Tag: history

Reopening of Rejuvenated Latvian Museum

Posted on by Amanda James

On Saturday 11 December, the History Trust of South Australia’s Community History Officers, Amanda James and Pauline Cockrill attended the reopening of Adelaide’s Latvian Museum, which has been closed to the public for around 5 years.

Visitors view examples of national costume and ceramics, representing Latvia’s cultural heritage, displayed in new cabinets.

Located at 36 Rose Terrace in Wayville, the museum was officially reopened by His Excellency Marģers Krams, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Latvia to the Commonwealth of Australia, along with Ilze Radzins, President of the Latvian Association of SA.

Housed in a 19th century stone-fronted villa, the museum aims to reflect the heritage of the post WW2 immigrants who brought their culture and art to South Australia from Latvia.  Prior to COVID and some necessary building renovations, the History Trust had been closely involved in the rejuvenation of the museum, with both funding and expert advice. In 2017-19 Community History Officer, Pauline Cockrill worked with the museum volunteers to clean, catalogue and review the displays in preparation for Latvia’s centenary celebrations taking place 2017-2021. In 2018, Latvia celebrated a hundred years since it became an independent state.

The Latvian Museum has had close connections with the History Trust for many years, being part of its Community Museums Program, (now the Museums and Collections (MaC) Program), the development and funding program for community museums and historical groups that manage collections.  We should like to acknowledge the many years of sterling work undertaken by previous volunteer curator Mara Kolomitsev who sadly passed way in 2020.

Fascinating memorabilia relating to Aldona Laurs (nee Muizniece) born in Riga in 1911. She was a Red Cross nurse during WW2 and afterwards worked at the DP Camp Insula, near Berchtesgaden in Germany. She migrated to Adelaide in 1948.

We look forward to the Latvian Museum joining MaC and being able to assist them in incorporating into the museum displays, the many oral histories of the Latvian community being ably gathered by Marija Perijma.

Saturday’s event was a memorable occasion for the local Latvian community, and many of the hardworking volunteers involved in the museum’s rejuvenation were in attendance.  After an opportunity to view the museum’s displays, attendees were invited to the Latvian Association’s meeting rooms next door for refreshments including traditional Latvian  specialties: Piragi (bacon filled buns) and Klingeris (a sweet bread served at birthdays and other celebrations).

L-R: Ilze Radzina, Marija Perejma, Pauline Cockrill, His Excellency Mr Margers Krams and Mrs Sandra Krama

Gifts were exchanged between the Ambassador and the Latvian Association, and the museum also received a fascinating donation to the collection from a local member of the Latvian community in the form of a pair of binoculars belonging to his father. They had been requisitioned from a Russian soldier during the reoccupation of Latvia by the Soviet Union in 1944 following the withdrawal of Nazi German troops.

HE Ambassador of Latvia, Margers Krams looks on as the President of the Latvian Association, Ilse Radzins is presented with some WW2 memorabilia for the museum.
Slices of celebratory Latvian cake (Klingeris) are passed around at the reception afterwards

Visiting the City of Adelaide

Posted on by Amanda James

On 22 September the History Trust of South Australia’s Community History Officers, Amanda James and Pauline Cockrill were delighted to be given a personal tour of the Clipper Ship, City of Adelaide by Director Peter Christopher.

The City of Adelaide is currently berthed in Dock 2, Honey Street in Port Adelaide. The volunteer not-for-profit organisation which preserves this historic vessel, Clipper Ship City of Adelaide Ltd (CSCOAL) recently joined our Museums and Collections (MaC) Program, the History Trust of South Australia’s development and funding program for community museums and historical groups that manage collections.

Peter talking about the composite hull – wood and iron frame.

The ship was purpose-built in Sunderland in the north of England to transport passengers and goods between the UK and South Australia and was named after its capital city.  The world’s oldest composite clipper ship (wooden hull on iron frame), and one of only two to survive, the other being the famous but younger Cutty Sark.

The City of Adelaide’s maiden voyage was in 1864 and for over 20 years she played an important part in the immigration of Australia. Later she worked as a cargo ship, then an isolation hospital near Southampton before being taken over by the Royal Navy.  The ship was left to rot on a private slip on the River Clyde in Scotland before being rescued by a group of Australian volunteers headed by Peter Christopher and brought to Port Adelaide in 2014.

