self-guided tour of historic kilkenny - gorilla...

SELF GUIDED KILKENNY TOUR

GORILLA ART 20171 1

GSelf-guided Tour of

Historic Kilkenny


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1 AREA MAP .................................................................................................... 01

2 The Downer Family ...................................................................................... 04

3 The Shearer Family ....................................................................................... 05

4 The Beatles Myth ...................................................................................... 07

5 SA Cake Company ...................................................................................... 08

6 The Messenger Family ................................................................................. 08

7 The Oval ......................................................................................................... 09

8 Wilpena Tce Shops ...................................................................................... 10

9 Carlton ......................................................................................................... 11

10 Factories ........................................................................................................ 11

12 Kilkenny Music Estedfords ............................................................................13

12 J.M. McInerney Reserve ................................................................................14

Bibliography ....................................................................................... 15

INDEX


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Hom

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BAK

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MIL

KY

SVIA

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INEM

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THE

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AU

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LD F

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ARY

ARE

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RED

SH

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ED A

REA

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S O

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NO

WN

AS

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NBL

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SHA

DED

ARE

A W

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ALT

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KILKENNY

ESTA

BLIS

HED

1849

SEC

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N 3

88

Wal

kSt

art

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the premises in 1979 and operated here until last year.The Downer family once had roots in this area with Charles Downer the oldest son of the pioneering Henry and Jane Downer once owning a grand house called ‘Alton’ at no: 367/369 Torrens Road. Charles was a chemist at Port Adelaide and owned a soda water business. In 1888 together with partner C.W. IVE he added a wine and spirit business to their company.

A councilor for the Kilkenny Ward from 1879-81, Charles was chairman of the Woodville district council between 1880 and 1881 and in 1884 he became a J.P. Charles died on the 17 of April 1903 aged 69. Downer Street in Kilkenny is named after him. Charles Downer was ex-liberal party member Alexander Downer’s great great Uncle.

HEADING SOUTH DOWN WILPENA TCE

You are now in the affluent end of Wilpena Terrace, which was constructed in the 20th century and much of the lower southern end of this street begun in the late 19th century. The section from Torrens Road to Reynell Street was once called ALTON. Alton was a sub-section within Kilkenny.

YOU WILL NOTICE THE BRIGHTLY PAINTED STOBIE POLES

You will notice the freshly painted stobie poles along the street. Local residents have painted these poles over the past two years, thanks to funding received from the City of Charles Sturt. In this block we have a history pole dedicated to H.D. Cole, a Wilpena Terrace sign, a budgie and a bee for the residents at no 86 painted by Tracey Davis as well as a flagpole by June Miller, which lists the many nationalities that have

WALK SCRIPT

Welcome to a locally produced guide on the history of Kilkenny that has been coordinated by the local community. We would like to Acknowledge that the land we meet on today is the traditional lands of the Kaurna people and that we respect their spiritual relationship with their Country. We also acknowledge the Kaurna people as the traditional custodians of the Adelaide region and that their cultural and heritage beliefs are still as important to the living Kaurna people today. Historian and long term resident Gino Chinca has painstakingly researched and documented the local area. Many of the facts about this locations history would have disappeared in time and wafted off into myth without Gino’s efforts of documentation. We are eternally grateful to him for his kindness in sharing this information as well as other local residents who have also contributed memories and photos.The area of Kilkenny officially started in 1849 and in 1999 Kilkenny celebrated 150 years. You are now standing at the start of Wilpena Terrace, the main street of this area that once housed over 20 shops.

Wilpena is an aboriginal Kaurna word and means: ‘The hut or wurli place’

DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF YOU SHOULD BE BURSONS AUTO PARTS

BURSONS AUTO PARTS was Motor Traders from 1964 to 2011 before the business had a name change. Prior to that it was a mixed business called H.D. Cole between 1928-1956. The building was built by H.D. Cole and was stood empty between 1956 and 1964.The current staff at Burton’s have had older residents discuss with them how they had once gone into Cole with their ration cards during the war to pick up their weekly rations.Across the road from Bursons we have what was one of the first BPs in the area. Voight radiators moved into

Alton House, Torrens Road, Kilkenny, photo courtesy of Gino Chinca.


