News & Events

Our last History Centre open day this year will be Friday 13th December and we will be back again on Tuesday 4th February.

In the meantime, come and visit our Christmas Display, outside the History Centre in the Coventry Library featuring Christmas traditions from all around the world and our first ever “Teddies’ Christmas Tree”. (perhaps the first ever anywhere?). The display will be available to view whenever the Library is open

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our members and followers.

Well, it’s hard to believe I know, but Christmas is almost upon us and we invite you to to celebrate the MLDHS final event for 2019. It promises to be for an evening of fun, music and Christmas fare.

Janet Leitch and friends will entertain us with “The Songs & Stories of Christmas”.  If you have attended one of our previous Christmas celebrations you will know that a fantastic evening will be had by all.

We would love you to join us for this amazing finale to our 2019 program. So, please join us. Feel free to bring along some Christmas treats to share and your best singing voice and come prepared for a very special evening.

We will provide “bubbles” and Christmas treats as well. 
We will celebrate our Hills heritage and communities in style and look forward to seeing you there.

On Friday evening, 18th October, Dr Karen Agutter will present a history of the Woodside Immigration Centre, 1949 – 1963.

All details are on the attached flyer

Mt Lofty Districts Historical Society Inc.

Friday 18^th October, 7.00pm for 7.30pm to 9.30pm

Coventry Library Stirling, SA

Highlight Presentation

“A Home in the Hills – The Woodside Migration Centre 1949-1963”

by Migration History Specialist, Dr Karen Agutter

Dear Members

As our very flowery September Program comes to an end, we are delighted to announce the forthcoming presentation by Migration Specialist, Dr Karen Agutter. On Friday evening 18^th October at the Coventry Library Stirling.  Her topic is drawn from many years of research covering, in particular, the period following the Second World War. Dr Agutter will expand upon the experiences of migrants who began their new lives in South Australia at the Woodside Migration Centre between 1949 and 1963.

To accompany this presentation we are gathering objects, documents, books and photographs which illustrate the migration pathways of people who have moved into South Australia from across the wider world. We will also be engaging with our local residents to gain greater understanding of their mobility patterns over more recent times. These materials will be sourced and prepared over the next weeks.

If you have items – photographs, diaries, objects which you have brought from your homeland or stories which you would like to tell – we will be delighted to include them in our secure  display cases.  Meanwhile, if you have not had time to explore the amazing collection of items which illustrate the myriad of ways in which flowers inspire us, our ‘September is all about Flowers” displays will remain in place for the rest of this week. Make haste, it is well worth a visit.

Then we move on to our very important and enlightening topic – “October is all about Migration”, highlighted by the presentation by Dr Karen Agutter on Friday evening, 18^th October at the Coventry Library Stirling. If you have information or objects which will illustrate your migration stories please contact me – Dr Ann Herraman, 0419 816 490.

With thanks for your ongoing support for our activities and our ever-expanding research and presentation program.

Kind regards Ann Herraman

Dr Ann Herraman, President, MLDHS, 0419 816 490

Come and see our displays in the History Centre and enjoy one or more of our talks on a botanical theme as we celebrate the garden history of our local area and both native and introduced species which make our area unique.

Mt Lofty Districts Historical Society Inc. in collaboration with
The  Rhododendron Society of South Australia, invites you to the
Grant Memorial Lecture, with guest speaker Jim Fogarty,
International Landscape Architect and Media Personality.

Coventry Memorial Library, Stirling

Friday 6^th September 2019 from 6.30pm-9.30pm

Members are invited to Stangate House for another of our popular fireside chats, now for the first time, dedicated to the memory of the iconic Frank Hurren; the very first of what we know will continue as one of our highlights for the year.

Guests Tony and Miranda Hurren will speak about their family home “Narrinyeri”.

RSVP essential

Our “Gateways” project was launched during the Society’s 40th birthday celebrations on 20th May.

We are pleased to announce that with the assistance of an Adelaide Hills Council grant we have introduced this new website with an increased focus on interacting with our community and providing “gateways” which encourage and invite your contributions to our archives.

We have also purchased new digital audio recording equipment to re-invigorate our oral history collection. Any members or potential members who would like to train as interviewers for this important project are invited to contact the Society.