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Background
Glandore Community Centre began with the
redevelopment of the former Glandore Boys’ Home during the 1980’s following the
lobbying of the local community for the derelict site to be developed into a community
facility. The premises were initially built as the Edwardstown Girl’s Reformatory in
1890 at a time when Adelaide was a city surrounded by villages extending in every
direction with large tracts of unused land between. The establishment of the Edwardstown
Girl’s Reformatory was a social experiment. Instead of the conventional
‘congregate’ system where large numbers were contained in the same room or at
least the same building, it consisted of a ‘cottage’ system which allowed for
grading in relation to behaviour. The property, which covered eleven acres, was bounded by
Naldera Street to the south, Clark Avenue to the west, Malwa Street to the east and the
train line at an oblique angle to the north. What is now known as the Clark Building was
called ‘Charity’ and was the First Class Cottage, The Naldera Building was
called ‘Faith’ and was the second class Cottage, while Malwa Building was called
‘Hope’ and was the third class cottage, also being used as a Sick Ward and a
place of punishment. The Slade Building was then, as it is now, the main building. The
Fitzjames Building is named after the Reformatory Ship at Port Adelaide and the house
‘Gundy’ because of the nickname the boy’s gave the centre; on return after
running away they sang ‘On the road to Gundagai’.
Over the years the name
on purpose at the centre changed.
NAME OF
INSTITUTION
1890-1898 Edwardstown Girls' Reformatory
1898-1950 Edwardstown
Industrial School
1950-1958 Glandore
Industrial School
1958-1966 Glandore
Children's Home
1966-1972 Glandore
Boys' Home
1972-1974 Cottage Homes,
Reception and Therapeutic
1974-1980 Unit of
McNally Training Centre
1980-1983 Warriapendi
Aboriginal School
1984- Glandore Community
Complex Inc. - changed to Glandore Community Centre Inc. in 1986. Officially opened 11th
March 1989.
On the same site over
the years
Windana Remand Home
Southern Cross Nursing Home
Women's Shelter
Regional Office - Dept. for Family and Community Services
Indo-Chinese Refugee Association Unit - in the former
Superintendent’s house.
Glandore Rugby Club - Memorial Hall and Oval
Mary Holden Cottages.
It is not possible to go
into all the details surrounding the transition of the former Glandore Boys’ Home to
a Community Centre, but some effort has been made to delineate the sequence of events.
Importantly, credit should be given to those who were involved at the risk that some will
be overlooked.
The South Adelaide Rugby
League Club leased the Sports field as their oval and Memorial Hall as their club rooms up
until the 1981 season. In April/May 1980, Mr. John Trainer, as the local State Member of
Parliament, was asked by the Club to approach the (Liberal) Government with regard to the
development of the site as a Recreation Centre. This appeal met with a negative result.
With the departure of
the Warriapendi Aboriginal School in 1983 the vacated site became a public eyesore with
the buildings left derelict and in a dangerous condition. The intrusion of squatters and
vandals led to further damage and degradation to the concern and distress of local
residents. One of the concerned, Mrs. Jan McCann, wrote to John Trainer expressing her
alarm. He approached the newly-elected Labour Government and although the response was
more favourable, funding was not made available.
A follow-up letter from Jan
McCann to John Trainer dated 14th June 1983 expressed her concerns with some poignancy.
Points she made were:
* Squatters had vandalised the buildings ever since the departure of the Warriapendi
students.
* The Unley Council do more for their ratepayers.
* 'State Affair' (a current affairs television programme of that time) should be
asked to look at the site.
* She herself provided a 'neighbourhood house' for local children.
* Concern that the buildings would be demolished to make way for a prison remand centre.
* St. Mary's Fire brigade often attended false calls.
* A plea on behalf of her little daughter, Natalie.
* Suggestions that the site could be used as a training track, gymnasium, pensioners’
club, netball, tennis club, library, musicians' room or children's club.