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(1850-1936), were agricultural machinery manu-facturers and inventors and two of the five sons of Peter Shearer a stonemason and blacksmith, and his wife Mary, née Kirkness. John was born on 9 September 1845 and David on 7 November 1850 in the Orkney Islands, Scotland. The family migrated to South Australia in 1852, living in Port Adelaide, Robe and, later, Clare where the brothers were educated.After an apprenticeship with Hanlon & Co., blacksmiths, John started a blacksmith’s business at Mount Torrens. There, on 15 July 1871, he married

15-year-old Mary Jane Watkins. Later he joined J. G. Ramsay & Co., agricultural implement-makers, Mount Barker, and in 1876 started a smithing business at Mannum on the River Murray, repairing paddle-steamers and farmers’ implements and shoeing horses.In 1877 David joined John in partnership at Mannum. At that time farmland covered with mallee and native pine had to be cleared; farmers needed tough, durable equipment. The Shearers made grubbing machines and fixed ploughs, scarifiers, harrows and strippers

lived in this area.As a suburb Kilkenny reflects the diversity of culture that has migrated to Australia, with the pole outside no 87 containing the flags of Greece, Italy, the United Kingdom, Australia, France, Chile, India, Poland, Germany, Ukraine, Hungary, The Netherlands and Mediterranean Spain.

LOOKING EAST ON DOWNER STREET

You will see the Phantom, a pole dedicated to the ‘Ghost who Walks’. Further down from this is a pole based on Van Gough’s ‘Sunflowers’.

HERE AT THE ROUNDABOUT

Two roundabouts were created in the street as a result of two serious accidents on the corner of Wilpena and Downer Streets in 1994. Other upgrades at this time included traffic islands and the inclusion of marked spaces for car parking. Locals petitioned the council in 2015 in order to request upgrades in the area. The roundabouts and nearby verges have been re-planted. Decorative painting has been added and themes chosen for each roundabout. This theme is fire, which reflects on the contribution to the area by the Shearer Family who started their business John Shearer’s Pty Ltd just over the railway line here in Kilkenny.A decorative set of flames will soon be installed, from artist Lorry Wedding-Marchioro, which will connect in with the Fire Theme.

PLEASE HEAD SOUTH PAST THE ROUNDABOUT

You will notice the grand houses on the eastern side that belonged to the Shearer family the developers of Shearer farming equipment machinery since 1877. The Shearers owned the two houses there on the corner at 82 and 84 with a grandchild living in one or two of them when first built. Workers, foremen or other seasonal employees would stay in these two houses between the 1920’s and 1950’s. John Shearer built the grand house on the corner at no 84. He lived here until he died in 1932. The following notes have been taken from an article on the Shearers by Joyce Gibberd.John Shearer (1845-1932) and David Shearer

Marchant E.W., (1910), J. A. Shearer with his model horse-drawn plough [B 74439] • Photograph [ONLINE]. Available at: http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+74439 [Accessed 30 April 2017].


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stocky, red-bearded, gruff man, he believed that ‘soil is wealth, neither to be hoarded nor squandered. Land worked wisely is what we need’, and he adhered to his motto, ‘Work is life and idleness is death’. In 1952 the Shearer organization became a public company, which was taken over by Arrowcrest Group Pty Ltd in 1987.In World War I David Shearer & Co. made military equipment—munition wagons, stirrups and hames. With Harley Tarrant and Herbert Thomson, David Shearer made a major contribution to the independent development of the motor car in Australia. Around 1882 he adapted the principle of the differential to a hand-tricycle. Then in 1885, as a hobby, he began to work on manufacture of a steam-carriage, basing transmission of power from engine to wheels on the stripper-harvester and steering on a principle used for the stump-jump plough. By 1897 he was driving his steam-car round Mannum where most of the mechanism had been manufactured; it would last for trips of 100 miles (161 km) and travel at 15 miles an hour. In 1900 he was allowed to drive it round Adelaide. Regarded as ‘Mannum’s Grand Old Man’ David, thickset, with a mop of sandy hair, was a dreamer with a scientific mind he died in 1936 aged 86. David’s restored steam car can now be seen at the Birdwood Mill Museum.

