Regiment of Volunteer Cavalry. When the regiment was disbanded in 1869 some ex-Reedbeds Cavalry members formed a rifle club and joined other ex-Militia members in what was known as the Association of Rifle Practice, later the South Australian Rifle Association. On November 26, 1900, the Reedbeds Rifle Club was formed with J.W. Mellor as President and Captain. This photo is of Trooper Samuel White taken in 1865. He was a member of the Reedbeds Cavalry. Corporal Samuel White of Weetunga, Fulham, photographed (circa 1865) wearing the uniform of the Reedbeds Cavalry. See more

12.01.2022 This impressive building, now replaced by much less attractive real estate at 67 Anzac Highway, Ashford was once a significant landmark. It was owned by famed baker Gordon Gibbs who built it during the Depression years of the early 1930’s. There were glass doors at the entrance so customers could stand and watch the baking. At one time there were five bakers employed. Gordon Gibbs’ father had started a bakery in the city and sold his pies and pasties from a basket which he ca...rried through the streets. Gordon Gibbs also began the first pie cart in the city. The family owned three allotments of land behind the Shoppe and bakehouse. This was made into a beautiful garden area, with lawns, a fish pond and a large aviary where the staff could enjoy a relaxing morning tea and lunch break. The business had a large clientele from the nearby factories of Kelvinator and Richards Motor Works and the Keswick Army Barracks as well as several smaller factories in the vicinity. Gordon Gibbs was a generous citizen, and all the pies and pasties remaining after closing time on Saturday night, he personally delivered to the Goodwood Orphanage on Goodwood Road. At Christmas time he, with his violin, accompanied by his staff, would sing Christmas Carols around the district. The business finally closed on April 21, 1951. (From information given by Mr and Mrs Gordon Gibbs to WTHS member Daphne Gum in 1994.) See more

11.01.2022 In 1906 the Municipal Tramways Trust was formed. Its purpose was to convert the horse tram network (which began operating in 1878) to an electric system and to extend the service to all suburbs within 10 miles of the Adelaide GPO. To reach the suburb of Hindmarsh, the tramway had to cross the River Torrens and a location in line with Holland Street was chosen. The bridge was finished before the electric system was ready and a horse tram service was provided from June 1909.The... electric service began on 9 March 1910. It was Adelaide’s first reinforced concrete bridge. The bridge was designed by John Monash (1865-1931), later Sir John Monash, an outstanding Australian military leader in the First World War. The bridge was never formally named the Holland Street Bridge. It came to be called this over many years of use. There was also never a formal opening ceremony for the bridge. Today it is called the Sir William Goodman Bridge. A detailed description of the bridge is in the Register newspaper, 28 November 1908, p.6h. See more

10.01.2022 Miss Lea, friendlysister to earlier-day tramwaymen, for whom she made tea for 14 years from 1900 to 1914 in her shop opposite the Thebarton horse-tram depot, reckons she’s almost a trammie herself. For the last 10 years of the horse cars, and first four years of the electric cars, (electric trams began running along Henley Beach Rd from Thebarton on December 23, 1909), Miss Lea would glance at the watch in her waistband, light her meth. stove, and have hot tea ready on th...e click for tram crews’ lunch shifts at 9.25 a.m., and tea shifts in the afternoon. She charged 2d. a cup, 3d. a bottle, to make tea on the cars. And never broke a bottle, she smiled. It was hard going at times, Miss Lea smiled reminiscently. Some days I wouldn’t take sixpence. But we kept going. I liked the men. They were always good-natured and polite. Some would clean the oil-lamp glasses, or do other little jobs. We got along. Her father, Mr. A. George Lea, was employed by the Metroplitan Tramways Trust Her brother Bill Lea, was in the Metropolitan Tramways Trust stores for thirty-six years before his recent death. The Thebarton horse-tram depot was on the corner of Henley St and Henley Beach Rd at New Thebarton or what is now known as Torrensville. This story is from Among Ourselves, Issue 11, January 1948. (House magazine of the Municipal Tramways Trust.) See more

