DISTRICT S STARRING ROLE

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1 DISTRICT S STARRING ROLE WITH the silent movie era being given some notoriety following The Artist winning the Best Picture Oscar at the recent Academy Awards, now may be appropriate time to recall the West Torrens district s starring role in one of Australia s most significant silent feature movies The Woman Suffers. Though not Oscar material, The Woman Suffers has been called Australia s first feminist feature film. With a highly moral storyline, the melodrama is one of only three surviving films made by Australian filmmaker Raymond Longford in collaboration with his long-time partner, leading lady and lover Lottie Lyell. It was the first production of the then new South Australian company Southern Cross Feature Film Co. Ltd. Filmed in Adelaide, indeed substantially in West Torrens, The Woman Suffers was long considered lost, but remnants were found among a private collection and passed onto the National Film Archives in Canberra in Unfortunately, 20 minutes or so of the original print has in fact been lost, including the crucial opening scenes. The ravages of time and the chemical decomposition of the nitrate 35mm print have not been kind to The Woman Suffers, however, modern technology has allowed the Archives to reproduce the remaining two-thirds of the film onto video. The Woman Suffers had its premiere opening with vice regal patronage at the Theatre Royal, Hindley St, on March 23, In reviews, the local press praised the flawless photography of the South Australian backgrounds, and especially the outback scenes with their strong colours of sunset and the pell-mell of wild cattle trailing their dust amid the big spaces. The film was made in part on James Henry Aldridge s property Richmond Park, now St Martins Aged Care Facility, Cudmore Tce, Marleston. In the movie, the viewer catches glimpses of Waterfall Gully, including the beautiful old kiosk, the Bridgewater Hotel and a church thought to be in the Adelaide Hills as well as scenes at Morphettville Racecourse. The film s River Murray at Echuca was more than likely the Onkaparinga at Noarlunga. The gum tree paddocks were mostly in the wilds of Plympton. The West Torrens Historical Society has a video copy of The Woman Suffers, and as next year is the 95 th anniversary of the film s premiere it has tentative plans to hold a screening. VOLUME 4 NUMBER 1 APRIL 2012 A Melbourne Cup scene from The Woman Suffers filmed at Morphettville. Newsletter of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc PO Box 43 Marleston SA 5033

2 A WORD FROM THE PRESIDENT IN Australia we celebrate 2012 as the National Year of Reading and it is appropriate that as a Society we acknowledge the importance of not only reading but also preserving and promoting the written word. One of our members has been researching the activities of literary societies within our district. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, these bodies provided libraries and facilities for learning in an era when many were illiterate and had little possibility of gaining knowledge which would help to enhance their lifestyle. One such group went under the title of the Western Suburban Literary Society (sometimes known as the Western Suburban Methodist Literary Society), and we are convinced that several similar bodies also existed. Eventually institute libraries, like the one at Thebarton, were set up which were forerunners of our excellent council operated libraries of today. This valuable research is a work in progress and we would welcome any information on this subject. The Western Suburban Literary Society was associated with the New Thebarton Wesleyan Church (which had its property at 194 Henley Beach Rd later taken over by the Freemason s Lodge and now the Pan Arcadian Hall) and also the West Adelaide, later Holder Memorial church. Recently the West Torrens Historical Society (WTHS) was given a large number of photographs, documents and memorabilia associated with the former church which later moved to Hayward Ave, Torrensville, to become the Torrensville Methodist, later Uniting Church. This church was the first in South Australia to be built of reinforced concrete and although now closed it has been beautifully restored and is used as a meeting place for the surrounding retirement village. On sifting through the interesting photographs in this collection it became obvious that many activities were associated with this church. A bowling club, crochet club, football team, tennis and cricket teams, girl guide group, table tennis Torrensville Methodist Church under construction in Hayward Ave in and boys clubs as well as a kindergarten were all represented in the collection of photographs as well as various drama, ballet and concert activities. The church itself was opened in 1912 so it is fitting that a reunion of past members and friends will be held in the Adelaide West Uniting Church on Sir Donald Bradman Drive, Brooklyn Park, at 2pm on May 6 to celebrate the centenary of the building. During this year s History Month, entitled About Time, the WTHS will be staging an exhibition of photographs and memorabilia entitled The Churches of West Torrens from May 1st to 20th, in the Hamra Library auditorium. This will be open during normal library hours and admission is free. The Society is about to embark on a major project of photographing and listing the plaques on the Sir Donald Bradman Drive Boulevard of Honour which recognises all those who enlisted during World War II from the West Torrens Council district. JOHN ANDREWARTHA, President. The Sir Donald Bradman Drive Boulevard of Honour plaque. Page 2