WALKING FURTHER SOUTH DOWN WILPENA TERRACE

John Shearer built the 3 other houses between Downer and Reynell Street at no 82, 80 and 78 for his sons. The initial house blocks ran from Wilpena Terrace to Shearer Street, which was named after the Shearer family. A very large block still exists behind no 80, which is owned by John Harvey and family.The Shahin family, namely Eddie Shahin, is a relative (brother) of the foundling family member Fred Shahin who brought the Woodville BP in 1984. Eddie owned the house at no 82 from 1990 until 2012. In that time they had a huge range of fruit trees, a pond, ducks, a well and exotic pigeons on site. Due to not being able to sell the block as a whole they

for use by the farmers. In 1883 the brothers were forced to subsidize the steamers to retain their fair share of river trade as other traders sought to cut them off from their clients.In 1888 John invented wrought-steel ploughshares, which were patented throughout Australasia; these were an improvement on the brittle cast-iron shares in general use. In 1897 he visited the Meadows Steel Co. in England to consult them about the production of a resilient steel—this was known as Resilflex which ‘became the backbone of all future Shearer implements’. By 1902 the brothers were also con-structing a lighter, stronger stripper, with a wider cut, and had begun manufacturing farm wagons.To escape the heavy transport costs from Mannum to Adelaide, the firm opened a branch at Kilkenny in 1904; John and his three sons ran this business with eldest son John Albert being the manager. This factory started with twelve men who produced three ploughs a week. In 1910 the Mannum partnership between John and David ended, with David and his two sons remaining there and John retaining the Kilkenny branch.The Kilkenny branch at this time added tillage implements to production of ploughs. In 1923 John, chairman of directors, and his sons (directors) converted their partnership into a limited company.John Shearer died on 9 August 1932 at his Kilkenny home and was survived by his wife, four daughters and three sons. He was buried in Mitcham cemetery and his estate was sworn for probate at £15,980. A

Michael Terry, (1897), Shearer’s first steam car, South Australia, [ONLINE]. Available at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-241764194/view [Accessed 30 April 2017].


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reason a number of wells existed in the area and some houses have bores such as no 84 Wilpena Terrace.

Decorative poles in this section include the cat and dog of the Ball Family living at no 81, an Escher print at no 77 and a henna tattoo at no 75 and pole by Nelson Manonella and his wife Annette Tripodi. Plus some Shearer poles outside no 80.

THE BEATLES No: 78

The decorative pole here created by Brenton Culshaw suggests there is a mystery about this corner house with a rumour existing that the Beatles attended a party while on tour. Local resident Nelson Manonella has spoken to Bob Francis the man who brought the Beatles to SA and to the Marino family who currently own the house to see if this might be true. He discovered that the Beatles could not leave their hotel due to the massive amount of fans trapping them inside so their manager Brian Epstein attended the party hosted by the Auger family by himself. Brian signed the Beatles 4 names on a wall at the back of the house at that time, which the current owners destroyed when they pulled the pool out in the 1980s. The pool behind the house was damaged when a car was driven into the pool at a wild house party.Bob Francis was a local resident of Croydon at this time. Somewhere near McDonald’s on Torrens Road.

developed 4 units behind the house in order to keep the house on the front block around 2011. Eddie owns a BBQ business on David Terrace and a truckload of goats for BBQ-ing was once seen driving in to the house at no 82.This Shahin family owns all the BP On the Run stores in SA as well as smokemart. The business corporate name is the Peregrine Corporation. From small

beginnings on Woodville Road the company bought the Mobil chain of service stations. They are currently estimated to be worth $1.90 billion.No 80 is currently owned by the Harvey family a second generation family in this historic home. They have been in residence since 1950. Their block seems a tad wider than no 82. The author Arthur Cecil Gask, a dentist and author who wrote 34 books lived here between 1924-1929.Most of the Shearer houses on this block were sold by 1945 when the last Shearers moving out of the district.The house at no 79 Wilpena Terrace was once owned by the Gepp family which had run an Afghan camel run at Oodnadatta. His daughter Eva lived in this house until 1998. It once had a bomb shelter out the back and possibly a well, which was uncovered during recent renovation. A local creek once ran between no 81 and 79, which then turned south and ran along the back fence of these houses. This area once had a lot of ground water, which could quite easily be accessed just under the surface of the ground. Water was easily found 9 feet down. For this