10.01.2022 This item continues the story about the Reedbeds Rifle Club from our earlier post. On November 26, 1900, the Reedbeds Rifle Club was formed with J.W. Mellor as President and Captain. A shoot was held on April 20, 1901. The club held class-firing events in standing and kneeling and prone positions from 1901-1920. Notable members of the early years included J.W. Mellor, (member number 1), A.J. Lawrie, (member number 2), G. Schroder, (member number 65), F.M. Fox, (member number ...70), W.J. Fuss,( member number 93), H.B. Wilson, (member number 101). The Reedbeds Rifle Club shot on the Fulham Range which was located adjacent to the eastern bank of Breakout Creek on the south side of Henley Beach Road and near to what is now Lockleys Oval. The club used that range until June, 1934. The range was regarded as unsafe at that time because of the risk to the safety of citizens living nearby. Increased building of houses in the area was happening near the rifle range as the suburb of Lockleys expanded. Some notable members at that time were Bob Stein, Vic Stein, E.E. Koster, Jimmy Lakie, R. Dewar, Joe Ward, Ben Treloar, Alec Whitfield, B.T. Gehan and Lance Horsell. The club then transferred to the Dean Rifle Range at Port Adelaide and thus ended it’s involvement in the West Torrens district. See more

09.01.2022 Camden Primary School was opened in 1919 and is now part of Plympton International College along with Plympton High School and Netley Primary school. These are some photos of it's early days and some of the early pupils of the school.

09.01.2022 Here is a newspaper article which appeared in The Westside (once the local newspaper of the western suburbs of Adelaide), on 11 January 1989. It provides a brief history of Skinner’s Corner, now the site of the West Torrens Council chambers. Flooding was a common occurrence in the western suburbs of Adelaide prior to the construction of Breakout Creek in the 1930’s which finally controlled the River Torrens and channelled the water out to sea at West Beach. Here are some ph...otos taken at Skinner’s Corner during those flood times. One is from 1924 clearly showing the house. The two other photos (taken at the same time but from different positions) are of the December 1929 flood. Also included are a couple of other photos taken at Skinner’s Corner. The first is of the tram stop at Skinner’s Corner and the other is a quirky snap of some likely lads skylarking at the same location. See more

06.01.2022 Following on from a recent post on the Holland Street Bridge these photos refer to the Cawthorne Street Bridge which was condemned in 1966. In 1922 the MTT decided to duplicate the track and as the streets in Southwark were rather narrow they decided to cross the Torrens at Cawthorne Street, one street east of Holland Street This bridge was of similar design. The duel line had been extended from Hindmarsh to Findon. The Cawthorne Bridge was officially opened on 14th Janua...ry 1923. The very last tram ran to Findon on the 17th October 1953 making the two bridges redundant for trams. In 1954 the MTT handed the two bridges over to the two councils to avoid their demolition. Subsequently after some strengthening by the Highways Department, in May 1962 both bridges were opened to traffic, but with a 5 ton limit, to eliminate trucks from using the bridge. In 1966 with the very bad corrosion and flood waters undermining the northern abutment and pier of the Cawthome Bridge, it was condemned, and closed to all traffic and later demolished. Subsequently Cawthorne Street was closed off at Anderson Street on the northern end approaching the bridge and the land acquired by the Nathan Brewery. In 1986 the load limit on the Holland Street Bridge was reduced to two tons and in May 1990 because of the corrosion it was closed to vehicle traffic following the widening of Adam Street but remained open to pedestrians. On the 8th November 2010 barricades were erected both ends of Holland Street Bridge totally closing it to all traffic. See more

05.01.2022 In a recent post by our society there was some discussion about Skinner’s Corner, now the site of the West Torrens Council Chambers. In our recent August 2020 edition of The West Torrens Historian the following item featured on page 7. In future posts some other photos will be shown.

03.01.2022 Celebrating this NAIDOC week of 2020 the West Torrens Historical Society acknowledges the presence of the Kaurna people as the original occupants of the land in which our society meets within the West Torrens district. This photo from the nineteenth century is of a group of First Peoples who lived in the Plympton area and is one that we posted last year. WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that the following photo contains the image of a deceased person.

01.01.2022 This is a photograph of fourteen members (players and officials) of the Mile End Cricket Club, premiers in the West Torrens Cricketing Association in 1905-06. The names of the men featured are from left to right starting at the back row-G.Gubbins, W. Holt, J. A. Ward, B. Sellars, R. Poole, W. Sheehan, A. Davis (vice captain). Middle row- left to right are- W. Jury, A. E. Jury, J. P. Harley (captain), T. Jury, J. Kehoe, J. J. Pilbeam. At the front is A. Mathieson. The club held its annual meetings at the Royal Hotel, New Thebarton and for several years held an annual ‘entertainment’ at the Thebarton Town Hall. There may be people who remember these men or perhaps are related to them. The WTHS would love any photos or information about this club.