,1
• V -r
Q=»<(3^Q=<(P^Q==
J • . ^ ij ■ I^ ^ Historical Records |
' f I3
I 1853-1935
®Qs:<(p V;.' • 1. ,. ■ • ■' J ,v: ;.^ ;jir'\"- t!' } I . il ''■Mlr\. ■' ■ f ■ k ' ,1 7: M ' •T, . I ■'' .7 ■wrVj ' )./Z. W'V^ -. ■ .^\ % ■ i2?' ('• ;■* JU^ I 3 f •-iS ' '*''' (t A /f ■ ■' ■ ■ ' v/' ' . I / .. ■■ ^ , , 'i ' ■■ .j;.^. '-i'- -. ■ ■ [' ■.y- ■■tl ■*' li' District Council of Enfield Historical Records 1853- 1935 NEW COUNCIL CHAMBERS, 1935. Cr. J. Simcock, J.P, C-. A. H. Nelson Cr. T. Reece Cr. J, P. McArthur, J.P Cr. T. K. Shutter, J.P Chairman Cr. A. E. Walter, J.P Cr. T. W. Chesson R. A. Foote District Clerk DISTRICT COUNCIL of YATALA SOUTH Cr. W. H. Breynard 1934 Cr. C. W. Carrol, J.P. COUNCIL AND STAFF, 1935. Council. Chairman—Councillor T. K. Shutter. J.P. (Centre Ward). Councillor j. P. McArthur, J.P. (C'entre Ward). Councillor C. W. Carroll. J.P. (St)uth Ward). Councillor W. U. ISreynard (South Ward). Councillor .A. C. Q. Cray. J.P. (Xorth-Fast Ward). Councillor Duncan Fraser. J.P. (North-Fast Ward). Councillf)r Thomas Reece (Fast \^'ard). Councillor Jacob .Simcock. J.P. (East \\'ard). Councillor Thomas W. Chesson (West Ward). Councillor Carnet W. AVilson (W'est Ward). Staff. District Clerk and Overseer of Works: R. A. Foote. ■Assistant C^lerk and 1\v]nste: Miss A^. A'l. Natit)n. Rate Collector: T. M. M. Watt. Foreman of Works: J. J. Donaldson. Medical Officer of Health: C. R. AVest, M.R.. RS Atiditor: H. Cole, A.C.A. 7 The Origin of the District of Enfield HISTORIC RECOLLECTIONS. Yatala. "Yatala" was the name applied to the country north of the River Torrens. extcndine: from Port Adelaide to Tea Tree Gully. "Yatala" is taken from the native word "Yertalla," which, according to C. G. Teichelmann (an early T.utheran missionary), means "water running by the side of a river, inundation, cascade." Much of the country to which the name was applied was. and still is, subject to flooding by fresh and salt water. With the chan.ging of the names of the districts of Yatala North and "S'atala South, the name 'A'atala" is now preserved in the names of the Hundred immediately north of the River Torrens: and a suburb situated within the boundaries of the Port .Adelaide City Cotmcil. Klemzig. Tn .April, 1836. the Rev. .Augustus Kavel approached Mr. George hhfe .Angas at his London office on behalf of a number of German peo])le who desired to emigrate, had thou.ght of .South Australia as a suitable place to go. and requested his advice and assistance. It appeared that the union between the Reformed and l.utheran Churches in Prussia ha\ing iieen adopted nearly everywhere in 1817. the Government had prepared and desired to establish uniform re.g'ulations for worsliip. The new liturgy was introduced by Cabinet order in 1822, but it jirovcd unacceptable on points of doctrine to many Lutberans. and its use was resisted. .After much contention a new edition of the liturgy was issued in 1829. and its adoption made imperative from June. 1830. As opposition continued coercion was resorted to, recalcitrant ministers were imprisoned or banished, places of worship taken forcible possession of. fines inflicted, police supervision enforced, and the people represented bv Pastor Kavel. amon.g others, unable to endure the sj^stem'of petty tyranny, determined to seek fresh homes where they might worship according to the dictates of their own conscience." As told to Mr. Ang-as the tale fell c)n sympathetic ears. He was full of South .Australia at the time, having just dispatched the first three vessels; hut as the would-be emigrants were unable to paj' their passage mone}'. the South Australian Company, of which Mr. Angas was managing director, could not undertake their cause. Thus it was that Mr. .Angas took the personal responsi bility of settling the emigrants in .South Australia, and on November 16th, 18,38, the "Prince George" arrived with about two hundred Germans on board, in charge of Mr. Flaxman, representing Mr. Angas, rvhom he subsequently compromised and nearly ruined by his unauthorized land purchases, which afterwards brought his principal to South .Australia and proved extremely valuable. Flaxman settled the "Prince George" party a few miles east of Adelaide on the Torrens at Klemzig, which they named in remembrance of their Prussian home. Pastor Kavel, who also came out in the "Prince George," here established the first Lutheran Church in South .Australia, and within five months of the establishment of the settlement, more than thirty cottages were built of mud and roofed with brushwood. .All these houses, including the church, were built on Felixstowe Road, and the old T.utheran cemetery was situated a little to the east of the settlement. The memorials on the graves were constructed of wood and have long since rotted away, leaving practically no t)Utward signs of the existence of this old historical cemetery. Gardening was the chief occupation of these pioneers, and using water from the Torrens, they soon established one of the principal gardening districts in the metropolitan area. The name "Felixstowe" originated from one of the old preliminary sections adjoining Klemzig, which was acquired by the late Rev. Thomas Quinton Stow 'fi rst congregational minister in South .Australia). It was named by him after a village in .Suffolk, his native county, and means "Happy Place." It may be of interest to note here that the native name applied to the River Torrens was "Karrawirrapari,' which means "River of the Redgum Forest." Following the outbreak of the Great War, the name of the Klemzig township was changed to Gaza, and the adjoin ing section on the west side, known as Heidelburg, was 10 re-naiiK'd Kohandilla. It is interesting" to note that the Government has recently intimated that it proposes to restore the old historical name of Klemzig, together with other towns founded by German pioneers. Enfield. Ifntield was originally known as "Poor Man's Section" for a reason that is rather interesting. In the early days, when South Australia was severely afflicted with a financial depression, employment became very difficult to obtain, and many settlers were compelled to olitain Government relief. Instead of applying to the Government for rations, a small band of industrious men exerted their spirits of independence by taking up a section of land about four miles north of .\delaide. The district at this time was thick with native pines, and the land was considered to be particularly good. The men lived in dug-outs and obtained casual eiuployment from Charles hfi-ench l"-olland. senr., Edmund Bowman, and lolin Ragless, senr. One of the proprietors of "Poor Man's Section" was Mr. M. Hecose, a vendor of cordials in Adelaide, and the name of the section was later changed to Enfield, after the birth place of Mr. Mecose, a small town near London. The .'Vngmering Section (Enfield Park) was taken up by john Ragless, senr., and his seven sons in 1839, and in 1840 •'.Vngmering House," the first house north of Adelaide, was built on the Great North Road. This road, now known as the Main North Road, from the River Torrens to Enfield, was blazed mainly by the Ragless family. Mr. Ragless, senr., a pitsawyer, was born on July 14th, 1791, at Angmering, a small country town in Sussex, and ai rived in the barcjue "Eden" on June 24th, 1838. Having" brought his jjitsaws with him. he supplied timber for the earlv buildings in Adelaide, and in fact he cut timber from this' section for over forty years Some of the timber used in the construction of the first (lovernment House \\"as taken from this section. His eldest son, John Ragless, junr., built a flour mill at Gepps Cross in 1846, and he supplied the district for over twelve years and sent large fiuantities of flour to X'ictoria 11 k ■■V' rtJ. JOHN RAGLESS, Junr. ANDREW W. SHILLABEER Member of the first Council, 1853, and second Chairman of the Council for fourteen consecutive Chairman of the District, 1855. years, 1908-1922. during- the gold rush. It was while at (lepps Cross that lohn Ragless, junr., gave Ridle}' valuahle assistance in the design ing of the first reaping machine. Ridley was elected to the District Council of Yatala in 1862. Ragless, junr., was a member of the first District Council of Yatala and was the second Chairman of the Council. In 1875 he rebuilt Angmering House, which is situated on the Main North Road and adjoins the Council property on the north side. The house i.s at present occupied by a son of John Ragless. The land on which the Enfield Institute is built, was presented to the Institute Trust by John Ragless. In 1932 the Council changed the name of First Avenue, Enfield Park, to ''Ragless" .-Vvenuc in honour of the Ragless family. Charles French Eolland. senr., arrived in South Australia in January, 1839, from Devonshire, and after living for three years at Pennington Terrace, North .Adelaide, he moved to Pine h'orest, Enfield. It was from this property that the first piles used in the Port River were obtained. Mr. Eolland was a member of the Council for several years, and was Chairman in 1864. Mr. C. F. Eolland, junr., a son, who now owns the Pine I'^orest homestead, was also a member of the Council for many }-ears and held the office of Chairman during 1903-1904. Mr. Edmund il(-)wman started sheep-farming in Tasmania in 1835, and came to .South .Australia in 1839, taking up land at Enfield and Dry Creek. The fine Bowman homestead, "Barton \Hle," built many years later, is now owned by the .Salvation Arm\- and is known as the "Barton A^ale Girls' Home." Mr. George Brandis was one of the earliest settlers in the district, having arrived in South .Australia in 1838 by the ship "Eden." He lived near Gepps Cross, and was well known as the producer of the Brandis almond. Collins Street, Enfield, formerly known as "Well Lane" and the entrance to Poor Man's Section, was the original thoroughfare to the well sunk by the villagers at the western end. The first village homes were unique, and comprised a row, along the "AYell T.ane," of comfortable, one-room dug- 13 outs, each with tireplacc one end, ste])s the other, and covered by a gable roof of reed-thatch. .Some of the cottages that re])laced them .sti'l stand. Collins Street takes its name from a family of pioneers. The Enfield Cemetery, situated on the Main North Road, was established by the residents of "Roor Man's .Section." and is the last resting place of man}- of the early settlers, including- the R)0\\-mans of Barton \'ale. The remains of the Bowmans have since been re-interred in the North Road Cemetery. .