Photo of a Oodnadatta Camel courtesy of the Gepp Family.

unknown, (1966), Brian Epstein [ONLINE]. Available at: http://awid-erbridge.org/biopic-on-brian-epstein-in-the-works/ [Accessed 30 April 2017].


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MESSENGER MILK

The Messenger family still have a milk run in the local area run by Stuart Messenger who lives in a large residence containing a double block with a lot of farm birds in Yallum Street. The Messenger family first lived at no 70, there they had three sons and a daughter (Raymond, Ronda, Ken and Mervyn). One of the sons Mervyn inherited no 70, which stood empty for a number of years when Mervyn moved his family out to the Gawler River district. No 70 has in recent years been restored by one of Mervyn’s decedents. Out the back of no 70 are stables, and old covered well with the family block running left through to Reynell Street. Stuarts dad Ken, first owned a dairy farm where Arndale Shopping Centre now stands. After the land was purchased from him in 1996 he took the family milk run across Torrens Road to Yallum Street. The horses used by him for his milky run lived in the stables behind no 70 Wilpena Terrace. His last horse Rusty was a local icon who lived happily on this block for many years. In 2004 Rusty passed away aged 37 years, he had been retired from active service in 1982. Prior to that the milky had still delivered milk to the area with a horse and cart.

Kim Aunger and Graham Brown provided half and hour swimming lessons for 10 shillings ($1) at no 78. They started the swimming courses in the 1960s.

POLITICS

No 69 was owned by Politician Michael Atkinson between 1994 & 2005. Michael is a well-known figure who rides his pushbike around the suburb. No 69 had the back end subdivided after the sale by the politician. This is something we are seeing a lot of in our local area.

SA CAKE COMPANY

The site at no 67 contained a rear factory with a private home in front. The side block at no 65 was once the tennis court that belonged to 67. In 2007 the current owners (a family of builders Yezgra) knocked over the old home. They have plans to rebuild at some time in the future. In the meantime the family live in the old cake factory, which can be seen from the road.From 1932 -1967 Teagle C. Cake Manufacturer ran his business SA Cake Company in the rear factory. It was a speciality cake bakery for large cakes for events – such as Christmas and birthdays, functions. The current owner remembers knocking down the old kiln that was in the back building and the granddaughter of the family remembers that the Teagle family were inclined to assist others in need by providing lengthy credit periods during the depression.

Clem Teagle and his brother Frank at 67 Wilpena Tce, Kilkenny fromthe memoirs of, Roma Teagle memoirs courtesy Teagle Family.

Roma 16, Jack 14 and Ken 12 on their tennis court at 65 Wilpena Tce, from the memoirs of, Roma Teaglecourtesy Teagle Family.


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CROSSING YALLUM STREET TO THE SVIA OUTDOOR CINEMA

The Svia Open Air Picture Theatre was operational at no 60, the corner block here at the roundabout for Yallum Street and Wilpena Terrace from the 21/1/1922 for a few months before it closed when the indoor silent cinema ‘The Austral’ opened up by the railway line on the 5th of June 1922. Once the cinema closed the block sat empty from 1922-1994 with the projector post standing in place on the site for all those years. The local children played cricket on the corner before the new house was built.Artist Gabrielle de Loreto created the artwork on this pole to represent the open-air cinema which once stood here. Gabrielle’s relatives live in old shop on the corner at no 55, which has over the years housed a confectioner, grocer and fruit and vegetable shop.The new roundabout here has the theme of air with some Kinetic sculptures being created by artist Lorry Wedding-Marchioro. The sculptures should be installed by July.