Her appeals were strongly supported by John Trainer who was convinced that the buildings
and site had great potential as a Community Centre. Vigorous and repeated representations
by him to Cabinet resulted in a unique agreement being reached. As a consequence, the
Department of Community Welfare financed the demolition of three of the nine buildings
which were considered to be beyond repair, leaving six solid brick structures. A long-term
peppercorn lease of the land and seven buildings to a locally based committee was
established. The sports field was sold to the South Australian Housing Trust for mixed
housing and $300,000 was placed in a trust fund for the local committee set up in 1983.
Usually all income from Government land sales went into Consolidated Revenue but Mr.
Trainer persuaded Cabinet to divert half the proceeds to the local committee.
The committee successfully
applied for two Commonwealth Employment Project grants to supplement the money in trust.
This provided for two successive projects: Stage 1 (1985-6) for securing the buildings and
partially landscaping the grounds and Stage 2 (1987) to refurbish the buildings internally
and externally. Recreation Consultants Ltd. were contracted to be site managers. Total
expenditure was in the order of $900,000 and 36 employed persons were engaged.
This was only the beginning of
what was to be a long and protracted period of meetings and commitments by a number of
dedicated volunteers and local organisations. Among those involved were:
* John Trainer - State MP and
first Chairman
* Ross McDonald - first Secretary
* Ian Newton - first Treasurer
* Ingrid Voorendt - first Co-ordinator
* Plympton Community Youth Support Scheme - later
renamed Glandore Employment Youth Services - operating as The Employment Enterprise Centre
Inc. (trading as Glandore SkillShare).
* Edwardstown Rotary Club
* Edwardstown Lions
* Plympton Kiwanis
* South Australian Filipino Association
* Combined Car Clubs Association (Glandore) - a group
of veteran and vintage car clubs who leased one of the buildings and contributed immensely
to the project.
* South Australian Housing Trust
* Department of Community Welfare
* Corporation of the City of Marion
* and others.
A Co-ordinator, Ingrid
Voorendt, was employed on a part-time basis part way through Stage 2 in an endeavour to
accommodate programmes and groups in buildings as they became available and to answer
local residents’ enquiries about the future and the function of the Centre.
With the completion of Stage 2
there were insufficient funds to adequately equip the premises. Cost overruns, mainly due
to vandalism, had meant that funds put aside to operate the Centre for its building
restorations were no longer available. It was particularly important for the Function Hall
to be completed so that it could be in a condition to generate revenue through rentals.
The City of Marion became increasingly involved over time, evidenced by its contributions
toward the Co-ordinator's salary.
The Management
Committee’s concerns continued to include the furnishing and fitting of the premises
and the number of regular user-groups and bookings for events at the Centre.
For all those involved in what
seemed to be gradual birth of the Centre there was an underlying pride and sense of
satisfaction that a visually pleasing community asset had been created and that it was
becoming a dynamic community-driven operation.
Ian Newton was the first
Treasurer of Glandore Community Centre Incorporated and Ross McDonald succeeded him. Ian
recalls that he was once asked by another committee member ‘How could anyone work out
what you have done as treasurer, with ten bank accounts?’ Ian’s answer was that
it was really quite simple. Wherever possible money was moved into whichever account gave
the highest rate of interest. He had had over forty years with the Commonwealth Bank
juggling other people’s money, so he knew what he was doing and Centre employed an
auditor to make sure it was all in order. Jack Grealy, the Manager of Recreation
Consultants, was continually urging that the maximum interest be obtained and they were
almost spending this interest before it had accrued.
Throughout a long period of
uncertainty the Marion Council closely monitored the situation but it was not until July
1988 that the Council indicated its support and desire to see the Centre succeed by
agreeing to provide the Management Committee with an annual grant to employ a part-time
Co-ordinator and funds to be used for the maintenance of the Community Centre’s
grounds (even though the property was owned by the State Government and not the Councill).
