Misconceptions

Today I came home from shopping, in a taxi.  The nice, friendly driver told me firmly that Edwardstown had no history to it.  That Edwardstown was simply a place of industrial buildings and public housing.  He said that that Unley was a lovely place with beautiful old buildings which gave him a sense of history and interest, but Edwardstown only had a few if any old buildings.  He also brought up the fact that there is that great empty land space near Castle Plaza - what was going on there?    I did try to give him some sense of this great place with a few history tidbits, but I think it would take a while for his eyes to be opened.    Months later and in another cab - another driver.  This driver said he had been told years ago that Edwardstown was a horrible, dirty place to live and he thought it was still the same today.   It was not a long drive home, but enough time for a quick history lesson.  He was so nice about it all, and was glad to know more about this area.

This is what Edwardstown has seemed to be by many people over the past few decades, especially the housing trust homes - and that often comes with a change of attitude and speech patterns.  People no longer see public housing as it was intended back in 1937/8.  Until the last 15 years approx housing was for people who put their names on a list and waited their turn to get a home which they could afford to rent.  Often they would buy their home after a few years.   They had pride in their homes and communities arose.  Workers would leave early and either catch a train or walk or ride to work.  Children were born in these homes, and went to local schools and then went to work themselves, or on to further education.    The majority of people cared for their homes and the local community was something they were proud of.  They shopped locally, got together socially, went to church and planted their lives in the area.  

After WW2 there was still a lot of vacant land in the Edwardstown and surrounding areas.    There were still a few dairies and many fruit trees, and the almond trees were part of its beauty.    Homes were needed for the men who came back from the war and the State Bank came through and many homes were built,  Many schools were built - churches and other community buildings.  The baby boom had begun in earnest.  

At right there is picture of today - The Crescent - a small reserve surrounded by four streets and graceful homes with different styles of building and then the wonderful gardens,  Yes, homes with land attached!    Trees and grass.  A place for people to enjoy.



Below is a street view of Raglan Avenue from just passed the railway line looking down towards the roundabout at Towers Tce.
The building at left is what is left of the Fitzgerald Dairy, which once dominated this street.   The last Fitzgerald was still living in this home at the time other homes were being built alongside.   Housing Trust built a special small units for the aged on the right hand side of road, then single storey units, two storey ones further down, and on the right at Towers Tce corner, large 2 storey units.
There were also a number of other units built in Blairgowrie and Aberfeldy Aves at same time.   I haven't positively found the date the first ones were built and occupied (these were said to be the group of units in Blairgowrie), but it was all around the late 1980s.   Twenty years or so ago, the majority of people living in these public housing had been on the waiting list or urgent transfers etc.   There was a nice friendly community spirit as the occupants went off to work, to school, to volunteer.
It was like living in a non housing trust area.   About 10 years or so ago things changed when the govt began to ignore the people who had been patiently waiting for years for a home, and now the words housing trust are not all that pleasant.
But to the eye of a visitor, Raglan Ave has been a clean, tree lined street which leads one way to Castle Plaza and the other - follow the 190 bus route and soon you will be at the beach. Take this bus the other way - from the Bay and go to Mitcham, Unley, City, Arndale or right down to the Port.

History

Edwardstown was a place name either as one word or two, eg  Edward's Town - named of course after a Mr Edwards.  South Road, or Main Road south was the major thoroughfare from the city to all places East and South from the time emigrants first began to move out into the country to own  or lease land.  In my own family, an female ancestor was a passenger on a ship full of young single females from Scotland.  On the voyage to South Australia she met a young man who was part of the crew.    When they arrived, they walked to the city, along the Main Road south  to Old Noarlunga as we now call it, and were married in the lovely church atop a hill. They  walked down 'south' to nr Mount Gambier where they set up home together.  

By 1839, Edwardstown was being sold by the Government Auctioneer, Mr Bentham.  Adelaide was the city and even though only 4 miles out, Edwardstown was country.
The large blocks of land were being divided into smaller allotments which afforded many more people to take the opportunity to buy or lease land for farming, growing fruit trees, vegetables. If on or near the main road, a small business to take advantage of traffic going to and fro from Adelaide city could become profitable.

Below is a copy of an advertisement from a local newspaper in South Australia.    It makes me smile to read the beautifully written words and so polite. Not long after this article appeared, Mr M'Kevvitt put his land at Edwardstown up for sale!     Trove newspapers are available to all  from  the National Library Canberra, and is a growing collection of Australian newpapers which have been digitilised for everyone  to read, research and enjoy.

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/71685208 searchTerm="edwards%20town"&searchLimits=l-state=South+Australia|||l-decade=183|||sortby=dateAsc

It can be seen that in 1839 Edward's Town was seen as a village, but this did not last.
Marion and Mitcham for instance became villages which stayed, as they were built around a water feature eg creeks etc while Edwardstown was not.  South Road - or Main Road south did not have a central place or feature.   A big factor was that Edwardstown did not stay in the one place as did Marion village.    
It did however, become an important place for the people who lived in the area, or who were travelling down south, to the hills or back to the city.    Also it was about 6 miles of travel, which meant a place was needed for travellers, for food and water and other essentials.

At this time, the oldest building in our area would be the Maid of Auckland on South Road, Edwardstown.  In the last half of 1850 Alfred Bachelor Evershed had built, a ten roomed building - he called the London Tavern, which he envisaged as a licensed inn/hotel.  Licenses were reviewed monthly and the following month, Mr Evershed had offered the building for lease - a 'stone and brick home which he had built for the purpose of an inn'. The gentleman had a slaughterhouse licence for 2 years at this spot.    In the Adelaide Times P 8 28.9.1850 is a wonderful read about the granting or not of licences in South Australia.  It does deny Evershed the licence but states that he spent  £400 on the house. October and November, Mr Evershed put in ads re the house for lease.  December 14th newspapers show that Evershed was granted a licence finally not for the London Tavern next to steam mills, but the Maid of Auckland next to steam mills!  Another time in the blog I will write a little about Mr Evershed and his wife.  What a story that is!

Over the  decades there have been a few changes to the Maid as she is affectionately called, but one can see the original shape, the original bricks and stone and feel the history inside and out.

Large tracts of land became available as big stakeholders sold off their land.  It began in 1838 when Edward sold off 80 acres in Sect 51. Now known as Glandore.