Has anyone seen the statue of Dame Roma Mitchell on North Terrace? Artist Janet Moore created this piece in the studio out the back of the house at no 53. Janet is an artist and sculptor. She made the statue of Dame Roma Mitchell in her studio out the back of this home in the mid 1990s.Between 1974 and 1980 Trevor Wing had a replica of the Regent picture theatre out the back of his home (no 50) in his shed. He would have his friends over regularly to watch films in that space. Decorative poles in this area include Hilda Zuvela’s peacock and ‘Licitar’ hearts. The making of the hearts represent our Croatian culture. They are made in Croatia & have been recognised as an intangible cultural practice by UNESCO. They have become a symbol of Croatia & are only found there.

ARNDALE SHOPPING CENTRE

Arndale was the first shopping centre built in SA. It was constructed by Chippendale & Arnold for Westfields and originally housed a John Martins store. Arndale was responsible for the demise of the Wilpena and David Terrace shops in the 1960’s.The decorative poles along this stretch of street include a rainbow cake pole to signify the SA Cake Company, a Rusty the Horse double sided pole, a Messenger Milk pole, a tennis court pole to signify the place the Teagle’s tennis court once stood, a fish pole for the Yezgra family’s love of fishing and a soccer pole for Girolamo who played soccer in the area as boys. A historical pole for resident John was created with the 1870 start date of the Port Adelaide Football Club.

EMPTY HOUSES

There are a number of houses down this end of the street no’s 59,57,64,62 which are currently empty. Nos 57 and 59 are owned by the Girolamo family since their parents passed away a few years ago.The Yannis family used to live at no 64, they also own 62 and no 68. There is a back block which runs behind Wilpena Terrace, from the Messengers stables to Yallum Street which is also owned by the Yannis family. Directly behind no 64 is an old windmill that has been totally overgrown by a grape vine.If you look here behind the house on the left you can see the shape of the windmill. We suspect it may be a Speedy Windmill from the Speedy Windmill factory.

An aerial view of Arndale in 1964, the year it opened, photocourtesty of Gino Chinca.


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block and was named after the sites original farmer Patrick Bryan. Outside of no 39 Wilpena Terrace is the logo of the Kilkenny Cats from around 1950. The logo was re-in-terpreted on top of Crows and Port Adelaide Football club colours on one side of the pole and on the traditional maroon colour from the football club on the other. The logo was painted by Tracey Davis.


Wilpena Terrace was once a thriving shopping district and you could purchase anything from shoes through to tomato’s and tobacco, but all that changed when Arndale opened in 1964. One by one, the shops closed, with one shop going bankrupt in 1965. Fish and Chip shops, pool halls, butchers and the local grocers remained for another decade or so.16 shops in total operated in Wilpena Terrace between 1884 and 2003. No 10 was the first to open in 1884 and no 55 was the last to close on Sunday November 9 2003. Shops along Wilpena terrace were known for giving credit to residents to help them out during hard times.

No: 42 formerly a boot maker and fish shop was demolished in 1974.No: 38 Commenced as Carlton Butcher Shop was demolished in 74.No: 30 included a confectioner, a newsagent, a bookseller, deli and a mixed business.

Some of the older streets running off Wilpena Terrace in the area that was once called Carlton were re-named after local country towns, which happened to have indigenous names. Rachel became Pinda, Rosie turned into Tarcowie and Sarah to Mundalla. Myponga is another street named after a country town.A stunning stobie pole outside no 28 is by local Jan Kennedy, it features the ‘Hand of Fatima’ which is an ancient Middle Eastern and North African amulet symbolizing the Hand of God.


Gabrielle De Lorento has painted the palm trees, and tiger poles, as well as the Egyptian pole around the corner on Myponga street. Kupman Street has a range of pole paintings along its street, as does Myponga Street.

CROSSING THE ROAD TO THE OVAL

There was once a football oval on Wilpena Terrace. It ran between Wilpena Terrace, Tarcowie St, David Terrace and Myponga St. On the Tarcowie end was the old Hall and the church. The original homestead of farmer Patrick Bryan who owned this land was at 62 David Terrace, Kilkenny. The rest of the block from no 29 to Myponga Street was used as the local oval. It was home first to the Kilkenny Football club or Kilkenny Cats in the 1930’s. The Kilkenny Cats were earlier on know as the Carlton Cats before the districts name was altered. The Circus would pitch in the block and Guy Falk’s fireworks displays were also held there. Fairs and Salvation Army events were also set up under tents on this block.For change rooms the Kilkenny football club used the shed of a man called Claude Stephens on Yallum Terrace. He was the areas local bushels tea rep. The oval was subdivided and had new houses built on it in the 40’s and 50’s. Brian Avenue runs through the

Blazer pocket of Gino Chinca’s Football Jacket circia 1960’s.