Initially there was some reluctance by Marion Council to support a project which would
service other council areas.
Since the redevelopment of the
site and after inevitable teething problems, the Glandore Community Centre continues to
grow from strength to strength. Today the Centre is a jewel in an inner-city suburb,
providing a facility for the local and wider community. Through the City of Marion the
Centre received further funding from the Commonwealth Government’s One Nation
Re-employment Programme. These funds allowed the completion of the redevelopment as well
as the improvement of existing facilities.
The Centre’s buildings
are situated within a picturesque park, with the central focus being a gazebo and fountain
as well as providing electric barbecues and children’s playgrounds. The park has
become a popular place for members of the local community to visit and walk their dogs,
for children to play, to picnic or to simply enjoy the atmosphere. Also, it provides an
ideal setting for wedding photos and for outdoor community events such as the
Centre's annual Carols' Night.
Glandore Community Centre is
managed by a Committee of dedicated people from the local community and community
organisations. Daily management of the Centre is the responsibility of the two Centre
Coordinators who report to the Management Committee once a month. These positions are
maintained largely with the financial assistance of the Marion Council. The Management
Committee is responsible for the maintenance of the site (buildings and grounds) - a
considerable cost due to the size of the property and the number and age of the buildings.
Glandore Community Centre is a
non-profit organisation which does not receive either State or Commonwealth funding for
its day-to-day operation. The major sources of revenue are from room hire and grants from
the Marion Council. Grants for specific purposes are received from time to time from
various organisations and government departments. These are used to fund special
programmes and courses at the Centre and have also included grants to help with
redevelopment of the buildings or to purchase special equipment.
As in any organisation of its
type, a team of enthusiastic and dedicated volunteers is vital to the Centre’s
current and continuing success. Without its volunteers the Centre could not possibly offer
as many programmes nor would it be managed and maintained as well as it is.
According to its constitution
the Glandore Community Centre is to be ‘..a focus for community activities by
providing health, welfare, social, education and recreational services.’ Owing to the
size of the property and its facilities, the Centre is able to hire rooms to community
groups and individuals. Income received from the hire of facilities makes a sizeable
contribution to the operating costs of the Centre. In addition a range of classes and
activities are organised by the Centre. While there are too many programmes and groups to
list, two groups are worth mentioning because of the significant contribution they have
made to the Centre.
The Combined Car Clubs
Association - or Triple C - consisting of twelve clubs has been based at the Centre since
work began on its redevelopment in 1985. The Triple C took on the challenge and cost of
completing the redevelopment of the building they now use as club rooms including
furnishing it. Members of the Triple C hold regular working bees to help maintain the
building and the surrounding gardens. A few members volunteer their time to mow the
extensive lawns of the Centre's grounds.
In September 1994 the majority
of the site and buildings were placed on the State Heritage Register.
Late 1995 saw the Marion
Council further demonstrate its now strong support by offering to purchase the land and
two buildings on the eastern side of the property from the State Government. This offer
included the transfer of the existing Centre site with the sale. The unanimous decision by
the Council assured the Centre’s long-term future and expansion.
One of the buildings included
in the offer is the former Superintendent’s house which is named 'Gundy Cottage'. This is in recognition of the nickname given by the boys to the Glandore
Boys' Home.
Extracts taken from 'The Glandore Story - From Hulk to Haven' by Charles Morley, 1995.
* * * Copies' of the
book can be purchased from office! * * *
Some pictures of the old buildings:
Click on Thumbnails
to enlarge
 Toilet Block Before Restoration |
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Before Restoration |
 Slade Before Restoration |
 Slade After Restoration |
 Naldera Before Restoration |
 Naldera After Restoration |
 Clark Before Restoration |
 Clark After Restoration |
 Malwa Before Restoration |
 Malwa After Restoration |
 Rugby After Restoration |
Updated 31/3/2006
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