Special Council Meeting - City of Burnside

150 facts about Burnside
Overview:
A popular part of the history display was the
research and printing of 150 facts about Burnside.
Developed together by Council staff and the
Burnside Historical Society, the facts providing
interesting information about our City or activities
that had occurred since 1856. Printed copies were
also made available free of charge from the Civic
Centre Library and Customer Service Desk.
1. The Burnside name originates from Peter
Anderson, a Scottish farmer who leased
land near Second Creek in 1839. He
named the property Burnside, refl ecting the
fact his farm was alongside the creek and
the Scottish word for creek is ‘burn.’
2. Burnside became a District Council in 1856
and a City in 1943.
3. In 1943, Burnside’s population reached
20,000. In 2006 it stands at more than
42,000.
4. There are 55 free public tennis courts in
Burnside.
5. Burnside had the fi rst metalliferous mine in
South Australia, located at Glen Osmond
and named ‘Wheal Gawler’ after Governor
Gawler (wheal is the Cornish word for
mine). In April 1841, 40 boxes of metal
ore were shipped to England, becoming
Australia’s fi rst mining export.
6. South Australia’s only toll road began
in Glen Osmond and was in operation
from 1841 to 1847. The gate beside the
toll house is believed to be the original
gate which barred the road, having been
recovered and restored in the early 1950’s.
7. Founder of Penfolds Wines, Dr Christopher
Penfold, lived in Magill and believed wine
had medicinal qualities.
8. The Burnside Ballroom was opened in
1954 and is state heritage listed. Almost all
of the fi ttings of the current day Ballroom
are original.
9. The Ballroom was ‘the place to be’ during
the 1950’s and 60’s. In its fi rst year of
operation it made a surplus of almost
£2,400.
10. Dame Judith Anderson, who played Mrs
Danvers in Alfred Hitchcock’s film ‘Rebecca’,
was educated at Rose Park School.
11. In 2001 approximately 47% of Burnside
residents had a university or technical
qualifi cation, compared to 34% across the
Adelaide area.
12. Alfred Hardy, the brother-in-law of English
philosopher and political economist John
Stuart Mill, established Burnside’s first
Mechanics Institute at Glen Osmond in 1854.
13. From 1853 until 1856, Burnside was part of
the East Torrens Council.
14. The fi rst meeting of the District Council of
Burnside was held at the Green Gate Inn
in Linden Park, not far from the current
Council Chambers.
15. The fi rst Council Chambers on Glynburn
Road were built in 1869 and cost £219.
It still exists and is located next to
St David’s church.
16. Until it was proclaimed a municipality in
1935, Burnside did not have a Mayor,
but instead a ‘Chairman’ of the District
Council. Dr Christopher Penfold was the
fi rst Chairman of the District Council of
Burnside.
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