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History of Burnside

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   The Burnside District Council's old Chambers in 1928 (built 1869)
   Enlarge
   The Burnside District Council's old Chambers in 1928 (built 1869)

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   The history of Burnside, a local government area in the metropolitan
   area of Adelaide, South Australia spans three centuries. Burnside was
   inhabited by the Kaurna Indigenous people prior to European settlement,
   living around the creeks of the River Torrens during the winter and in
   the Adelaide Hills during the summer. The area was first settled in
   1839 by Peter Anderson, a Scots migrant, who named it Burnside after
   his property's location adjacent to Second Creek (in Scots, 'Burn'
   means creek or stream). The village of Burnside was established shortly
   after, and the Burnside Council District was gazetted in 1856,
   separating itself from the larger East Torrens Council.

   The mainstays of the early Burnside economy were viticulture, mining
   and olive groves; Glen Osmond boasted substantial mineral deposits, and
   vineyards were established at Magill. The present council chambers were
   built in 1926 in Tusmore; the council became a municipality in 1935.
   With strong growth and development throughout the region, Burnside was
   then proclaimed a city in 1943. The 1960s brought to Burnside a
   community library and a swimming centre; both were further expanded and
   upgraded between 1997 and 2001. Today, Burnside is one of Adelaide's
   most sought-after regions in which to live.

Aboriginal culture

   The Kaurna people were a hunter-gatherer society who inhabited the
   Adelaide Plains and surrounding regions. Among their customs was the
   practice of fire-stick farming (controlled bushfires) in the Adelaide
   Hills, which the early European settlers spotted before the Kaurna
   people were displaced. The main Kaurna presence was in Tarndanyangga
   near the River Torrens and the creeks that flowed into it, an area
   which became the site of the Adelaide settlement. By 1852, the
   population of the Kaurna was in steady decline, due largely to European
   diseases and displacement; at this stage, a census put their numbers at
   650 in the Adelaide region. The Kaurna also resided in the Burnside
   area: an early settler of the village of Beaumont described the local
   Kaurna: "At every creek and gully you would see their wurlies [simple
   Aboriginal homes made out of twigs and grass] and their fires at night
   ... often as many as 500 to 600 would be camped in various places ...
   some behind the Botanic Gardens on the banks of the river; some toward
   the Ranges; some on the Waterfall Gully."

Early villages

   The Penfold's vineyard in Magill
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   The Penfold's vineyard in Magill

   The village of Kensington was established in May 1839, only 17 months
   after the foundation of the colony. The village was primarily
   agricultural and had a close relationship with the nearby village of
   Norwood. The two villages formed one of Adelaide's first municipalities
   in 1853 as Norwood and Kensington, evolving into today's City of
   Norwood Payneham St Peters. Parts of Kensington that are now included
   in Burnside are the suburbs of Kensington Gardens and Kensington Park.
   The village of Makgill (later Magill) was first established as the
   524-acre (?? hectare) Makgill Estate, owned by two Scots—Robert Cock
   and William Ferguson—who met onboard the Buffalo en route to the newly
   founded colony. It was named after Cock's trustee, David M Magkgill.
   Ferguson, who was charged with farming the estate, built the estate's
   homestead in 1838. Soon after farming started, the two were short of
   funds, and thus Magill became the first foothills village to be
   subdivided. The village of Glen Osmond was closely associated with the
   discovery of silver and lead on the slopes of Mount Osmond by two
   Cornish immigrants. Their discovery of minerals provided the colony
   with valuable export income, at a time when the early South Australian
   economy was not yet established. Governor Gawler visited the early
   discovery and the first mine, Wheal Gawler, was named in his honour.
   South Australia's first mine exported overseas throughout the 1840s,
   providing employment to early Cornish and then German immigrants after
   several mines were bought by a German businessman. The early village
   assumed a strong Cornish, and later a German character.
   Burnside in 1873 looking towards the hills
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   Burnside in 1873 looking towards the hills