Peter and his volunteers gave a fascinating tour of the ship and we discussed the restoration and future plans for interpretation.  Their aim is to make the ship the centre-piece of a seaport village in Port Adelaide’s inner harbour.

The area of the vessel that tells the story of when it was an isolation ship

We are pleased to learn that the group are already taking advantage of their MaC membership, applying for a MaC Small Project grant to assist their upcoming Descendants Day in November. The History Trust looks forward to assisting this enterprising group in the future.

Amanda with volunteer Ian inside the storage container that is the museum shop
Ann Margaret Bickford supplied 3 casks of lime juice cordial for each of the 23 voyages of the City of Adelaide as a medicine to avoid getting scurvy.

New Interpretive Trail launched at Milang

Posted on by Amanda James

Last Sunday 30 May, as part of South Australia’s History Festival, a new interpretive walking trail at Milang on the Fleurieu Peninsula was officially launched by Member for Mayo, Rebekha Sharkie MP. An initiative of the Port Milang Railway Museum, the trail was funded by the History Trust of South Australia through our Museums and Collections (MaC) program.  This is a development and funding program for community museums and historical groups that manage collections.

Visitors walking Nuggett’s Trail can read about the history of the tramway and the lakes on the 10 interpretive signs

The History Trust’s Community History Officer Pauline Cockrill was delighted to cut the ribbon and meet champion Clydesdale Wheelabarraback Hugh Barry aka Harry who, with his owner Mike Connell of the SA Working Draught Horse Association, took the lead along the new trail down to the jetty.  Harry was taking the part of Nuggett after which the trail is named.  Nuggett was the last horse that was used for over two decades, until his death in 1934, to transport goods to and from the jetty.

In the form of ten signs constructed along the 400m route from the railway station to the jetty, Nuggett’s Trail tells the story of the tramway. The jetty was built in 1856 and for many years horses were the motive power to convey goods, later replaced by a 1923-4 Chevrolet car until the tramway was removed in the 1960s.

The Port Milang Railway Museum is free and open from noon to 4pm at weekends, with Devonshire teas and free train rides available on Sundays.

Poetry Takeover – South Australia’s History Festival

Posted on by Emma Haddy

South Australian students engaging with history through poetry

Change – It’s the only constant! Now that COVID-19 is with us, we’ve had to adapt to new habits and make new plans.

The Poetry Takeover Challenge was originally meant to be a new young people’s component to South Australia’s History Festival. Even though the festival won’t be going ahead, the Poetry Takeover will be!

During May 2020, the History Festival team invite young people to take inspiration from the collections of the History Trust and other museums and galleries across the state of South Australia. Students will be encouraged to engage with objects, think creatively, connect those thoughts to the theme ‘change’ and then develop a poem of any kind.

 

How can museums get involved?

Originally, one of the aims for the Poetry Takeover Challenge was to provide a way for museums to connect with their local schools during South Australia’s History Festival. While most museums and galleries are currently closed, and in-person visits are not possible, here are some ways you can still participate in the Poetry Takeover:

  • Send the History Festival team a link to your online collection to add to the website poetrytakeover.com.au
  • Add collection images to the Poetry Takeover Flickr group 
  • Create an album of collection images on Facebook (don’t forget to tag @historyfestivalpoetrytakeover)
  • Contact your local school and work with them directly using photos of objects from your collection.

Also, be sure to let your social media followers know you’re taking part and invite them to check out your online collections.

Poems and the objects of inspiration will be displayed on the Poetry Gallery on the website poetrytakeover.com.au and shared on social media. Entrants will also go in the running to win one of six $50 Dymocks vouchers.

When

The Poetry Takeover Challenge will open for entries on Friday 1 May and close on Sunday 31 May.

Who

All South Australians students in years 4 to 11 can enter the challenge. Museum staff, parents, carers and teachers can provide support – resources are available on the Poetry Takeover website.

Museums, galleries and other collecting institutions can get involved by making objects in their collection available to students as inspiration.

Families, friends and communities are encouraged to share their favourite poems on social media and vote for the Community Choice prize.

Where

For more information and resources visit the website: poetrytakeover.com.au
Like Poetry Takeover on Facebook
Contact the History Trust if you have any questions: historyfestival@history.sa.gov.au

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