\n interesting link with the early days is Olive Farm, rormerl}- ownerl by the late Charles Rake. This farm is l:clieved to be the first farm on which superpho.s])hate was used in .South .kustralia. Mr. Thomas Rake, a son of Charles Rake, still resides in the old homestetul. but the farm has long since been re-subdivided. Rrdces Road was named after C harles Rake. The I'inlield i\echabite llall was Imilt by the Methodist Trust about eighty-two vears ago. Mrs. 1 ,eane. a daughter of Mr. ^\'illiam Sliort. the founder of the church, w-as the first scholar in the .Sunda}' .School, and is the mother f)f the ])resenl Ccjinmissioner of Police. It is also interesting to recall that the late Mr. Peterswald. late (.'ommissioner of I^olice. was born and lived at ICnliekl on the "Highgate ICstate," now known as ''McNerhotTs." and was previously the home of Mr. John Ch;imberlain, the first Chairman of the District of '^'atala. It ma}- also ])e of interest to recall that the late Mr. O. H. .Ste])hens. formerly Commonw-ealth Electoral Officer, and Councillor Batchelcjr, of the Mitcham District Council, w-ere born and lived in Enfield for many years. Sudholz J'kirm. now owned by Mr. Jack l.indo at (jilles Plains, was one of the first farms in .South .Australia, and during the se\ ere financial dei)ression in the early days, many of the unem])lo}ed obtained work from the owner. Mr, (k W. W. Sudholz. w-fio was the first Chairman of the District of ^'atala South. Mr. Sudholz was fairly wealthy and at a later date saved the Council from great endiarrassment b}' his generosity in lending sufficient money to enable the Council to pay its way. 14 "... "... 1 jU. :;^;,,^,/-5^ ^ ' •--^.''U:^ ^-S"- ' - -(Uy courtesy of the Archives Dept.) ANGMERING HOUSE. The first house built north of Adelaide, by John Ragless, Senr., in 1840. OLD COUNCIL CHAMBERS. Built at Gepps Cross in 1858. 15 "Blair Athol," the home of the Rlagaress, also lias an interesting history, and the estate is now subdivided into building allotments and many fine homes are erected there. The old village "smithy" was erected by Mr. Emanuel Young in 1850, and still stands. Tt is now owned and occupied by Mr. J. Turner, a son of Thomas Turner, who was a member of the Council for several years and was Chairman in 1867-68, the last year of the existence of the old Yatala Council. The late Mr. Ferdinand Thiele, father of A'Ir. .\. Thiele, the present Chairman of the District Council of Walkerville, was a member of the Council from 1878 to 1889. The late Mr. James Nottage, who was Clerk of the M'alkerville Council for many years, occupied the position of Auditor to the Council in 1884. son, Mr. Thomas R. Nottage, is the Overseer of Works for the Walkerville Council at the present time, Mr, Archer Russell (author of ".Sunlit Trails"), speaking of old Australian roads, and mentioning the Main North Road, the main road through Enfield, says: "Leading up through the granary of the central State is one of the most historic roads in all .-Australia. It is the main northern road of South Australia, the highway, I like to call it, that led men to the inland. Here, along the dustv wilderness track of 'the earlies,' went Eyre, to perform some of the most amazing feats in the annals of Australian exploration and discovery; here, too, rode McDouall Stuart on his perilous journey across the continent; and here, by the same road, in 1846, returned Sturt, blinded and baffled, from the gibber steppes and sand wastes of the Cooper. But there was one who did not return ; Poole, who had ridden that road with Sturt on his outward way, lay dead at Rocky Glen, a victim to the horrors of that march^ and one of the first of the martyrs — who were soon to number so many — in the cause of Australian exploration and research. "Nor, if we are the true memoir hunter, will we be satisfied with the harvest of associations we have already gathered. We will wish to delve deeper. .-Cnd so we learn later that it was along this road that john McKinlay led his relief expedition in his search for the ill-fated Burke and Wills party; that the equally ill-fated I.udwig T.eichhardt, 16 in one of his earlier journe3's, had also travelled it; and that Colonel Light, the founder of Adelaide, had ridden it on man}- a journe)-. Indeed, it rvas Tdght who blazed the track, which he did in coinpain- with Finniss in 1838-9, thus point ing a way to the inland, and, incidentally, opening up to occupation the regions of the "Lower North," which were so soon to become one of the great granaries of the Commonwealth. "Other things 1 discovered of the road. Of the days when, following the discovery of the Burra Burra copper mines in 1845, the track would often be lined with trains of pack mules brought here to carry the ore to the ports and attended by their Spanish muleteers from old Iberia. Thirty or fort}- pack mules tinkling their bells as they moved along through the sheoak trees of an Austral scrub. And at night, when the camp fires gleamed on the mule camps, there would come the soft strumming of a guitar and the wild strains of an Andalusian song would float across the