   The Anderson family was the first to settle the land that was to become
   the village of Burnside. They brought with them good character
   testimonials from Scotland, valuable farming experience and 3000
   pounds; however, the farming patterns in Scotland differed greatly from
   those in the antipodes, and the family failed to adapt. The Andersons
   moved on to Morphett Vale in 1847, selling their land and abandoning
   their homestead. The buyer of the Anderson land, William Randell, soon
   decided to build a village in his new property in 1849. He hired
   surveyor and planner Nathan Hailes to lay out the new village. Hailes
   was both surprised and disappointed when he found that it had already
   been settled and left—especially since the growth and adaptation of
   European foliage to the area. The first villages to be established in
   the region, those of Glen Osmond, Magill and Kensington had existed for
   some time when the new village of Burnside was proclaimed. The new
   village was in a good position to grow; it was bounded by two major
   thoroughfares, Burnside (now Glynburn) and Greenhill roads, and had the
   advantage of lying on Second Creek. The village was soon invested in by
   many owners; some of whom were wealthy Adelaide folk building an estate
   in the foothills, and others who were more concerned with working the
   land. The village was described in advertisements by Hailes in 1850 as
   "Burnside the Beautiful" with advantages of "perpetual running water,
   extensive and diversified view, rich garden soil and good building
   stone ..." with a "... direct, newly-opened and unblemished route to
   Adelaide".

District councils

   The World's End Hotel where the East Torrens Councillors first met
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   The World's End Hotel where the East Torrens Councillors first met

   Originally, all the villages in what was to become the Burnside
   District Council were in the then East Torrens District Council of 159
   km² (100 sq. miles). East Torrens bordered the River Torrens in the
   north, the Adelaide Hills to the east, Mount Barker Road to the south,
   and the Adelaide Parklands to the west. East Torrens was gazetted in
   1853 by the District Councils Act 1852; the Act stipulated that there
   be five elected members to the council, each representing a ward. Dr
   David Wark ( St Bernards), James Cobbledick ( Uraidla), Charles Bonney
   ( Norwood), Daniel Ferguson ( Glenunga) and George Müller ( Stepney)
   were the council's first representatives. Bonney, in addition to being
   a councillor, was the Commissioner of Crown Lands. The councillors met
   for the first time at World's End Hotel in Magill on June 12, 1853.
   Initial plans were put in place to first survey and evaluate the
   council area and to collect licence fees and taxes as provided for by
   the Council's Act. TB Penfold of Magill, a former captain, was to
   become the first District Clerk and Collector on January 1, 1854. On
   January 4, 1854 there was a vote in which ratepayers decided on how
   much they would pay to the council (one shilling to a pound); it was
   also decided at this point to exempt charitable organisations, schools
   and churches from rates. In 1855 the population of the council area was
   3,705, higher by a thousand than the adjacent Norwood-Kensington. The
   huge East Torrens was not to prove as stable as Norwood-Kensington.
   Ratepayers were frustrated as to where their money was going;
   councillors did not have the administration or funds to operate
   effectively and the interests of the area were hugely varied. The area
   was split into three in August 14, 1856. The District Council of
   Payneham separated and formed to the north-west and the District
   Council of Burnside was formed in the south-eastern corner in an area
   of 15.9 km² (10 sq miles). East Torrens was further divided in 1858
   with the secession of District Council of Crafers.

