South Australia's History Festival 2026
South Australia’s History Festival runs for the entire month of May. Enjoy a range of events across the City of Mitcham.
Modernist Mitcham: Hills Interpretive Photographic Exhibition
Discover the elegance and innovation of mid-century design with an interpretive photographic exhibition celebrating modernist architecture in the Mitcham hills. Explore striking images and stories of homes that defined an era as featured in the acclaimed book Adelaide Modernism: 101 Houses by Tim Reeves.
When: Friday 1 to Sunday 31 May during Library opening hours
Where: Tiwu Kumangka, Blackwood Library and Community Centre, 2 Young Street, Blackwood
Cost: Free
Bookings not required.
Modernist Mitcham: Plains Interpretive Photographic Exhibition
Discover the elegance and innovation of mid-century design with an interpretive photographic exhibition celebrating modernist architecture in the Mitcham plains. Explore striking images and stories of homes that defined an era as featured in the acclaimed book Adelaide Modernism: 101 Houses by Tim Reeves.
When: Friday 1 to Sunday 31 May during Library opening hours
Where: Mitcham Memorial Library, 154 Belair Road, Hawthorn
Cost: Free
Bookings not required.
Gone but not Forgotten: Mitcham Cemeteries Tour
Take a guided walking tour through the heritage-listed Mitcham Anglican and General Cemeteries. Established in 1854, these cemeteries mark their 170-year anniversaries this year. Join an award-winning tour guide as you visit the resting of many of Mitcham's and Adelaide’s earliest pioneers and identities and hear their fascinating stories.
When: Tuesday 26, Thursday 28 May, 10am to 12pm
Where: Meet at the Rotunda, Mitcham General Cemetery, Old Belair Rd, Mitcham
Cost: Free
Bookings essential: Eventbrite
A Village Walk: Mitcham Village Historic Walk
In 1840 a new village called Mitcham was born. See and hear how Mitcham Village has evolved on a fascinating and informative guided walk around the Mitcham Village Historic Conservation area. You will hear about its heritage and architecture, while learning about the early and current residents of the Village, their lives, work and accommodation.
When: Wednesday 27 May, 10am to 12pm
Where: Meet at the Mitcham Local History Centre, Mitcham Cultural Village, 103 Princes Road, Mitcham
Cost: Free
Bookings essential: Eventbrite
Repat Health Precinct Museum Tours
Located on the sprawling hospital complex known as ‘the Repat’, this historic museum contains a wealth of memorabilia relating to the hospital’s history as well as both world wars and other major conflicts. Take an informative guided tour through the museum, and other historical buildings of interest including the Repat Chapel.
When: Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays throughout May, 12.30pm to 1.30pm
Where: Gate 8, Oxford Curcius, Daw Park
Cost: Free
Bookings essential: Eventbrite
Historic Belair Railway Station Open Day
Take a look at the historic Belair Railway Station, established in 1883, the gateway to Belair National Park. Wander in and around the old station buildings, signal box and other large railway artefacts. Hear the station’s history and stories from experienced and knowledgeable volunteers. Come and enjoy the peaceful surrounds of SA’s railway past.
When: Sunday 17, 24 May, 10am to 2pm
Where: Enter from Upper Sturt Road or Sheoak Road, Belair
Bookings: Not required
Cost: Free
Historic Water Works Exhibition
Explore this colonial water storage and reticulation system through a series of illustrated story boards. Built in 1879 in Ellison’s Gully, Mitcham, the location of the brick well was rediscovered in 2002. Fifteen years of research followed, and the Mitcham Water Works is now recognised as an almost complete nineteenth century industrial complex.
When: Friday 1 to Sunday 31, during Library opening hours
Where: Tiwu Kumangka (Blackwood Library and Community Centre), 2 Young Street, Blackwood
Bookings: Not required
Cost: Free
FAPASA Photographic Exhibition – Beyond the Image
Explore the personal perspective of the photographer who invites the viewer to look beyond the image and embrace the artist’s intent in this exhibition of work by Fine Art Photography Association of South Australia (FAPASA). Fine art photography plays a vital role in preserving history by capturing moments in time through artistic expression, enriching not only how history is recorded but also how it is emotionally experienced and remembered.
When: Saturday 2 May to Saturday 30 May, during gallery opening hours
Where: Gallery One, 1 Torrens Street, Mitcham
Bookings: Not required
Cost: Free
Mitcham Hills Train Journey
Enjoy a scenic train journey through Mitcham hills to appreciate the legacy developed by the Ashby family on their farmland including Watiparinga National Trust Reserve and Wittunga. Includes a guided walk and refreshments at Wittunga in the 1914 Apple Store and walking between Coromandel Station and Wittunga.
When: Tuesday 12 May or Tuesday 19 May, 8.50am to 12pm
Where: Meet at Blackwood Railway Station, Station Avenue
Cost: $10
Bookings: Essential. Contact Anne Hazell, Blackwood Action Group, at anne.hazell062@gmail.com
Centennial Park - Stories of Innovation and Community
Step into Centennial Park’s past and present and explore the connections that shaped our history. Discover stories of innovation, resilience and community on a guided walk, through significant sites, uncovering how Centennial Park evolved into a place of remembrance and reflection. Finish at Wildflowers Café with a complimentary hot drink.
When: Thursday 14, 21 and 28 May, 10.30am to 12pm
Where: Centennial Park, 760 Goodwood Road, Pasadena
Cost: Free
Bookings: Essential via www.centennialpark.org
We are Their Heirs - the Next Generation
By the beginning of the 20th century, Blackwood and the nearby townships were well established. Many of the early settlers had handed their properties on to the next generation and newcomers had joined the original families. Join us to learn more about our more recent predecessors and their impact on the Mitcham hills district. Refreshments provided.
When: Monday 18 May, 1.45pm to 3.45pm
Where: Tiwu Kumangka, Upstairs, Young Street, Blackwood
Cost: $10
Bookings: Essential. Contact Anne Hazell, Blackwood Action Group, anne.hazell062@gmail.com
Brownhill Creek Recreation Park Guided Walk
Known to the Kaurna people as Willa Willa, Brownhill Creek is one of the foremost historical and environmental gems of the Mitcham District. Join Francesco Di Zazzo from the Mitcham Historical Society to learn about the area's rich Indigenous history, market gardening and quarrying stories, flora and fauna and famous South Australians associated with the park throughout the years.
When: Sunday 17 May, 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Where: Meet at stone monument at entrance Brownhill Creek Recreation Park
Cost: $5.50 (children under 12 free)
Bookings: Essential via Humanitix
Upper Brownhill Creek Guided Walk (Ellison's Gully)
Join Councillor Andrew Tilley, whose family has lived in the area for five generations, on a walk that starts at the old manure pits in Brownhill Creek and proceeds through Ellison’s Gully. Hear about the market gardens, the silver and galena mines and the Mitcham Waterworks. Good walking shoes essential.
When: Sunday 24 May, 1.30pm to 4.30pm
Where: Meet at the manure pits on Brown Hill Creek Road
Cost: $5.50 (under 12 free)
Bookings: Essential via Humanatix
Living with a War Story Author Talk
Hear from historian Neil Churches about his father’s escape from a Prisoner of War camp during World War Two. This talk explores memory, loss and connection and considers how history stays present, shaping lives long after events have passed.
When: Saturday 23 May, 1pm to 2.30pm
Where: Centennial Park, 760 Goodwood Road, Pasadena
Cost: Free
Bookings: Essential via https://bit.ly/4rwYNQu