plains. It was said that the mine owners, at whose instigation the mules and their attendants had been brought from Spain, made little profit of this venture; but of the picturesque and roman tic touch they gave to the roads there can never be any 17 THE ORIGIN OF THE DISTRICT OF ENFIELD Part Two South .Vustralia orig-inatctl local j>'overnnient in Australia by passing in 1840, four years after the ])roc]aina- tion of the I'rovince, the first Australian Municipal Act, wh'.ch was a ])artial transcript of the linglish Statute of 18,35, greatly inodifiecl to meet the conditions of a ])eoidc who had made the experiment of founding a new ,State in an almost uninhabited country. The District Council of 5'atala was constituted on june 16th, 1853, and the Proclamation appearing in the Clovcrn- ment Gazette of that date was as follows: "Proclamation B)- His Excellency Sir Henry Edward Fox 5''oung, Knight, Tneutenant-Governor of Her Majesty's Province of South .\ustralia, and A^ice-Admiral of the same, etc., etc. Whereas b\- an Act of the (iovernor and Legislative C'otincil of the Province of South .Australia, intituled '.An .Act to appoint District Councils, and to define the powers thereof,' it was amongst other things enacted, that it should be lawful for the Governor, hy Proclamation in the .South .Australian Government Gazette, to designate and constitute Districts, and to define the boundaries thereof: .And whereas such ]-etition duly signed as by the said .Act is refpiired hath been ])resented to me, the said l.ieutenant-Governor, j^raving that such Proclamation may issue in respect of the district herein after defined, and the same ])etition hath been dulv ]ud)lisbed in the .South .Australian Government Gazette: .\ow, there fore, I, the l.ieutenant-Governor aforesaid, bv and with the consent of the Executive Council, do hereb'v, bv this my Proclamation, designate and constitute the "District of AMtala" to be a District within the meaning and for the ])urposes of the said .Act: .And I do herebv define the boun- 18 2144: theiicc, along' centres of said road, to tiic sontli-east angle of 3045; thence, sontherl}'. to the north-east angle of 3002; thence, east, hy a straight line, to the cast boundary of 1566 at its point of intersection with the Dry Creek; thence, along the said Creek, to its intersection with the east boundary of section 313; thence, southerly, in a straig'ht line, to the south-east boundary of 50-1 ; thence, across the road ; thence, along the ni rthern boundary of 508. easterly, to its north-east angle; thence, south, along the east side of the said section, to the centre of the River Torrens; thence, westerly, by the centre of the said River Torrens. to its point of intersection with the eastern houndary of the Park Lands; thence, iiortherlv. following the Park Lands' boundary to the point of intersection of that boundary and the north-east side of ])reliininary section 354 ])roduced; thence, by the north-eastern boundary of the District of Hindmarsh. to the north-west corner of section 421 ; thence, by the west side of section 2072; thence, across the road, to the southern houndary of 1188; thence, westerly, by a straight line, to the st)uth-west corner of section 1190; thence, northerly, hy a straight line, to the north-west corner of 1183; thence, to the north-west corner of 1180; thence, due north, to the creek running" between sections 2018 and 2016; thence, by the west side of the said creek, to a point due west of the south-west corner of section 3502. Hundred of Port Adelaide; thence, bv the northern side of the said road, south of sec tions 3502. 3501 and 3055 to the Little Para River; thence, easterlv by the centre of the said river to the (loint of coni- tuencenient. .And 1 do herehy appoint rhoinas Abbott, of the Little Para; Ptaniel Prady. of the Dry Creek; John Chamberlain, of the Pine I'orest; John TTarvey. of the X\)rth Para; and L)hn Ra.g'less. the younger, of the Great Xorth Road. ratepa\ ers within the said District of A atala. to be the tirst District Council of the said District of A atala. "(iixen under ni\' hand and the public seal ol the Province, at Adelaide." this iifteenth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and fifty-three, and in the sixteenth year of l ler Majesty s reign. Bv command. B. T. FINNLSS, Colonial Secretarv. GOD .8A\ 1': THL QUEEN!" 19 The first meeting- of the C ouncil was held on Saturday, July 9th. 185.S, at the office, then situated in King- William Street, Cit}-, and all the members appointed by Proclamation were present. Councillor John Chamberlain was elected the first Chairman, and Mr. W. .'-V. ITughes was appointed Dis trict Clerk. Shortly after this meeting, tenders were called for the making of the .Assessment, and the successful tenderer re ceived £180 for his work. Tt is interesting to note that this amount is more than £100 greater than the amount paid for a new Assessment made in 19.13. The District Councils' .Act a])parently provided that the Annual Rate be adopted by public vote, and a meeting of ratepayers was accordingly held in the Northern Hotel, Enfield. Three amounts were pro])osed and the voting was as follows: In favour of Farthing rate 131 In favour of One Shilling rate 103 In favour of Two .Shilling rate 3 The farthing rate was later accepted by the Council and the -Assessment at the time amounted to appro.x. .