Lone Burnside

   After shedding the burden of less profitable and unwieldy land with its
   angry residents, Burnside was on its own. The new Burnside District
   Council held its first meeting at the Greengate Inn, Tusmore on August
   19, 1856. Due to the time it took to elect new councillors, it was not
   until 29 December that the council met again. Dr Christopher Penfold,
   chairman, met the rest of the representatives there: Daniel Ferguson of
   Glenunga, Alexander Ferguson of Monreith, John Townsend of Magill and
   James Grylls of Belle Vue. It was during this time that Kent Town
   decided against becoming a part of Burnside and instead applied to
   enter Norwood-Kensington. The council was to meet at the Inn or at
   Ferguson's home right up until December 1869, when the first council
   chambers were built. However, it was still able to operate and fulfill
   its obligations under the Local Government Act 1852. These included the
   management of minor roads, the administration of abattoir licences and
   public houses, and the prevention of the spread of the noxious Scotch
   thistle. The council was also obliged, under a different act of 1851,
   to encourage education. Much road and bridgework activity happened
   after the council had been formed—early residents were amazed at the
   influx of development and construction that occurred. At the same time,
   the council was almost overwhelmed by the sheer number of resident
   requests, and was forced to ask individual ratepayers for monetary
   assistance when building bridges in their area.

   Much of Burnside's history has been observed and documented by
   institutions that have remained an important part of the lives of its
   residents: the school and the church. The first school to open in the
   area was in Magill during 1846, preceding a proper statewide education
   system. Magill Primary School was enlarged in November 1855, when 38
   boys and 29 girls enrolled; they were taught reading, writing,
   arithmetic, grammar, geography, history, drawing and singing by a sole
   teacher. By 1865 there were two teachers. Glen Osmond Primary School
   was established in October 1858, preceding the Glen Osmond Institute, a
   centre for community debate and learning. Burnside Primary School was
   built in 1872, taking over from a small private institution. These
   primary schools, in the absence of proper libraries and similar
   institutions, received large collections of books and writings from the
   town's residents. Residents also took advantage of schools for frequent
   and heated debates on the future of the state and region, and these
   discussions often drew large crowds. However, even with this
   intellectual spirit, the adult population was still relatively
   disadvantaged in the sphere of education. The drive for learning
   continued until the Boer War placed more emphasis on physical activity
   and merit within society. Somewhat strangely, this development of
   learned activity was not replicated in Burnside's traditional centre
   near Tusmore, where the present Council Chambers, Community Centre and
   Library are located.
   Glen Osmond Primary School in Fullarton. The school building stands
   today
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   Glen Osmond Primary School in Fullarton. The school building stands
   today

   By 1871 Burnside had grown significantly; it was now a mix of villages
   supporting a modest population of 1,557. By comparison,
   Kensington-Norwood, though smaller in area, had grown to 5,132 persons.
   Glen Osmond, still affected by its immense growth following the
   expansion of mining, was the largest single population centre with 343
   residents. The District Council had also constructed its first council
   chambers in December 1869, finally concluding the haphazard meeting
   agreement. Two villages, Beulah Park (North Kensington) and Eastwood
   experienced booms in population growth and development between 1870 and
   1880, providing both housing to new immigrants and investments for the
   wealthy Adelaide Establishment. Parkside Hospital (now Glenside), a
   mental health asylum was constructed in 1866 to replace a crowded
   building in the Parklands. Built on beautifully tended grounds and with
   an elaborate façade, it was an early Burnside architectural monument.
   In 1881 Thomas Cooper started brewing South Australia's first branded
   beer, 'Coopers', at Leabrook. During this era, Stonyfell saw economic
   expansion as well; its large quarry changed hands in 1867 and the
   Stonyfell Olive Co was founded in 1873. The late 19th century was a
   significant time of development in Burnside. This development, however,
   was brought to an abrupt end in the last decade, the 1890s, when
   depression stuck the economies of Australasia after decades of reckless
   expansion, hitting Burnside hard.

New era

   The Burnside District Council's new Chambers in Tusmore
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   The Burnside District Council's new Chambers in Tusmore

