REPORT TO HAHNDORF BRANCH, NATIONAL TRUST OF SA,
Annual General Meeting
(held 3 months after the usual date in November, due to some members’ illness).
Sunday, 4.3.2012 at 3.00pm at The Cedars, Heysen Road, Hahndorf, SA
Chairperson, Anni Luur Fox.
Welcome and sincere thanks to members for their interest in matters of conservation, research and the dissemination of information regarding Hahndorf’s history to the wider community. To the question, ‘Why bother?’ I tend to answer ‘SURVIVAL’. An old Russian proverb I heard as a child refugee learning about my birth country’s heritage has stuck in my mind: ‘People who look at the past are blind in one eye but people who never look at the past are blind in both’. Hahndorf has been the source of many lessons for me.
So here we are today by the gracious permission of Allan Campbell and the Heysen family, looking out over a place where Peramangk women could still harvest their root vegetables near the Shady Pool and the men could kill a kangaroo or two for dinner on the 150 acres that comprise this remarkable property. Sadly, a huge hollow eucalypt on the ridge keeled over a few years ago, the last, I think, of such trees on this site. Hollow trees were used as instant shelters by the Peramangk visiting this part of their tribal territory. Hahndorf’s early settlers also found such shelters useful but their ideas of ensuring human survival required removal of trees in order to establish a hufendorf, a farm village in a forest that soon showed signs of cultural transfer from Europe.
OVERVIEW OF BRANCH ACTIVITY
Events
SA History Week May 2011/Pioneer Women’s Trail Public Event on 15 May. In partnership with Terry Cleary from the SA Road Runners Club we assisted in organizing another run/walk along this Trail, discovered and first marked by members of the Beaumont House and Hahndorf National Trust Branch committees in 1979. Planning with Terry began on 11.11.10 and aimed at eventually growing the event to 1000 people participating at their own pace. We hoped it may even help us to raise again the issue of the need for a footbridge over the Onkaparinga but to date the Walkers Federation has always favoured a ford which we consider might exclude some people from participating. Annette Oien and Lyndell Davidge liased with Terry and the relevant authorities and stakeholders.
SA History Week May 2012/ Pioneer Women’s Trail Event, 6 May. Annette, Lyndell and I met with Terry on 3.2.2012 to discuss organization of this year’s event. We agreed on a number of matters including the aim of making this a free event but recognized we needed to cover costs. We decided to charge $10. A recent article in the Walker’s Federation magazine indicated a change of heart regarding the issue of a footbridge over the Onkaparinga River.
Peramangk Rock Art Photographic Exhibition Requested by Diane Carter, Executive Officer of SA Health Reconciliation Working Group took place at Citi Centre Building, Hindmarsh Square from 27 May -3 June 2011. Isobelle Campbell and Robin Coles had given their permission for the Branch to allow its collection to be exhibited.
Dr Anitta Maksymowicz Historian and Curator of the Muzeum Ziemi Lubuskiej, Zielona Gora, (Silesia) Poland,is visiting Adelaide in March 2012 and will be giving talks at a number of venues. Lyndell Davidge has organized the itinerary of her visit to Hahndorf on 22 and 24 March where Anitta will meet with local residents.
Advocacy and Dissemination of Information
Wicks Reserve. We took part in working bees at this nature reserve on 13.11.10 and 12.11.2011 to remove broom, pine and watsonia.
Subway’s approval by Mt Barker District Council to open a shop brought a number of phone-calls from local people irate at Hahndorf joining the army of franchises found all over the country, thus usurping the town’s unique identity as Australia’s first settlement planned specifically for non-British immigrants. Because a precedent had been set by allowing other national brand-names supplying petrol, postage and groceries, Council was likely to lose the case if the applicant went to the ERD Court.
Works at Thiele’s House, 100 Main Street, sparked another series of phone calls from irate residents in December 2010. We sent a letter to Council detailing the significance of the site, in particular the brick settler’s cottage at the rear. The Heritage Advisor had considered it not worth saving because its timbers were sawn.
Bartel’s Cottage Motel Development, 32-34 Main Street: we were able to influence Council to request a redesign of this application on a State Heritage site. July 2011.
A Heysen charcoal drawing of a Hahndorf cottage of 1906 was brought to me by Arthur Farmer on 16.12.2010 for site identification. Having drawn the cottage many times, I was able to identify it as the Pietsch-Thomas house at 11 Victoria Street demolished in the 1980’s.
Hahndorf Academy request for corrections to their Museum Interpretive Outline plus answers to questions was emailed to Director Melinda Rankine and Branch members on 9.1.2011.
The Christian Jaensch Fachwerk House at 84 Main Street: unlawful works undertaken at this important site had been stopped by Council in December 2010 after another series of objections from Hahndorf residents and media reports by media. A letter was duly sent by our Branch on 14.1.2011 to Mt Barker Council detailing historical significance of No 84, 90 (Wotzke Cottage) and 100 and Barr Place. Even though this development was designated CATEGORY 2 which prevented us from speaking at Council’s Development Assessment Panel, we did make a submission to the CEO and each member of the Panel. Lyndell Davidge attended the hearing on 27. 7.2011 and made a report that indicated surprise at the Heritage Advisor’s comments in favour of allowing a 2.6 x 1.6 metre refrigerator to be placed on the verandah with retractable wire screen as nocturnal protection. This approval has set a precedent for future developments receiving official approval to deface the Hahndorf State Heritage Area.
