NTSA Hahndorf - Committee Meeting held 02.02.2006
Held at 35 English St, Hahndorf at 6pm(dinner meeting).
PRESENT:
Lyndell Davidge, Anni Luur Fox, Bryon Finch, Reg Butler, Margaret and Tony Finnis.
APOLOGIES:
Kylie Storey, Annette Oien (still overseas).
MINUTES:
Lyndell read out the minutes of our Branch meeting held after our AGM on 29 May 2005. Margaret moved that they be accepted. Seconded by Bryon. Carried.
TREASUER’S REPORT
Annette Oien was still overseas
CORRESPONDENCE:
1 Feb 06: in response to Jan Kleinig’s phonecall. Email to Jan Kleinig, member of N.T Council re our committee meeting on 2 Feb to discuss Branch 30 anniversary- attached copy of my report to Branch of 10 Jan 06.
1 Feb: to Jan Kleinig with copy of Branch history prepared for Hahndorf’s 160 Anniversary.
26 Jan 06: from Annette Oien saying she would return from overseas on 19 Feb and looking forward to resuming her involvement with us.
24 Jan 06: A reminder to members of our meeting on 2 Feb.
24 Jan 06: to Mt Barker Council re community info database.
11 Jan 06: to Branch members suggesting 3 dates for a committee meeting and asking for addresses of members not on email.
Regional Rap.
12 Jan 06: from the Walking Federation of SA Inc, June Boscence, Admin. Officer with a report of its progress re marking the Trail since funds were transferred to them from Rec. and Sport after June 2005 to complete the job.
12 Jan. Email from Tony Finnis, 2 Feb OK for meeting.
5 Jan 06: from Mt Barker Council re community info database update.
2 Jan: email to the Editor, the Advertiser, replying to the question, “What SA item should be on the national heritage list?”
24 Nov 05: To Rachael Elliott thanking her for her sterling efforts as Director of the Academy and wishing her well in her new job managing the Aboriginal Collection at the SA Museum.
5 Dec 05: from Rachael Elliot re her new job.
5 Dec 05: to members, abandoning hope of having a meeting before Christmas, with attached report to NT Regional meeting attended by Anni and Bryon.
25 June 05: email from Tony Finnis re Wiki website up and running.
Correspondence tabled by Lyndell.
1. Regional Rap
2. 12 Jan 06: Walking Federation re Hahndorf Pioneer Women’s Trail
3. New Fee Structure for National Trust.
Anni tabled the correspondence file for Onkaparinga River Floodplain Conservation.
BUSINESS ARISING:
1. PIONEER WOMEN’S TRAIL. Lyndell reported that she had been in contact with June Boscence from the Walking Federation which is now in charge of marking the route as surveyed by Rod Worthington for the Office for Rec. and Sport. June sent us maps of the route which does deviate from the original to comply with Rec. and Sport policy. The Federation is working on the Crafers to Silvers Road section and are waiting for approval. The final section of the Bullock Track is still being assessed. They are doing the easiest section first.
Rec. and Sport accepted our suggestions for the improving the figure on the logo and the Walking Federation is now trying to design the brochure using text by Anni which they have sent to us for comment. Our committee did not like the cover design featuring a photograph of the Stirling rotunda which did not complement the design of the logo. It was agreed that a section of trail with eucalypts would be better, or the logo alone on the front cover. Anni and Lyndell agreed to check it.
2. SOUTH VERDUN: Anni tabled the copious correspondence regarding this continuing saga of lobbying against issues related to sewage, flooding and commercial development on the Onkaparinga floodplain at the entranceway to Hahndorf. The Petrol Station expansion is due to be heard by the Environment, Resources and Development Court in May 2006. Anni reported that she had been called as an expert witness and asked if any members had any objections to her involvement in this matter, gratis. All agreed with Tony who said that he had no objections as long as Anni kept the Branch informed of developments. Anni gave an overview of the case and expressed the hope that the Minister for Planning, the Hon Paul Holloway would see fit to buy back the property rather than risk a court case.
Anni also spoke about the debacle over Grumpy’s licence to brew beer in Aldgate having been inadverdently tranferred to the Onkaparinga Riverbank when the business moved to this prominent site at South Verdun. It wants to expand its clientele to 75 but only has a 3000 litre septic tank and Council approval for 20 people. Tony said that technically they can put a big brewery on that site due to a clerical error. He made the comment that politically heads of government departments do not want to “stir the pot”. In his experience, self-regulation never works and that there is a lack of good inspectors. The Envirocycles which councils are insisting people install in the water catchment do not work.