   By the turn of the century, Burnside was becoming more urbanised.
   Paddocks were still scattered throughout the area but the villages were
   steadily growing. Toorak Gardens, Dulwich and other near-city villages
   were gazetted and made open to settlements and advertised now as
   suburbs, moving on from earlier times. By 1920, the District Council
   had a population of 17,000, living in 4,000 houses. Ten per cent of the
   £60,000 budget consisted of commercial enterprise payments, while the
   rest was made up of ratepayer fees. The South Australian Government had
   enacted more laws in relation to local government, in particular, the
   Town Planning Act 1920 and the Building Act 1923. These assigned more
   responsibility to councils, but at a time of necessity; Adelaide was
   gradually expanding. Burnside councillors advised the State Government
   to acquire and manage pleasure resorts; a kiosk was opened at Waterfall
   Gully and the Morialta Conservation Park established on this advice.
   Burnside was treated with high regard by Adelaide newspapers in
   response to its elaborate greening and tree planting schemes.
   "Beautiful Burnside: Picturesque Streets" was the headline of The
   Chronicle on March 24, 1928. The council was preserving old trees and
   planting approximately 500 a year. A Burnside councillor, HES
   Melbourne, was adored in this period; Melbourne spent his own money
   acquiring reserves and land for residents due to a lack of funds during
   the Great Depression. He presided over lean but reasonable budgets and
   oversaw the planting of trees and foliage to beautify the city. Gordan
   Allen, a local resident, described Melbourne: "No Council ever had a
   better man." Melbourne also oversaw the building of the Mount Osmond
   golf course, but his vision of constructing a Country Club was never
   realised.
   A Memorial Obelisk to Burnside's fallen in World War I, located in
   Hazelwood Park
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   A Memorial Obelisk to Burnside's fallen in World War I, located in
   Hazelwood Park

   Development restrictions preceding the Hills Face Zone were established
   in the 1920s; the Council was obligated to adhere to strict guidelines.
   1928 saw the building of grand new Council Chambers at the corner of
   Greenhill and Portrush Roads; they are still in use today. Floods
   devastated Waterfall Gully in 1931. Burnside continued to grow; in 1935
   the District Council of Burnside became the Municipality of Burnside.
   By 1941, only 401 acres remained under cultivation. Bushfires in the
   1940s caused considerable damage to the hills, particularly as the war
   effort had diverted supplies and personnel from the Country Fire
   Service. In 1945, much of the area that forms today's Cleland
   Conservation Park was purchased by the State Government, in large part
   because of the lobbying efforts of Professor Sir John Cleland. Most of
   this land, including the Waterfall Gully area, was later combined in
   1963 to create the park that extends eastwards up into the hills to the
   summit of Mount Lofty and northwards to Greenhill Road. During 1943,
   the Municipality of Burnside was proclaimed the City of Burnside.

   Many of Burnside's sons fought in World Wars I and II; on their return
   they were honoured with memorials, and in particular, the name of
   Burnside's first community hospital. The Burnside War Memorial Hospital
   was opened on April 1949 in Toorak Gardens, built in a house donated by
   a local resident, Otto van Reiben. The present name was adopted in
   1956. Memorials to the fallen can be found all over Burnside; in
   Hazelwood Park opposite the swimming centre, at schools and churches,
   in reserves. Like much of Australia, Burnside held true to the phrase "
   Lest We Forget", which is emblazoned on many of the community-erected
   memorials. In Rose Park on Alexandra Avenue, there is a large monument
   and statue of an Australian Imperial Force soldier with its plaque
   stating: "In Memory of the Fallen: World War II, Korea, Vietnam". Upon
   their arrival home the servicemen formed several Returned Services
   League clubs in the City of Burnside.

Centennial

   Burnside celebrates Australia's jubilee in 1951.
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   Burnside celebrates Australia's jubilee in 1951.

   When Australia celebrated the Golden Jubilee of the Federation of
   Australia in 1951, Burnside residents joined in the celebrations, and
   in 1956 commemorated the centennial of their own town. A post-war
   economic and baby boom under the Playford Government saw Burnside grow
   at a spectacular rate; from a population of 27,942 in 1947, it grew to
   38,768 in 1961. As suburbs devoured the remaining paddocks, 1953 saw
   the building of a public ballroom, 1965 saw an Olympic Grandstand; both
   in Kensington Park. In 1963 the Cleland Conservation Park was founded
   on Burnside's eastern borders.