This issue features in the Trust’s ‘Heritage Living’ magazine, February 2012.
New Hahndorf Tour Guide, Sharon Pippos wishing to set up a business requested a meeting on 27.1.2011, where her questions were answered regarding history.
Australian Rail Track Corporation (ARTC). On 22.2.2011 the Branch was informed that ARTC had paid $4.6 million for a number of acres at Verdun which had been at the centre of controversy for some time regarding the proposed new passing track’s proximity to the Grunthal Copper Mine, chimney and creek feeding into the Onkaparinga River. Because ARTC merely planned to modify a few existing curves, technically there was no obligation to check with the EPA or present a modified plan to the Development Assessment Commission.
Explanatory note: In 2009, to be eligible to receive the federal government’s economic stimulus package to fast track improvements to South Australia’s rail freight carrying capacity, both Labour and Liberal MP’s had voted in favour of invoking Section 49 of the SA Development Act 1993. This absolved ARTC from seeking approval from local government. However, under Section 49 section 7d, this Federal Government infrastructure project had to be advertised for public comment, which we did and so did the Environmental Protection Authority. This meant that the Development Assessment Commission would examine submissions from the public before making a recommendation to the SA Minister for Planning who could ignore it when making a report to parliament. Members of Parliament cannot vote on this matter. THE MINISTER MAKES THE FINAL DECISION. THE GENERAL PUBLIC DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO THE REPORT. The EPA informed us that all trains have pollution catchers under each engine.
We were informed that all trains would be idling on the existing track (ie. an EXISTING USE), not the new loop. Some years ago $3 million was spent on feasibility of building a northern track to bypass Adelaide suburbs and water catchment.
Reprinting of Reg Butler’s Books, ‘From Byways to Highways’ and ‘The Rose, Queen of Hahndorf’s Flowers’. A quote was obtained for printing costs but retyping, reformatting and sourcing original photographs would be beyond Branch resources at this time. Wendy Williams from Hahndorf Community Association agreed to do some of this work.
Hahndorf Pioneer Memorial Gardens. I met with Tony Finnis and John Buchan (a new resident and TAFE lecturer in horticulture) regarding the latter’s concept design of the gardens and suggested adding a section of Peramangk food plants as well as plants favoured by Hahndorf’s early settlers. I agreed to provide information. Mt Barker Council approved John’s design in September 2011.
University of Portsmouth conservation architect and senior lecturer, Dr Zeynep Aygen, requested photos and a section drawing of a wattle and daub house for a book on ‘International Heritage and Historic Building Conservation’ from Hahndorf’s Business and Tourism Assoc. HB &T sent the request to the Hahndorf Academy. It came to our Branch via Academy Board member Lyndell Davidge and was answered with assistance from Conservation Architect Lothar Brasse.
Request from Birdwood for information regarding significance of three sacred oak trees planted at Holy Cross Lutheran Church cemetery was answered on 9.1.2012.
Hahndorf Academy Wunderkammer: supply of Diederich photos on CD,12.2.12.
Meetings
National Trust of SA AGM 27.11.2010 at The Monastery attended by Annette Oien, Lyndell Davidgel and Anni Luur Fox.
Nora Heysen Foundation, 10.12.2010 re centenary.
Hahndorf Branch meeting 6.3.2011.
Hahndorf Branch meeting 25.3.2011 re Pioneer Women’s Trail event.
Mt Barker District Council Community Consultation re the District Cultural Development Plan. 19.4.2011.
Hahnwiki site meeting with Tony Finnis 23.4.2011.
Academy Doors and Windows meeting scheduled for 25.4 2011.
Hahndorf Branch meeting re Pioneer Women’s Trail event 30.4. 2011.
“ “ “ “ “ “ “ 10.5.11.
“ “ “ “ “ “ “ 12.5.11, 217 registered.
Adelaide Hills History Groups, hosted by Hahndorf Branch at The Cedars, 3.5.11.
Pioneer Memorial Gardens meeting with Tony Finnis, Annette Oien, Anni Luur Fox, 22.7.2011. Also discussed assistance with website.
Hahndorf Branch meeting 9.9.2011.
National Trust of SA AGM at Glanville Hall 5.11.2011: critical shortage of funds, only $40,000 this year from SA government to cover operations.
Hahndorf Branch meeting 24.1.2012 re AGM, Hahndorf 175 years in 2014, Walter Wotzke exhibition.
The Hahndorf Branch is fortunate in its small number of members who have expertise and are active in key programs: Secretary, Annette Oien (Pioneer Women’s Trail events and The Cedars), Treasurer, Lyndell Davidge (Hahndorf Academy Board and curator of Wunderkammer Room), Tony Finnis (Founder of the Hahnwiki Site which is a source of historical information which continues to grow. Our Branch minutes from 1976 are in the process of being posted on the site), John and Margaret Brooks (also members of the Hahndorf Community Association, thus providing some cross-fertilization), Bryon Finch (long term knowledge of local history), Reg Butler (historian and genealogist who has developed a remarkable database for researching family history).
I thank everyone for their very important contribution to the aims of the Trust and hope we can find a way of contributing financially to the running costs of the Trust’s Head Office.
