Celebrating 40 years of Mitcham Local History Service
Established by the City of Mitcham in 1986, the Local History Service celebrates 40 years of preserving and promoting the history of the Mitcham district this year.
Based at the Mitcham Heritage Research Centre in the Mitcham Cultural Village, the Service is a valuable resource for anyone interested in local history.
Local History Officer Mark Winders said as the second oldest local government area, founded in 1853, Mitcham and its 32 suburbs had a long and fascinating history.
“It’s so important to keep the knowledge and history alive not only within the City of Mitcham but South Australia as a whole, for generations to come,” he said. “We are one of only three standalone history centres in metropolitan SA and we continue to build our collection every day.”
Housed in a former police station, the local history collection and resources is vast and includes over 4,000 photographs, local cemetery records and burial plot locations, Council minutes, correspondence and reports.
Other resources include rates assessments and building applications, records and histories about local schools and community organisations, family histories including letters and diaries, maps and plans and oral histories.
Local newspapers stretching back to 1952 are preserved, as are microfiche records and other databases, house history and suburb research and SA History Festival programs of events.
A Local History Reference Library, talks and tours are available to assist schools and the community.
In recent years the service has moved to digitise its collections including photographs.
Volunteers the heart of the Local History Service
A group of dedicated volunteers support the Mitcham Heritage Research Centre by helping with research, guided tours and local history events.
Since its early days, the Local History Service has relied on the knowledge and dedication of over 100 volunteers.
“People with relevant skills, strong local knowledge or an interest in local history have always been welcome,” Mark said. “As part of our 40-year celebration, we would love to hear from previous volunteers who have served with us over the years.”
Volunteer Roger Ellmoos-West joined the service four years ago to help with the railway collection and is now helping catalogue maps and plans.
“I thoroughly enjoy it,” Roger said. “I love maps and enjoy spending time with people here.”
Mitcham local and history student Francesco Di Zazzo started as a volunteer with the service before taking on a part-time role last year.
“I went on a tour and loved it and I offered to help out,” he said. ‘’I’ve enjoyed my time here, learning more about history and sharing that knowledge with people.”
Evolution of the Mitcham Local History Service
The service began when the Mitcham Historical Society faced a growing storage problem for its large archival collection of photographs and research material.
Much of the material was held by local historian Pamela Oborn, whose home became filled with folders and boxes.
In 1981, Mitcham Council provided a new four-drawer filing cabinet on loan, which helped ease the storage issue until a part-time Local History Officer was appointed.
The Society’s 1980 survey of historical collections in South Australian public libraries remained at the Civic Centre but was not forgotten. After considerable lobbying, Council marked its 1986 sesquicentenary by appointing a part-time Local History Officer.
Maggy Ragless, a hard-working member of the Mitcham Historical Society Committee with a passion for history and heritage was chosen for the role.
With no public space available, Maggy was given a desk in the staff workroom at Mitcham Memorial Library.
Over several weeks, the accumulated research material at Pamela Oborn’s house was reviewed before the collection and filing cabinet were moved to the library and placed in Maggy’s care.
This important collection of more than 1,000 items, including many valuable photographs, was gifted by the Mitcham Historical Society to the people of Mitcham.
The collection and Maggy’s work eventually outgrew the library. In 1994, she was given a dedicated room in the old Mitcham Primary School, now the Mitcham Community Centre opposite the Civic Centre, becoming known as the Mitcham Heritage Research Centre.
The service remained there until it again outgrew its space and moved in 2009 to its current home in the former Mitcham Police Station at the Mitcham Cultural Village.
Although the building is officially called the Mitcham Heritage Research Centre, the service is widely known as the Mitcham Local History Service.
Maggy served as Local History Officer until she passed away unexpectedly in 2012. Therese Willis held the role until 2017, when Mark Winders was appointed after serving as both a volunteer and employee at the centre since 2000.
Notable Achievements
The Mitcham Local History Service has received a number of awards in recognition of its contribution to South Australia’s history.
1996: Organised a Heritage Weekend conference with neighbouring councils to raise community awareness of heritage, demonstrate how local history services could collaborate and develop ideas for celebrating the turn of the 21st century, the Centenary of Federation and Council’s 150th anniversary.
2002: Community Historian Maggy Ragless received Council’s Excellence in Community Service Award for her work with Flinders University’s Dr Pam Smith on the Hills Face Zone project. Over the next three years, she supported students researching archaeological and cultural heritage sites.
2003: To celebrate Council’s 150th anniversary, the Heritage Research Centre team researched and built six picnic tables with ceramic-tile tops depicting the history of each Mitcham ward. Council organised public picnics featuring a Town Crier and bus tours for each ward.
2004: The Heritage Research Centre received a Heritage SA Edmund Wright Heritage Award commendation for promotion and education through its history walk brochures. The brochures cover Mitcham Village, Colonel Light Gardens, Brownhill Creek, St Marys, the ‘Abbotshall’ Precinct, Blackwood, Belair, Saint Mary MacKillop in Mitcham and Tabling our Heritage.
2012: In recognition of their contribution, volunteers received the prestigious 2012 SA Heritage Heroes Award for their work in conserving South Australia’s heritage and recording its history.
2012: Local Historian Maggy Ragless received the City of Mitcham’s 2012 Citizen of the Year Award in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the Mitcham community.
2012: SA Government Heritage Minister Paul Caica posthumously presented Maggy Ragless with a special minister’s award at the annual Heritage Heroes ceremony, recognising her valued contribution to conserving South Australian heritage and recording its history.
2024: Local Historian Mark Winders received the CCASA Darren Leuders Customer Service Award for going above and beyond in delivering excellent customer service.
Community, state and national events
The Local History Service has contributed to many significant community, state and national events, including:
- National ‘Peoplescapes’ project 2001
- City Of Mitcham 150 years celebrations 2003
- Mitcham Village 175 years celebrations 2015
- Mitcham Army Camp Centenary 2015
- Special Remembrance Day Commemorations 2017
- Colonel Light Gardens Centenary 2021
- Mitcham, Belair and Blackwood railway stations 140 years celebrations 2023
Workshops and education
The Service has offered a range of community workshops, including: Heritage Writers, Photograph Focus, House History, Oral History, Record Rescue and bookbinding classes.
Guided walks and tours
Over the years, the Local History Service has offered guided history walks, tours and presentations for the community, local groups and schools, led by award-winning guides. Topics have included Brownhill Creek, Colonel Light Gardens, Clapham, Mitcham Railway Station, Mitcham Cemeteries, Mitcham Village Precinct, Lower Mitcham, Kingswood, Blackwood, Belair and St Mary’s Church and Cemetery. Video versions of some guided history walks have been produced.