3 BENSON S BISCUITS OF UNDERDALE WITH a rather colourful label, Benson s Biscuits are advertised as being based at 11 Garden Tce, Underdale. This accompanying advertisement, right, was for Benson s Lemon Biscuits. The Benson family occupied a house with adjacent block of land on the northern side of Garden Tce, on the corner of Joyce Ave, before Mr Charles Albert Lambert Benson and Mrs Violet Irene Benson nee Dunncliffe had two children: Gladys Violet Moncrief Benson was born on 12th March, 1926, at Mile End. Gladys gained a diploma ALCM in elocution under the tuition of Miss Beryl Alford; Kevin Charles Weymouth Benson was born in Underdale on 10 November, Not a lot is known about this local business but we do know that Albert Benson sold his wares around the district and maybe, particularly in the case of his biscuits, to a wider market. It is assumed that Bensons moved into Garden Tce sometime around It is not known when the business closed. Does anyone have information on the Benson family and their business? JOHN ANDREWARTHA. THE BLUEBIRD OF GRASSMERE JACK Oliver owned a sports store on Henley Beach Rd, Mile End, near the corner of South Rd. He had grown up in Port Pirie where his father was a carpenter. Finding things tough during the depression of the 1930s he started making his own tennis racquets which he could sell direct to the public at wholesale prices. He used his father s shed at Grassmere (Kurralta Park) now the site of K-Mart, and worked with rather primitive tools including a brace and bit, spokeshave and rasp. Steam helped to form the laminated timber into shape and then he left them to dry before gluing. He sold these racquets through his sports store at Mile End. Gradually The Oliver Tennis racquet factory at Grassmere (Kurralta Park). the Oliver Tennis Racquet Company evolved adding to the range by introducing table tennis bats and axe handles. Before long markets were established in other Australian states and the company even exported to New York. Local production lasted for 50 years with the famous Bluebird brand of tennis racquets (named after Malcolm and Donald Campbell s famous land-speed record breaking cars) becoming known world-wide. JOHN ANDREWARTHA Page 3

4 WAR HEROES HONOURED SEVERAL streets in West Torrens were named for prominent South Australian servicemen. When, from 1952, the War Service Homes Commission developed the Golflands estate of almost 300 hundred homes at GLENELG NORTH the largest war service estate in South Australia several of its streets were named in recognition of South Australian war heroes: Mattner Avenue In a four-month period in Belgium in 1917, Edward William Mattner ( ), a member of the 6 th Army Brigade, Australian Field Artillery, won the Military Medal (MM), the Military Cross (MC), and the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). Mattner was also promoted several times as a result of his outstanding war service. After the war he became a farmer at Balhannah. Mattner served briefly in the AIF during World War II, and was a senator for South Australia from and from ; he was President of the Senate from Edward Mattner. W F J McCann. McCann Avenue William Francis James McCann ( ) joined the 10 th Battalion, 3 rd Infantry Brigade, AIF, as a private in After service at Gallipoli, McCann fought in France where he won the DSO and the MC with Bar. By the end of the war, McCann had been promoted to the rank of major. He was president of the state RSL from and the SA Prices Commissioner from McCann was appointed an Officer of the British Empire (OBE) for public service in 1935 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of St Michael and George (CMG) in Shannon Avenue David John Shannon ( ), pictured below, was raised in Bridgewater and was a grandson of Harry Watson, one-time chairman of the West Torrens Council. Shannon served with the RAF during World War II. In January 1943, while a member of 106 Squadron, RAF, Flying Officer Shannon was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC). In May 1943, he joined 617 Squadron, RAF, and participated in the famous Dambuster raid. He was awarded the DSO for his role in the operation. In November 1943 and October 1944, still with 617 Squadron, now Squadron Leader Shannon was awarded Bars to his DFC and DSO. After marrying in England during the war, Shannon settled there. An artist s depiction of The Dambuster Raid. Page 4