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ON THE CORNER OF MUNDULLA AND WILPENA TCE

No 10 a grocer, mixed business and boarding house and it was built by G.H. Gymer (local builder) for his daughter Miss Alice Guymer (his daughter) who was the store keeper there in 1903. These days this building is sadly just used as a storage space.Artist Jackie Reichstein has created a gorgeous history pole outside of no 10, a medieval depiction of Alice Guymer. On the other side of the pole is a modern Warhol interpretation of the soup can, as an Australia Rosella Soup Can by local Kelly Dann.No 8 is the original residence built and lived in by George H. Gymer who resided there until 1941. His son GH Gymer Junior had a business on Arkaba Road in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

George Senior worked out of his home at no 8, he passed away in 1948.George also built the house at no 6 as well as a number of the local cottages in the area. It is believed that George built a number of homes in Kilkenny.The Cottages on the western side of the road originally housed the staff of the nearby foundries, which included Forwood Down along with the glassworks.Between 1918 and 1965 Nurse Dolly Marsh resided at no 2 Wilpena Terrace, she was the local midwife who

was known to ride a push bike around Kilkenny.

CARLTON THE WORKING CLASS AREA

Was a subdivision of section 388 in Kilkenny. The gentlemen involved in developing the initial section were William Magarey, William Cave and Alfred Jones. The area called Carlton ran from the railway line to

CROSSING TO THE KILKENNY COMMUNITY CENTRE

This building, the Kilkenny Community Centre was originally built by the Norman Memorial Congre-gational Church in 1925. Behind it is the Kilkenny Congregational Church which started in 1885. If you look west down Tarcowie Street you will see the original church that is now used by the Cecchetti Ballet School in SA. The Kilkenny location was the first Chetti Ballet studio in Adelaide.No 27A included the following a boot maker, hairdresser, a fish shop, fish and chip shop, pool hall and a bookshop.There is a flood pole by re-known Adelaide Artist Nic Folland on the corner of Tarcowie Street and Wilpena Terrace that is based on a rural country flood pole.

No 24 included a boot maker, mixed business and a newsagent.No 27B was a hair-dresser’s, milliners and a lambs wool product shop.

House no 23 has a pole with poppies on it to symbolize Anzac Day and the soldiers that fell during the war, it is by Kelly Dunn.No 22 has a pole painted by architect and artist James Schuler, it is a warning for walkers and cyclist about the blind corner in bright yellow. No 20 once held a deli, grocer, butcher and confectioner.No 18 a grocer and mixed business.Nearby no 16 is another pole by Jan Kennedy with 2 koi fish a pussy cat and a yin/yang sign on the pole.No 12 a dry cleaning and mixed business.

Miss Alice Guymer out the front of no 10 Wilpena Terrace, Kilkenny. Photo courtesty of Gino Chinca


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Forward Downs & Co Ltd machinery Dept, a range of mixed industrial businesses, John Coumbe Foundry and then finally as PDP Bianco’s Cement factory from 1996 and 2009.The site was bought in the 1980’s by John Shearers and rented out; it was sold in to businessman Peter Gregg in the 2000s and he has hopes of turn it into a multilevel housing TOD. This year Lonely Planet released a book on Street Art that contained the old Bianco’s site as street artists have been visiting the site on a regular basis site since it was closed. The owner does try and keep them out but it seems to be a struggle. The building is contaminated with concrete asbestos.

Myponga terrace and was bounded by Aroona road in the east and David Terrace in the west.There were the following businesses in Carlton,The Carlton Butcher Shop, Carlton Tennis Club and the Carlton Football Club. Which won the premiership in 1906.In the early 1910s Carlton was incorporated into Kilkenny. Carlton is a commonplace name in England and means “Serf’s Village” in medieval times. This certainly reflects working class area in that part of Kilkenny between 1860 and 1910.

