Our Town: Recent Episodes
National Trust of South Australia
Our Town is the first podcast series from the National Trust of South Australia. It captures the authentic voices of our communities who research, narrate, and record stories about their place. These podcast episodes, by our talented branch members, share their local heritage and history from way back, and not so long ago, and invite you to find out more about their amazing natural environments. We hope you enjoy Our Town.
A glimpse into the history of ironing through the ages, brought to you by Pauline Reid from the Clare branch of the National Trust of South Australia.
Join Jeff, Marilyn and David as they recount the inspiring story of Meta Pruul, an extraordinary woman whose musical talent enriched the cultural life of South Australia.
The Pruul family, displaced by the Second World War, eventually settled in Gawler. Find out how they adapted to their new lives and the ways they contributed to the life of the town. A heart-warming story told by those who knew its key players, this episode will appeal to music lovers, and to those who remember a time when bricks were made by hand!
By David Tucker, Jeff Turner, Marilyn Tucker, Tony Baylis, Grace & Skye Humphill.
Join Jeff Turner for a walk through what was the old Willaston migrant camp in South Australia. Jeff takes a stroll through his town to a local place that is very special to him, and many others in the Gawler region. Today, it is the much loved home of the Willaston Football Club where locals support their favourite team. In days gone by it was the temporary home for many new families arriving from Europe after WWII.
Migrant families who arrived in Gawler in the 1940s-1960s bought their children who had to be educated. Many of the children could not speak English. Student numbers swelled in local classrooms and new friendships were forged.
Join us for Episode 2 of Our Town, as Jeff Turner describes what life was like for the new children at school. The research for this episode comes from work Jeff Turner and Anne Richards undertook for their book "This'll do".
Millie continues her exploration of native vegetation in the Clare Valley. She draws our attention to the smaller plants that she knows so well. One of these small flowers, prized by the Ngadjuri people, was the Murnong. This is a fabulous episode to listen to if you are planning a trip to Clare or are currently visiting the region.
Find out about The Hill Family and how they came to live in the Clare Valley. Millie talks about the plights and successes of a much loved local family and about Inchiquin homestead which was the scene of many celebrations, balls, and social gatherings.
A group of settlers to Clare came from the Highlands and islands of Scotland. We find out how this group of early migrant families came to be living in the Clare Valley.
Millie’s mystery uncovers an early explorer to the Clare Valley who has been largely been forgotten over time. He was the first white man to see the water courses and features of the land of the Ngadjuri people. Millie’s research draws on research from Max Slee’s book about John Hill.
Join Millie as she talks about her special region; the natural landscape and native trees of the Clare Valley. We discover that her local environment has big trees and small amongst the wide open plains and broad valleys, and we find out why.
Pauline shares a sad mystery from long ago. Her episode examines the social history of Clare and tragic death of two children to drowning around the time of WWI.
Graham’s research has surfaced an article from a 1950 edition of the Gawler Bunyip newspaper. The article takes us back to Gawler High School's end of year Speech Night where the Head Master shares the achievements of his graduating class. Several students were from new migrant families and they were given a special mention for their hard work and successes. This was also during a time when polio was a significant concern, so holds particular relevance today as we consider how people lived through a public health crisis.
The Old Police Station is one of the oldest surviving buildings in Clare. It now houses the Clare Museum and Clare Branch of the National Trust of South Australia. In the first Our Town episode from Clare, Millie tells us the history of the Old Clare Police Station and those who worked there. Her research reveals the wide range of human interactions that take place around the police presence in the region. From the sad plight of men who travelled through the district, to blossoming romance for Constable Aliff.
In part two of this episode, Pauline discovers an unusual and practical object which can be found in the Clare Museum collection. We also hear from Marilyn from Gawler, who has a short tale to tell in response to Pauline’s helpful, household object.
Marilyn's research dives into mid century manufacturing in the township of Gawler. She uncovers new details about the Timer Fashion garment factory where many local women, young and old, worked. The Timer Fashion brand was a significant player in the local garment industry where they produced a range of different clothing lines under the 'Timer' label.
Trailer for the National Trust of South Australia podcast 'Our Town'
Our Town is the first podcast series from the National Trust of South Australia.
It captures the authentic voices of our communities, who share stories about their place. In 2019, the National Trust of South Australia initiated a project to collect audio recordings for its inaugural podcast program by introducing members of our branch network to new ways of documenting and sharing precious local stories.
The stories were researched, narrated, and recorded by participants using a range of storytelling and audio techniques. New digital skills have been discovered and shared, and will continue to be developed as our Branch members expand their podcasting expertise.
We hope you enjoy Our Town. Be sure to watch this space for our next series as Our Town heads north to the Clare Valley for more great stories from our talented local voices.
The first Our Town episode is about the people who came to Gawler, from Europe, to escape the devastation of the Second World War.
The research for this episode comes from the work undertaken by Jeff Turner and Anne Richards for their book 'This'll do'.
The title of the book, 'This’ll Do', says it all. It expresses the satisfaction felt by all who lived at the Willaston Hostel on their arrival to Gawler. They left behind harrowing experiences across Europe and the U.K., and found themselves safe and able to build new lives with jobs and the opportunity to establish a home in the Gawler community.
Many contributed to the community in grand style, others in a quieter way by filling jobs using, often unexpected, skill and a great deal of diligence. Some of these people are still working in the Gawler community today.
The book, and Jeff's episodes, tell the story of these families--from the hardships of Europe to their early days in South Australia. It adds to the collective knowledge of our town, Gawler.