5 In November 1920, West Torrens Council chairman Harry Watson ( ) developed the subdivision of Speirsville off the Bay Road. (Speirsville later merged into PLYMP- TON). Watson named all three Speirsville streets in honour of South Australian servicemen of World War I. Wheaton Road commemorates Private Eric Reuben Wheaton ( ), 50 th Battalion, AIF, son of Thomas and Eliza Wheaton of Plympton. Eric Wheaton died of wounds in France in June Clayton Avenue was probably named in honour of Private Vincent Theodore Clayton, an Australian Army driver killed in an accident at the Keswick Barracks in June Watson named the third Speirsville street, Stanley Street, for his eldest son. Stanley Holm Watson ( ) had an outstanding military career in World War I, winning particular kudos as the designer and co-builder of Watson s Pier, the first supply and later evacuation point at Anzac Cove during the Gallipoli campaign. As officer commanding No.1 section, 2 nd Australian Divisional Signal Company, Captain Watson also had responsibility for communication lines during the Anzac withdrawal of December, Watson gave outstanding service in France and Belgium in ; he was promoted to major in 1917, awarded the MC (1916), the DSO (1919), and was Mentioned in Despatches several times. In later life, S.H.Watson became General Traffic Manager then Deputy Commissioner of the SA Railways. He became a Commander of the British Empire (CBE)] for services to transport in An artist s depiction of the construction of Watson s Pier. by the Anzac Highway Memorial League, a group made up largely of ex-service personnel. Anzac Highway was bituminised in the mid-1920s and in underwent a substantial redevelopment in which it was converted to a dual carriageway with the addition of footpaths and a central plantation. GEOFF GRAINGER As a more general tribute to Australians who had served in war, in November 1924, the Bay Road, which had linked the city of Adelaide and Glenelg since the beginning of white settlement, was renamed ANZAC HIGHWAY. The change was the culmination of several years lobbying Right - Sculpture on Anzac Highway. Turning the first sod of Anzac Highway Page 5

6 Workers in the Richmond Rd, Keswick, bitumen testing laboratory of the Department of Roads, Opening the Thebarton Bowling green, October 7, Mrs Sara delivering the jack. Page 6

7 The Watson family at Plympton. (See article page 5). Solid-tyred delivery trucks at Mile End railway goods yard. Page 7

8 THE Extracts RICHMOND from the files BLOCKS of the West Torrens Historical THE Linfoot Society family settled on one of the Richmond Blocks in the MOORE FARM BRIDGE - The Moore Farm bridge, which spans the Breakout Creek on the Henley Beach Rd at Fulham, is fast falling to pieces and unless something is done soon, either to repair it or build a new structure, there is sure to be an accident when heavy loads are passing over it as the decking is rotting and fast falling to pieces. On Wednesday a horse put its foot through the structure, causing a gaping hole Moore Farm at Fulham. The bridge was nearby. From The Advertiser, Thursday April 4, BISMARK My father had a big milk round, stretching from Marion Rd right up to the Mile End railway yards. I know the district was called Bismark before it was called Brooklyn Park. When our property was sold at auction in 1921, I remember seeing the name Bismark Dairy on the scrolls, which milk carts had on each side in those days. I have been told that even earlier than that the district was called Garfield. Our land is part of the Airport now, of course. I used to hunt cows where the Airport buildings are now. Extract from a 1976 WTHS interview with Mrs Ada Both, formerly of Brooklyn Park. A milk float similar to that used by the Bismark Dairy. Page 8

9 OPEN AIR - The committee of the Ratepayers have decided to call a general meeting of ratepayers for Tuesday night next, March 25 th at the site of the Soldiers Memorial Hall, Rowland Rd, Hilton. The site, which is open air, has seating accommodation of about 400 and standing room for another The stage alone is sheltered and we are anxious for the weather to fine up. An open air Church of Christ tent mission at Hilton circa 1920s. Extract from a letter from W. H. O Flaherty, accountant, to Captain S.A. White of Fulham, dated March 20, BICYCLE RACING The Quarterly meeting of the Mile End Methodist Circuit was held at Brooklyn Park on October 7. The delegates represented over 1000 Methodist residents of the district. At the meeting a discussion took place in reference to Sunday sport with special references to bicycle racing on Marion Rd. It was stated that such large numbers of men and boys with their machines made the road dangerous to legitimate travellers. The congestion at certain points was such as to slow up, if not hold-up, other users of the highway. A West Torrens cycling club, 1896/7. Extract of letter to the District Clerk of the West Torrens Council from W. Lamshed, Acting Secretary, Mile End Methodist Church, dated October 10, Page 9