THE SOUTHERN END FACTORIES OF CARLTON AND KILKENNY

The factory on the corner of Pinda Street and Wilpena Terrace was, between 1914 and 1932, Speedy’s windmill factory. It has also been a Chains and Ac-cessories Pty Ltd, engineer, a foundry, auto sprayer, a panel beater, motor trimmer, elevator factory, a plastics factory and is currently Torrens Engineering. A remaining Speedy Windmill may exist behind the house at no 64 Wilpena Terrace.Directly opposite Kilkenny Railway station where there is now a little park, once stood the Kilkenny Shop. It was demolished some time ago.In 1983 the railway end of Wilpena Terrace was turned into a one-way exit on David Terrace and a few years ago the street was closed off completely at that end.Previously many motorists used Wilpena Terrace as a short cut through to Port Road before the street was altered in the 1980’s with a one-way exit at David Terrace/Kilkenny Road at the railway. Today with the introduction of the new Southern Freeway the back streets of Kilkenny and West Croydon are often used as shot cuts for traffic wanting to get around road congestion.

FORWOOD DOWN, BIANCOS and THE AUSTRAL CINEMA

This large corner block has been a place of industry since 1926 and the demise of Bianco’s in the late 2000’s. Previous incarnations include 1935-1946

Unknown, (1915), Forwood Down ironworks, Kilkenny [ONLINE]. Avail-able at: http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+201/13/2/15 [Accessed 30 April 2017].

Michael Coghan, (2015), Graffiti inside the old Bianco’s Building, Kilkenny [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mike-cogh/17025289195/ [Accessed 30 April 2017].



in the late 1800s and he moved his business over to Port Road where the business stayed until 1939. In October 1888 the Wilpena Terrace property was sold to G.E. Fulton and Co. Until the mid 2000’s a scrap metal place existed in Pinda Street a plastics factory in that same street being set fire to around that time.

TURN LEFT DOWN ARKABA ROAD

Kilkenny held a yearly music competition called the Kilkenny Music Competition between 1928 and 1949 at St. Edwards Hall, which was adjacent to the St Edwards Church in Arkaba Road. At times the com-petition was also held in the Elgin Church Hall on Kilkenny Road. In 1949 they joined the Adelaide music competitions and became part of the Adelaide Eisteddfod’s.

Some of those that featured at this event in their early careers included:

Dame Ruby Litchfield (director/theatre), Phyl Skinner (showgirl / performer), Patti Bawden (dancer/choreographer),

The older building along the railway line was once The Austral Picture Palace from the 5 of June 1922 to the 2 of October 1926. It is believed they put in an application to become a speaking cinema in the last year of operation but were beaten to it by the new “Kilkenny Picture Palace” on David Terrace, which opened on the 5 of June 1926.Brenton Culshaw has created a history pole outside of Bianco’s that depicts the old silent cinema.

TURN UP PINDA STREET TO VISIT THE FOUNDRY DISTRICT

The old Biancos area was until the early 1900s once known for its foundries. The area between the railway line, Mundalla Street and up to Sackville Street was an industrial area for around 140 years and at once stage it was given the nickname of Little Sheffield.In 1869 John Coumbe started his iron works foundry along the railway line. By 1890 he had 50 men working for him with numbers climbing up to 70 during busy periods. With the shift of Foundry work off shore the John Coumbe Foundry went into decline

Competition entrants at the Elgin Church Hall, Kilkenny Road, Woodvile Park. Photo courtesy of Gino Chinca


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Unknown, (1923), Workmen erecting a windmill at Kilkenny, South Australia [ONLINE]. Available at: http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/33/84 [Accessed 30 April 2017].Photograph

Gwen Mackey (dance teacher, choreographer),Harry Haythorne (dancer, performer, teacher), Tom Fairlie (teacher, dancer, Humphrey B Bear),Anne Haddy (Actress),Kevin Kitto (singer) and many more.