£18.000. It is therefore evident that the Council did not have a very substantial revenue in the first }-ear of its existence. That this method of the declaration of the rate was a source of worry tf> the Council, is evident from reports appearing in the records of the activities of the Council during the following year. On April 17th. 1854, a public meeting convened by the Councib was held at the Gepps Cross Hotel, and following a discussion on the Assessment, the capability of the Chair man, and the Annual Rate, the following resolution was carried unanimously: "That until the Chairman tenders his resignation, and a fair and ec|uilable assessment is made, the rate payers pledge themselves that no further rate will be adopted." Immediatel}- following tliis meeting, a special call of the Council was made, and the Council agreed that the rates collected for the current year at 1/- in the £ be refunded, and a checpie for £285 5/- was ]-)asscd for payment. The 20 Clerk later re])orte(I that £226 9/- had been returned and the l)alance was ])laced in the general revenue account. From records availal)le, it ajipears that a satisfactorj- rate was declared in January, 1855. and .shortly after, Mr. John Rag- less. lunr., uas elected C hairman. The District of Walkerville Severed. On .Ajiril 8th, 1855, a number of ratepayers, amounting altogether to 101, i)resentcd a Memorial to the Oolonial ■Secretary, praying that certain sections within the Ibistrict should henceforth constitute and he declared a separate Dis trict to be called the District of \\'alker\ ille. The petition was .granted and the District of Walkerville was jiroclaimed on July Stb, 1855. During these earlv vears. the Council received substan tial subsidies from the Government on rates collected, and with other general revenue, a fairly lar,ge amount was avail able for expenditure on works. Fees from the licensing of Public blouses, wbich at this time numbered approx. twenty- tbree, dog licence fees, and revenue from Public Pounds, comprised the ])rinci])al items of general revenue. Several ]K)unds were established in the District, and the revenue from this source alone was good. Records show in one (ptarterly return, that the net jirofit from the Dry Creek Pound was £61. The Chief Secretary later complained that the Council was ille.gallv selling stock from the pounds, and issued instructions■ that the Council must in future advertise in the Go\'ernment (iazette, before selling unbranded stock which was not claimed, in compliance with the governing .Vet. During the li\e \ears after the constitution of the Dis trict. many ratepayers' meetings both of protest and other wise were held, and the meeting places were usually the Cross Keys, Gepps Cross, .Salisbury, and the Northern bfotels. .£11 these hotels are still in existence and arc now modern imblic houses. On nianv occasions, only the Clerk and per haps one Councillor attended the Council meetings, which conse(|uently lapsed. It was in 1858 that the Council fi rst accpiired its own pro])erty, when an acre of land was purchased on the Main ■North R(]ad at (iepps Cross, for .£30, and in the same vear, 21 a contract to Iniilcl a Council "House" on the site, was let to a Mr. Hnnsfcy for £275. This house, now seventy-seven vcars old, still stands and is the first huildinj? south of the Gepijs Cross Hotel, and is owned by W. M. Gabel. The last meetinn- of the District Council of Vatala was held on June 29th, 1868, and was attended by only two Councillors. Messrs. Turner and Walden, and the Clerk. What number of members actually formed a quorum is not known, but the meeting- proceedecl, and the Proclamation of two new Districts was received. The Districts of Yatala North and Yatala South. On June 18th, 1868, by Proclamation, the ncu-theni por tion of the district was severed and named the District of 5'atala .Xorth, while the remaining portion of the district, comprising 11.685 acres, was named the District of Yatala .South. The Proclamation apj^ointed five new Councillors for 5'atala .Xorth, but made no alterations to the members of the old 5'atala District, and as a resu't Messrs. T. Turner and W. Walden, who did not retire by efflu.Kion of time, continued to serve on the new Yatala South Council. .-Xn election was held on julv 15th to fill the three remaining \-acancie.s, and Messrs. 