3. COMMONWEALTH GAMES BATON RELAY: Anni and Reg had been asked to donate historic photographs to the Hahndorf Community Association which has been in charge of mounting the historical display in Alec Johnston Park since 2005. Since the request for assistance had come at the last minute, the best Anni could do was to give access to the panels she had produced for Reg’s “College in the Wattles” launch. Unable to commit at a such short notice to researching and producing the maps requested by HCA, Reg did allow reproduction of some of his photographs that had already been published. Ann Haines had asked if members would sit in the tent and answer questions on the day of the display. Margaret and Tony said they would informally wander around and talk about history as they knew it. Since Monday 13 and Tuesday 14 Feb. were working days other members indicated they could not take part until after hours.
4. BRANCH 30 ANNIVERSARY & 40 OF WALTER WOTZKE’S PURCHASE OF THE ACADEMY TO SAVE IT FROM DEMOLITION. Anni reported that Jan Kleinig, a member of National Trust Council had rung to say that after the success of the SA Trust’s 50th anniversary celebrations in 2005, Council had decided to set up a major events committee to continue the momentum. This year they want to honour branches founded in 1956, 1966 and 1976, including Hahndorf. Anni had sent her an overview of Branch activities since 1976 and had invited her to our committee meeting which happened to clash with a council meeting.
Lyndell informed us that the Academy is planning to honour Walter in 2007 for the 40th anniversary of the opening of the renovated building. It will be involved in the Hahndorf Town Band 80th birthday celebrations in May and that October will mark the 10th anniversary of the Heysen Prize. Three suggestions were made: (a) Reg pointed out that having the Hahndorf Pioneer Women’s Trail finally marked officially would be wonderful since it would involve and give pleasure to many people for years to come. (b) Anni suggested that rather than doing a “blow by blow” expose of the Branch’s substantial, successful role in lobbying for conservation of Hahndorf, a community-minded project in our anniversary year might be to collaborate with the Academy Board to give new life to the museum display and assist with interpretation of its history. (c) Bryon suggested we install Reg with his computer for a day at the Academy to help people with family history research. After a good deal of discussion it was decided that suggestion (a) was most favoured.
Reg said that he could not comply with Bryon’s suggestion because he is already loaded with requests and cannot take any more time off from completing his database currently in its twelfth year of research. Lyndell said that the Academy museum was very popular and that a curator from England had remarked on the human quality of the display and the fact that so many other museum displays these days are so generic. Lyndell reported that a $10,000 grant had enabled the Strathalbyn National Trust to improve their display cases, labelling and floor displays at their museum. It was decided to “sleep on it” ie the final decision about what form our 30 anniversary would take and whether Walter’s extraordinary leap of faith in November 1966 warrants a mention at that time.
NEW BUSINESS:
1. WIKI SITE: Tony explained it had come about when he and Margaret had come to live in Hahndorf and John Storey and Peter Hine had asked him to produce a website for the Traders and the Information Centre. He had then done a National Trust site using information from published books but there had been too much information that could be accessed without payment to the authors or booksellers who depended on income from sales. He had looked for another way to set up a website for the community. He explained that a conventional website is restricted to access by one person but Wiki is open to anyone from their own computer who wants to change anything. Access controllers can limit it to people with a password but if they do the wrong thing they can be banned.
Tony is currently the administrator of the website which includes the Information Centre, National Trust, Academy and Doll Extravaganza and plans to include the schools and churches. He and a group of younger people maintain it but would like our Branch to maintain its own section. He pointed out that there are many Wiki systems. Big companies use them. The City of London has one. Wiki is set up on a non-commercial basis and the community has free service. In six months Tony’s group will be looking for funding. Lyndell offered the use of data show equipment to which she has access, help Tony explain the system. Tony was heartily congratulated on his efforts. He said he felt very stongly about Hahndorf and was glad that there are very diverse groups all working positively towards the benefit of the town.
2. REG BUTLER’S DATABASE. Reg set up his laptop computer and demonstrated how his database worked. It was agreed that a good deal of painstaking work had gone into the database which amalgamates information from a number of sources and will, when completed, revolutionise family history research.
3. The meeting closed at 9.45pm.