   Burnside's road system was completely bitumenised during the 1960s and
   1970s through government-sponsored roadworks programmes. Plans were
   also laid out to replace the windy and dangerous Mount Barker Road. One
   of these proposals was the Burnside-Crafers Highway, which was strongly
   supported by council; it envisaged leaving Greenhill Road once reaching
   Hazelwood Park. It was then to pass through Hazelwood Park and
   Beaumont, wind around the hills of Waterfall Gully and then go over
   Eagle on the Hill to meet Crafers. The Burnside Council put much effort
   into this proposal, widening Linden Avenue (which runs north-west to
   south-east) in preparation for the highway. The proposal was eventually
   rejected in favour of upgrading Mount Barker Road and Linden Avenue
   remained a huge out-of-place road running through an otherwise peaceful
   suburb.
   The swimming centre in Hazelwood Park today
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   The swimming centre in Hazelwood Park today

   Burnside gained a public library with a collection of 7,800 books in
   1961 after it was first suggested in February 1959; the cost of
   establishing a library for the residents was more affordable since the
   Libraries Act 1955 had been passed. The Burnside Swimming Centre opened
   in 1966; the swimming centre was a pet project of then-Mayor George
   Bolton, who had a grand vision of what he wanted Hazelwood Park, where
   the centre was to be located, to become. Bolton met unprecedented
   public opposition in 1964 when the idea was first unveiled. The
   substantial elderly population of Burnside (15%) was wholly opposed to
   the idea, suggesting the influx of troublemakers and noise was hardly
   worth the effort. The cost was estimated at £75,000. While architects
   were resigning over the scale of the proposed development and a number
   of residents were up in arms, the Adelaide newspapers had a ball;
   cartoonists throughout 1964 spent many of their daily cartoons covering
   the debacle. With the failure of a poll to decide the fate of the idea
   on March 24 the Sunday Mail published the headline "Burnside Says NO to
   Swim Pool". Mayor Bolton was not dismayed by the result; he pushed
   ahead with his idea and announced new plans in December. After a strong
   public campaign and minor changes to the project a poll in February
   1965 voted strongly in favour of the idea. The Mayor had won his battle
   and it was christened the George Bolton Swimming Centre in his honour
   upon opening.

   The Burnside Council decided on an ambitious goal in 1967: for every
   1,000 in population, five hectares of reserves were to be set aside.
   Setting out to achieve this the council purchased Hazelwood Park from
   the State Government, the Beaumont Common from its residents and parts
   of Mount Osmond were attained from the Highways Department. Before
   coming into the ownership of the council, Hazelwood Park was destined
   to be subdivided under a government initiative. When council heard of
   this, motions were put into place to take ownership and the deed was
   transferred in 1964. The council only managed this after discussions
   were held with Premier Playford himself.

Modernity

   A community centre was built alongside the council chambers in 1982,
   adjoining the library. The entire council complex was upgraded first in
   1996, together with an upgrade of the Burnside Swimming Centre. Further
   upgrades took place in 2001, resulting in a modern library and
   community centre for residents. Burnside developed a new council logo
   in 1993, utilising the colours of green and purple. Green represents
   the lush parks and reserves in Burnside, and purple represents the
   prominent Jacaranda trees. The adjacent suburbs of Skye and Auldana
   were merged into Burnside in 1999. Formerly part of the Adelaide Hills
   Council they had a lengthy association with Burnside dating back to the
   days of East Torrens. Coopers Brewery moved out of Leabrook in 2001,
   relocating to Regency Park, their former premises converted into a
   retirement village.

   Burnside will have to adapt to deal with an ageing population; the
   largest age group in the area is that of the 35-49 group, who will soon
   retire. Already 23.7% of the population is over 60 and more people die
   every year than are born. Almost all population growth is from
   inter-Adelaide as well as overseas migration. A portion of the
   population emigrates to other Australian states and cities. Consistent
   since the 1960s, there is a huge gap in the 18-25 year old group which
   is unlikely to change.
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