CONTINUE EAST DOWN MUNDULLA STREET

The space now occupied by M.J. McInerney Reserve was once part of Carlton’s and Kilkenny’s thriving industrial business. At one stage there was a pug hole in the area where the Glanville Pipe Works then turned clay that was taken from it into clay pipes. The glassworks on Port Road started in 1904.The area was purchased and filled in by the Woodville council in the mid 1940’s. In 1945 and 1946 it was used as the local rubbish dump. Houses and the local YMCA club once covered some of the reserve space before being converted into the park. Local residents worked with the council to create the hand made tiles, a wall mural and other spaces in the reserve. The park was named after M.J McInerney who was a prisoner of war in the 1st World War. He was president of the Croydon/Kilkenny RSL and a member of the Woodville district council as the councilor for the West Croydon ward between 1950 and 1954. He also worked for the council.The park was opened to the community on Sunday the 22 of October 1995 and was featured, along with the local RSL, in the Australian movie Look Both Ways a 2005 Australian independent film. The film was written and directed by Sarah Watt, it was released on 18 August 2005.

J. Coumbe & Sons, photo courtesy of Gino Chinca.

Unknown, (2005), Look both ways movie still [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.cinemaclock.com/movies/look-both-ways-2005 [Accessed 30 April 2017].



BIBLIOGRAPHY

Please note this bibliography is a mixture of notes and Harvard Citation

Text ReferencesHistorian Gino Chinca

Downer, A. D., 2012. The Downers of South Australia. 1st ed. Kent Town, South Australia: Wakefield Press.

Joyce Gibberd, ‘Shearer, John (1845–1932)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/shearer-john-8408/text14767, published first in hardcopy 1988, accessed online 30 April 2017.

Photographic ReferencesP01 Map of Kilkenny, by Tracey Davis (2014)P04 Alton House, Torrens Road, Kilkenny, photo courtesy of Gino Chinca.P05 Marchant E.W., (1910), J. A. Shearer with his model horse-drawn plough [B 74439] • Photograph [ONLINE]. Available at: http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/B+74439 [Accessed 30 April 2017].P06 Michael Terry, (1897), Shearer’s first steam car, South Australia, [ONLINE]. Available at: http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-241764194/view [Accessed 30 April 2017].P07 Photo of a Oodnadatta Camel courtesy of the Gepp Family.P07 unknown, (1966), Brian Epstein [ONLINE]. Available at: http://awiderbridge.org/biopic-on-brian-epstein-in-the-works/ [Accessed 30 April 2017].P08 Clem Teagle and his brother Frank at 67 Wilpena Tce, Kilkenny from the memoirs of, Roma Teagle memoirs courtesy Teagle Family.P08 Roma 16, Jack 14 and Ken 12 on their tennis court at 65 Wilpena Tce, from the memoirs of, Roma Teaglecourtesy Teagle Family.P09 An aerial view of Arndale in 1964, the year it opened, photo courtesy of Gino Chinca.P10 Blazer pocket of Gino Chinca’s Football Jacket circia 1960’s. Photograph by Tracey Davis.P11 Miss Alice Guymer out the front of no 10 Wilpena Terrace, Kilkenny. Photograph courtesty of Gino ChincaP12 Unknown, (1915), Forwood Down ironworks, Kilkenny [ONLINE]. Available at: http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/BRG+201/13/2/15 [Accessed 30 April 2017].P12 Michael Coghan, (2015), Graffiti inside the old Bianco’s Building, Kilkenny [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/17025289195/ [Accessed 30 April 2017].P13 Competition entrants at the Elgin Church Hall, Kilkenny Road, Woodvile Park. Photo courtesy of Gino ChincaP12 J. Coumbe & Sons, photo courtesy of Gino Chinca.P14 Unknown, (1923), Workmen erecting a windmill at Kilkenny, South Australia [ONLINE]. Available at: http://collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/resource/PRG+280/1/33/84 [Accessed 30 April 2017].PhotographP14 Unknown, (2005), Look both ways movie still [ONLINE]. Available at: https://www.cinemaclock.com/movies/look-both-ways-2005 [Accessed 30 April 2017].

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