1. W. .Stidholz, J. Rc).sser, and James Pitcher were successfid. .'Ml members were present at the first meeting, held at (Icpps Cross on July 20th, 1868, and C r. I. W. Sudholz was elected Chairman, and Mr. J. J. O'Sullivan was ap])ointed Clerk at a salary of £40. Considerable trouble was experienced by both Councils, in arriving at an equitable basis for the apportionment of the realisable assets of the old Yatala Council. Yatala North claimed that the Council Chamber at Gepps Cross should be disposed of, and the proceeds, together with other assets, be equally divided between the two Councils. Yatala South strongly objected to this suggestion, and obtained a legal opinion from Mr. John (later Sir John) Downer, on the matter. The opinion stated that as the Council Chamber was situated within the District of 5'atala South after the divi sion was made, the \Mtala Xorth Council had no claini what ever on the Gepps Cross property. The opinion also stated that Yatala South had no claim on a piece of land formerly owned by the District Council of Yatala and now within the 22 boundaries of ^'ataia Nortli. situated op])osite tlie T-ass O'Ciowrie (an old hotel at or near Salisbury). It was even tually ag;reed that ^'^lala .South should receive two-thirds of the remainins^- assets, including- a hank credit balance of £86, and h^atala North one-third. The records show that the other assets included a few special constable batons and handcuffs, office furniture, and one road roller. The actual record referring to the roller states that "the miscalled road roller is valued at £5 and will not realise expenses if offered for sa'e by auction." On February 8th, 1869, Yatala North was paid £,I3 5/2 in full settlement of its claim, certainly not a large amount to establish a District Council of the area of "S'atala North (now .Salisburx'). In this, the first vear of the new Council, Mr. C. F. Folland made the new assessment of the district. There were 567 individual assessments, and the annual value was £12,551, and a rate of 6d. in the £ was levied. Records show that only about fiftv per cent, iif the rates levied were col'ected, and the (knmcil suffered serious financial difficul ties. Only the generosity of the Chairman fCr. I. . Sud- holz) saved the Council from great embarrassment, and that was bv his action in placing £70 to the credit of the Council at the South .Australian Fank, when it was entirely without funds and unable to obtain an overdraft. This money was refunded to the C hairman on June 7th, 1869, and the Council shortly afterwards transferred its account to the Hank ol Adelaide on the understanding' that an overdraft could be obtained on the security of the Ciovernment Rate subsidy. Prospect Severed. In .August, 1872, a further large severance was made from the southern jiortion of the district. .A petition was prepared by Air. lames Flarrington praying that this par ticular section be ju'oclaimed a sejiarate district, and a counter petition was lodged bv the C inmcil, Init on .August 1st, 1872, the proclamation of the new District C ouncil of Prospect was made. Air. fames Pitcher, a member of the first District Council of A'atala South was the first District C lerk of Prospect. On November 4th, 1890, under a Supreme Court^Order, 149 allotments were sold for .arrears of rates. 1 he C ouncil, apparently, experienced great difficulty in collecting rates in the north-western jiortion of the district, and many blocks 23 in that area were sold for 5/- each. The total rates owinti' on the 149 blocks amounted to £35 1/3. and the proceeds from the sale realised £192 18/9, and the expenses, exclu sive of rates, totalled .£137 9/1. Of the latter amount, £111 was paid into the Supreme Court for law costs. It is not surprising, therefore, that we are still greatly troubled with arrears of rates in the Wingfield area. District Divided into Five Wards. On July 7th, 1894, a number of ratepayers headed by Mr. Gerald Holmes of Hamilton, petitioned the Government to divide the District into Wards, which, it was suggested, should be as follows: 1. Centre Ward (centre). 2. Torrens Ward (east). 3. Dry Creek Ward (portion of .South and North east wards). 4. North Ward (North-east Ward). 5. Tam O'Shanter Ward (West Ward). The petitioners' request was granted, and the new wards were gazetted on May 5th, 1895. Four ^ ear.s latei, a fuither progres.sivc mo\'e ^va.s made when the Council set up its office in the Enfield Institute, where the Council met for the first time on August 1st, 1899.' The move, apparently, did not coincide with the ideas of a number of ratepayers, and in the same month a protest meeting was held in the Institute. A vote of confidence in the Council, under the chairmanship of Mr. f. R. Musson, was carried. In the meantime, the Gepps Cross ]u-opertv,' which had been let at 2/6 per week as a schoolroom, was now let to a tenant at 6/- ]ier week. Later, the property was sold, and in 1910, an allotment on Rakes Road, .Sefton Park, was purchased, and it was intended that Council Chambers should be erected there Plans and specifications were prepared but the scheme did not materialise, and in February, 1913, the allotment was sold to the Prospect Lime Co. for £80. In the years fcdlowing the Great War, the district made rapid progress, and many hundreds of broad acres were sub- 24 divided into huildiiii;- allotments. 'i'iiis ra])idly .sent the Assessment iq), and in 1927. when the Assessment totalled £70,000 and the revenue nearly £8,000, the Council pur chased the present site and the Council Chambers were erected in the same year. The Assessment reached its highest figure in 19.^1. the amount being £80,597 and the area of the district 11,685 acres. Then came the de])re.ssion. llnilding activities almost ceased, assessments and rates were reduced, and the only partly developed district was seriously affected. In 1931, a commission to in(|uire into the afiairs of l.ocal (iovcrnment was appointed, and in 1933 approx. 