Edwardstown Industrial School

Now Glandore Community Centre.

Front entrance to the Centre and park

 Many of the original buildings which served for many years as a girls reformatory, and an 'Industrial School have been beautifully restored and are now in a large and beautiful park like setting. A great Australian outdoors setting.   Most of the buildings belong to the  Glandore Community Centre, but one of the buildings houses Coast FM.   A local 24 hour live radio station.  88.7.  Volunteers play music of all genres - from the war years to the 90s,  including Jazz, country, rock and roll.  To see the type of music, when it will be played, and 'meet' the volunteers, go to their website - you can also listen online.  http://www.coastfm.com.au
The radio station is open 5 days a week.   9-4 Mon-Thurs 9-2 Fri.

 The history of the complex  is written in the book " The Glandore story   From Hulk to Haven" written by Charles Morley 1995, copies of which can be obtained from the Glandore Community

Centre.  It tells of the Girls Reformatory opening in 1890 and traces the use of the buildings throught the decades.  Mr Morley also explains how, when and why the Community came into being.

 In the centre itself are some items which tell of some of the history.  There was more, but it seems to have been moved somewhere else - a pity as I remember seeing some of it and it made the history of the place even more real and interesting.   I love walking on the uneven and creaking wooden floorboards, touching the rough walls and imagine how many children have walked the same places.
 Outside in the beautifully kept gardens, one can look more closely at the buildings with their unusual shapes, chimney pots, curved verandahs.      There is a rotunda, a large grassed area and a barbeque spot, and huge trees to shelter under from the sun. There is a creche and a playground.   A spot for all people.    

Unusual chimney pot atop corregated tin roof.

The centre is in Naldera Street, Glandore  - once called Edwardstown,  hence the name Edwardstown Industrial School.  Naldera is off Winifred Ave.   The 241 bus goes along Winifred Ave, and the tram is quite close, as is Anzac Highway.  It is very conveniently placed  - I use the buses and have been to the centre many times.  There is plenty of space for cars, so don't put off visiting the area. Take the dog for a walk, have a picnic, play some games with your children.    Walk around the neighbourhood as there are many fine old houses to admire.  Feel the history, see the history.

Edwardstown Industrial School War Memorial Board.

When researching the missing Edwardstown and Districts WW1 Memorial Board, I went to Glandore and saw the large Memorial Board in a hallway adjacent to the main office for the Community Centre.    Listed on the board are 294 names of young men who had passed through the Industrial School for one reason or another.   49 were killed.  The huge wooden board , which is mentioned on page 13 of the Glandor book mentioned above, tells how the Commando Association came to restore it and place it safely in the main building.  I have been writing short stories about the 'boys' who gave their lives for 'King and Country'  and hope to put them on this blog soon.  Many of the stories are heartbreaking and show how much society has changed since the Great War.  It also gives an insight about young boys and how the Industrial School operated.         On the 29th October, 1921 the South Australian Governor officially opened the State Boys Memorial Hall, at the Industrial School, where the Memorial Board was hung.  During one of the speeches, it was made clear that the first Military Medal awarded in France was to a lad from the Industrial School.
I had often thought that the School would have been a terrible place, but during  research, I have changed my mined, and think that in many cases, it would have been the best thing for a young child at that period of time.

This is one of the old buildings on the Glandore site.   Where is the other window?