10 WHAT S IN A NAME? BARCOO ROAD, WEST BEACH The Holdfast Bay Sailing Club was established at this site in 1958 and the Sea Rescue Squadron in An unnamed private road led from Military Road to these coastal facilities. In the mid-1980s the road was officially named Barcoo Road. The West Beach Trust had been responsible for the road for many years; in the early 1990s the road became the responsibility of the West Torrens council. The 1420-ton naval survey frigate HMAS Barcoo dragged her anchors and ran aground on a sand bar near this site during the major storm that hit the Adelaide coast on the weekend of 10/12 April, The Barcoo had been surveying the South Australian coast and had returned to Adelaide for a few days leave. It had anchored off Glenelg and closed down HMAS Barcoo stranded on West Beach. main engines when the storm hit. Huge seas drove the ship onto West Beach with about 50 men on board. On Sunday morning April 11, crew members and helpers on the beach secured four lines from the Barcoo to a small section of Glenelg jetty which had been blown ashore at West Beach. Several crew members were able to leave the ship along these lines. The tides were not high enough to refloat the Barcoo so she spent at least nine days on the sand bar (although some say it was for a few weeks). The Royal Australian Navy eventually called in a salvage firm that managed to kedge the ship off the sand bar. As soon as she could float again, the Barcoo was able to sail away under her own power. GEOFF GRAINGER Right - The Barcoo firmly stuck in the sand. Former Holdfast Sailing Club site now the Adelaide Sailing Club. Page 10

11 COMING EVENTS FOR YOUR DIARY WEST TORRENS HISTORICAL SOCIETY MONTHLY MEETINGS at Kandahar Commencing at 7:45pm Monday April 23rd. Special meeting. Speaker - Barry Willoughby. His subject will be The Keswick Barracks. Please bring supper. The Month of May: About Time history festival for entire month. May 1st - 20th (inc). Exhibition in Hamra Auditorium - The Churches of West Torrens. Open Monday to Saturday during library hours. See official programme for other West Torrens About Time events. Monday May 28th. General meeting. Bring reports, photos etc. Monday June 25th. Special meeting - History of the Lockleys Bowling Club - discussion with Barrie Brice. Please bring supper. Monday July 23rd. General meeting. 50 Years Ago - bring items and memorabilia on the year 1962 in West Torrens. Website access to Local History through the West Torrens Library. The West Torrens Historical Society web-site is users.chariot.net.au/~wths/ THE West Torrens Historical Society is currently digitalising all its files in partnership with the West Torrens Hamra Centre Library. This is an ongoing project. Hundreds of WTHS files photographs, images, documents, transcribed interviews and newspaper articles are already accessible via the Hamra Centre Library s website. To help you access these files, follow these instructions: Go to the City of West Torrens website At the top of the Home Page click on Library and then in the drop-down box Library Web Catalogue. This will open the Home Page of the West Torrens Library Service. At the top of this page click on Collections. This will take you to a search page; click on Local History. This will open the search page for Local History; follow the search instructions. DISCLAIMER - COPYRIGHT Views and opinions expressed in articles in this newsletter do not necessarily reflect the views of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc. While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of the articles printed, responsibility is not accepted for any errors they may contain that are out of our control. If a work of copyright has been inadvertently included and the copyright holder prefers that the work not be made available, please contact the West Torrens Historical Society and the record will be removed from general access. PRIVACY ACT A Member s or Friend s personal information collected by the Society, e.g. name, address and telephone number, will only be used for the forwarding of the newsletter and relevant information concerning the Society. The information will not be shared, sold or given to a third party without the Member s or Friend s consent. Any s received will be treated as above, however any information sent by will be at the sender s risk and the Society will not be held responsible for any unintended use or disclosure of this information. SUBMISSIONS TO NEWSLETTER Submissions to the newsletter are welcome but their publication is at the discretion of the Newsletter Committee and can be given to Members or sent to PO Box 43 Marleston SA Page 11

12 Friends of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc. Application for Membership Please post to: The Secretary West Torrens Historical Society Inc. PO Box 43 Marleston SA 5033 MEMBERSHIP FEE: $15 I/we wish to become a (member/renew membership) of the Friends of the West Torrens Historical Society Inc. I enclose my membership for 2012/13. Name(s):.. Address:... Postcode:. Contact Details: My own interests are:.. Phone: Signature(s): Mobile: . Please make cheques payable to West Torrens Historical Society Inc. Membership is renewable in March each year. West Torrens Historical Society Contacts: Website users.chariot.net.au/~wths/ Secretary: (08) President: (08) s: grays67@bigpond.com aja@aka.net.au Correct as at April BOOKS NOW AVAILABLE: Gateway City $5; West Torrens Suburb Names $5; A Pictorial History of West Torrens $10. (postage extra) While limited stocks last! Page 12