1,000 acres were severed from the Salisbury District ami added to Vatala South, making the total area 12,685 acres, including ajjprox. 2,500 acres of non-ratable property. The District Council of Enfield. The C'ouncil, early in 1935. jjetitioned the (jovernor to change the name of the district to I'mtield. and on July 11th, 1935, a Proclamatiou was accordingly published in the Covernment (lazette. The Council met for the first time under the name of Enfield on July 15th. 1935. and all the members were present, and Cr. t! K. Shutter, the Chairman of the old Council, was elected Chairman. The -Assessment of the district for the year 1935-6 is £74,661, and the ca])ital value, exclusive of all Government buildings, is £1,493,220. It is estimated that the unimproved value is £360,000. There are 1,227 buildings and the number of assessments, 5.567, is exactly 5,000 greater than the num ber in 1868-9. Inclusive of main roads (on which the Council l)a} s an annual levy of ,£799) the lengths of roads made are as f(.)llows : liitummous concrete miles Bituminous penetration 4 Tar-paved and others 51.{ Total 53 miles 25 In addition to tliese, there arc iiuiny fonned roads that are not metalled. 1 here are ajjprox. eighty township names in the district, and a few appearing on our district plan are as follows: Rayleigh Town, Olive Farm. P.rightview, Welwyn, JTamp- stead (jardens. Windsor (jardens, Cullford, Ifill Crest (ilar- dens, (ireenacres. Clear View. Barton Vale, Bosworth Fhark Northgate. Millicent. f-lnll, Dundas, Brooklyn, Rosslyiy \\ icklow. Myrtle Ifolmc, Mansfield Park, and l.anrel Park! It may snr])ri.se even some of the present Conncillors to know- that these names ha\-e been given to various snh- divisi(;ns within the district, but when it is recalled that there are ajjprox. 10,000 vacant building allotments, it will be ^eev. that there must be many townshi]i names. It is not likely, however, that many of these will ever be known as established townshi])s. Many institutions are established in the district, and on these projierties the Council receives no rates w hate\'er from the rjO\'ernmcnt. Knfield Receiving House, lias accommodation for fiftv- se\en patients, viz. twenty-two males and thirtv-five females. This institution is purely a receiving house for observation purposes, and niany patients admitted have avoided the necessity of being- certified as mental defectives. Mental Hospital, Nortbfield. This hospital, w-hich was iecentl\ constructed, is divided into two sections, viz., \ e])ati latiou .Section, twenty-five beds; Civilian .Section, one hundred beds. I his institution is situated on a block of five hundred acres, and is intended to forn-i the nucleus of a new- mental hospital. Farming, dairying, and gardening opera tions aie carried out under supervision, and provide a con genial therapeutic occu])atiou for manv of the unfortunate I)atients. Barton Vale Home for Girls. Is controlled bv the Salva tion .^rmy and is the old lumiestead of Mr. F. H. Bow-man, w-ho w-as one of the pioneers of the district. Northfield Consumptive Home. Incurable ])atients are admitted fiom the I uberculosis Clinic, or through the Adelaide Hospital. I here is accommodatif)n for eighty-six j)atients in addition to tw-ent_\--six beds for cancer patients. 26 Infectious Diseases Hospital. The S.A. (jovernment erected at Northfield a hospital, accommodating- 175 beds, which is invested in the Metropolitan Infectious Diseases Hospital Moard upon trust for conduct as a hospital for per sons suffering- from infectious diseases, whether residing within the district of anv constituent local board of healtb or elsewhere. The lavout of the hospital, to which patients were first admitted in October. 19.52. is so designed that cases are adequatelv nursed and scientilically treated, with provision for isolation and disinfection. To this end the buildings have been erected as separate units, grouped in blocks and efficientlv isolated. Contributions from the local boards con cerned for the maintenance and management of the hospital, are based proi)ortionatel3- on the total assessed annual value of the districts. The ca])ita^ value of the buildings, jdant. and equiiunent IS estimated at £212.000. Gaol at Northfield. The old Vatala Stockade (1-abour Prison) was established about 1855 at Dr}- C reek. The tow n- shi]i name has since been altered to Northfield. Government Undertakings. Islington Railway Wo-rkships. The railway workshops w-ere first established in abotit 1856. w-hen the fiist btatc- ow-ned steam raihva}- in the Pritish Empire became opeia- tive betw-een Adelaide and Port Adelaide. Tw-o yeais later, the railwav from Drv Creek to Port .Adelaide w-as constiucted at a cost'of £45.000. The enormous capital value ot the buildings and ])lant is not available, but these woiks aie among the largest of the kind in .-\ustralia. Metropolitan Abattoirs. The Metroiaditan and Exptirt Abattoirs Pxiard was established in l'-^08. Lndei its Acts, the Board has an absolute monopoly of tbe slaughtering of stock w-ithin the area, thus ensuring a pure meat supph to a pojiulation of ajiprox. .300,000 persons. The abattoirs and markets are established at Gepps Cross, where there are over seven hundred acres of land, on a portion of which stock is grazed while awaiting slaughter. 27 The structure- include the administrative l)l(ick, abattnirs l)uildings. stock markets, stock agents' offices, refreshment rooms, engine house, .garage and b3'-products building. In order that certain of the officers and men shall lie near their work, the Hoard erected forty-four dwelling houses for their accommodation. An extensive sewerage system, an electric generating plant. ])remi.ses for lioiling down diseased carcases. ])oilers and refrigerating jtlant. and all necessary railway sidings are features of the enterprise. The revenue for the \-ear ended November ,30th. 19.34. was £2,32.000. and the capital \ alue of the land and buildings and plant is set down at £50,3.000. Sewage Farm. The .Sewage Farm is situated at Islington and at present it contains 1.172 acres. The first sewage was distributed in 1881 on the farm, and upon these premises, it has been saitsfactori'v- disposed of ever since bv a svstem of broad irrigation combined, during the winter months, with intermittent and downward filtration through ]n-operlv pre pared filter-beds. The total length of sewers now laid in the metro])olitan area is 8,37 miles and the total number of connections to the main sewers is 70,07,3. Adelaide and suburbs are divided into three sewered areas, viz.. Adelaide, Port Adelaide, and Cilenelg. The total cost of the works as at [une ,30th, 1934, was: Adelaide area. £1.649,580: Glenelg area. .£.~29.,340: and Port Adelaide area. £750.595. It is interesting to note that the revenue from the Metro politan Waterworks and .Sewers for the \ ear enderl I une .30th. 19,34, was £616,454. Private Factories, etc. 1 here are numerous factories ojjerating in the manufac turing distr ct ( I)r_v ("reek and Wingfield) .and the largest of these is the works of Messrs. W. H. Hurford & .Sons Ltd. at Dr\- Creek. hollowing the disastrous fii4f' in .Adelaide, the compaii}- commenced building oi)erations at Dry Creek in lanuarv, 28 1920. and the works were opened in 1922. A section of land owned !))• tlie coniptiny was opened up for subdivisional pur poses, and a number of liouses were erected. The subdivision is now known as Hurford Gardens. At the conclusion of the last financial year, the capital value of the land, huildings. and plant was estimated at approx. £150,000. General. That the district has protjressed is shown by the fact that two very fine halls have^heen erected at Kilburn and Devon Park.' These modern halls were erected entirely by the efiforts of the ])eople in the respective districts, and wt)uld undoubtedly be freehold but for the advent of the depression. Institutes are established at Enfield and Gaza, and improvements to the Council Chambers, including extra office accommodation, have recently been made at a cost of over £400. Conclusion. In compiling this chronological report, we have done so with the object of making available as briefly as possible certain facts in connection with the activities of the Council since its inception, and have endeavoured to show the pro gress that has been made in the eighty-two years of its existence. Interesting facts concerning the pioneer days prior to the introduction of Local Government generally, are also referred to, and we sincerely trust that it will be of interest to you. Our sincere thanks are extended to all those who have assisted in the making of this record. 29 CR. DUNCAN ERASER CR. G. W. WILSON Who replaces Cr. A. H. Nelson in North-east Ward. Who replaces Cr. A. E. Walter in West Ward. PAST CHAIRMEN. 1853-1855 John Chamberlain 1855-1858 John Ragless, Junr. 1858-185^ R. K. Spotswood 1859-1862 lo.sejih Rroadstock 1862 William Tnrvcy 1862-3 Joseph Grumh' 1863-1864 A. ^1. GocKlhah 1864 C. F. Folland. Sciir. 1864-1865 A. M. Gc)t)dhall 1865-1866 C. 1"7 Beaumont 1866 Thomas Dayman 1866^1867 G. W. W. Sudholz 1867-1868 Thomas Turner 1868-1876 G. W. W. .Sudholz 1876-1885 john Williams 1885-1886 1. 1,. Thompson 1886-1889 George Morris 1889-1893 Robert F.mery 1893-1895 John {'"rancis 1895-1866 John Duncanson 1896-1867 James R. Musson 1897-1896 .Andrew W. Shillaheer 1899-1901 lames R. Musson 1901-1903 George D. Thom])son 1903-1904 Chas. F. I'olland. Junr. 1904-1905 William Duthie 1905-1908 John Williams 1908-1922 Andrew M'. Shillaheer 1922-1926 David Rinve 1926-1930 Richard Thompson 1930-1931 .Albert F,. W'alter 1921- Thomas K. Shutter PAST CLERKS. 1853-1854 .A. Hughes 1854-1884 I.| . O'Sullivan 1884-1886 j. A. Williams 1886-1905 John M'illiams 1605-1913 S. J. Beasley 1913-1933 1. .A. Tolcher 163.1- "r. a. Foote 31 Hunkin, KIlis & Kinff, Ltd. Printers 113 Pirie Street, Adelaide . I; 'I* t ■'■». ' ''■ /■>. .;■ ••«i r • ■' ■ ■' "'■ ' V ;, i' . ' . \K':-v . I ■\ : ""V:-' " i*'- V • -i 1^' •-•». ■;, A .' V ■ ^ •' - '■'■ ' ■ • .' ■. . ■ -'■ ^■. f i'' , j . . 'A'. . •*/■■' , * . : :4' ' ':V)r |/'' ' '" 'w , • ■'-•i'-(" * * •' 'v * l'. ..'-' • r'-. tj ■ • /'i "• ' i V-' • A •r. ' , . ?.. . . .f! 'S''v:' .' , ■*»!.«. .,■ i V ■■V, ,■ , • ■■ J : i)> - ,'" >•: - • ' .,' ■ fciiy:' >. .»• ■■ ' ,■ -1. . /' • f ' ■ \ t • ..r . 1 ; J ■ ■ '' ''' t' ' . ' '' ' '' JH', ' *' ;. .V. . ■"■ "■ I • ■ '-ii, ' ' V . /t; Er»;