Your guide to the best History Festival events
If you like history as much as Kapara Residential Care Home residents, staff and volunteers, you will enjoy this blog article with tips for History Festival events.
History has a unique ability to connect us to both the past and the present. By learning about the events and people that came before us, we can gain a deeper understanding of the world we live in today.
Held throughout May each year, the South Australia’s History Festival explores the state’s places and spaces, stories, collections and ideas that make us who we are.
Top tips for exploring South Australian history
Adelaide Town Hall Architecture Tour
When: Wed 3 May, Wed 31 May
The Adelaide Town Hall is a wonderful display of Italianate design with local bluestone, freestone and marble. Glen Woodward takes you on a journey to discover the many changes to the historical Adelaide Town Hall since the first stone was laid in 1863.
Learn more about Adelaide Town Hall Architecture Tour
‘Whispering Curtains’: Art Exhibition by Fiona Connell
When: Mon 8 May – Fri 2 Jun
Celebrate your family history with our artist in residence, Fiona Connell, and her heart-warming installation, Whispering Curtains from 8 May to 2 Jun.
If walls can walk, then curtains whisper. Fiona pays homage to grandmothers everywhere through revitalising vintage doilies by embroidering them with the wisdom of our grandmothers. She sees this as a way of recording what could soon be lost words of wisdom from our families as well as honouring the exquisite workmanship in these old textiles that now rarely see the light of day. You’re invited to sit with the artist whilst she stitches your saying onto a doily and share a story about your grandma, or attend a workshop. The final pieces will create a permanent installation.
Learn more about Whispering Curtains Art Exhibition
Vickers Vimy Exhibition
When: Throughout May
Adelaide Airport’s Vickers Vimy Exhibition commemorates the first official flight from England to Australia – the Air Race of 1919 with Adelaide brothers Ross and Keith Smith. The restored Vickers Vimy converted bomber (registration G-EAOU) flown by the famous aviators is housed inside the terminal for public display. The epic long-distance flight was made just 16 years after the Wright Brothers flew the first-ever powered aircraft.
Learn more about Vickers Vimy Exhibition
Many residents have a passion for flying and aircrafts. Howard was a volunteer for many years at the South Australian Aviation Museum, Peter’s older brothers were the founding members of the Gliding and Soaring Club, where Peter also became a member and instructor. Keith gained his pilot’s licence and flew Victa air cruisers around the Broken Hill area, and has enjoyed sharing many stories since visiting the exhibition.
Nurses Roll Call Exbihition
When: Throughout May
To mark International Nurses Day on 12 May, we invite you to step into a curated display of historical photographs, stories and memories from nurses who undertook hospital-based training at the Adelaide Children’s Hospital (as it was then known).
Learn more about Nurses Roll Call Exhibition
Adelaide Arcade Guided History Tour
When: Every Monday in May
Come and experience the history and grandeur of Adelaide Arcade with a guided tour. You’ll learn not only of the Adelaide Arcade’s architecture, design and purpose, but you’ll also discover stories of a bygone era and learn about its journey from 1885 to the present day.
Learn more about Adelaide Arcade Guided History Tour
The Adelaide Arcade Tour was very informative. Residents learned the rich history of the arcade and accessed the famous underground Tea Rooms that have been closed for decades.
Rare Books and Manuscripts: The Stories They Can Tell Us
When: Wed 3, 10 & 17 May
A free guided event where you will view rare, beautiful, and historically significant works from the State Library of South Australia’s rare books collection. Including hand-lettered and illuminated manuscripts and rare printed works, discover how each contributes to the story of books and printing.
Learn more Rare Books and Manuscripts: The Stories They Can Tell Us
This tour was perfect for all the book lovers! Residents had a look at some of the rare books and manuscripts of the State Library of SA. There was so much to see and experience. Did you know that some of the books were read around a campfire and still smell of smoke more than one hundred years on?
Vintage Radio Display and Audio Equipment Display
When: See link below
Visit Noarlunga and Woodcroft Libraries in May to see the pop-up display of vintage radio and audio recorders by the Ellison Museum of Radio and Magnetic Recording. At Woodcroft you will see Bland, His Master’s Voice and Philips radios, Byer/Rola reel to reel recorders and radiola, and a school PA system with speakers made in Adelaide in the 1950s.
Learn more about Vintage Radio Display and Audio Equipment Display
Not Just locomotives: Commonwealth Railways Photographs
When: Tue 23 May
National Archives of Australia has been digitising thousands of photographs from its collection during the past year and many of these relate to the Commonwealth Railways.
Spanning from the early twentieth century until the 1960s, these photographs document the building of the Trans-Australian, Central Australia and North Australia Railways and the communities who lived and worked along the line.
Learn more about Not Just locomotives: Commonwealth Railways Photographs
Adelaide Town Hall: Colonel William Light
When: Thu 11 May, Fri 26 May
Glen Woodward tells the story of Colonel Wiliam Light’s remarkable life in the Colonel Light Room located in Adelaide Town Hall. Colonel William Light had a remarkable life moving from Malaya to England, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Egypt and then South Australia. From his life as a soldier, sailor and surveyor makes a wondrous story.
Learn more about Adelaide Town Hall: Colonel William Light
The Wonders of Port Adelaide Exhibition
When: Throughout May The Port Adelaide Plaza Shopping Centre will host the Port Adelaide Historical Society’s exciting visual display of the wonders of Port Adelaide, past and present. Visit the main concourse in the Centre during opening hours in the month from May and view our comprehensive gallery of historical pictures, both mounted and digital.Learn more about The Wonders of Port Adelaide Exhibition
Aussies! The Migration Museum Banners Project
When: Until 31 December 2024
The Migration Museum’s Banners project started in 1985, the year before the museum opened to the public. From the outset, the museum focused on working with culturally diverse communities. The project served as a way for the new museum to form relationships with many of South Australia’s migrant community groups.
Learn more about Aussies! The Migration Museum Banners Project
Residents explored some of the permanent exhibitions while learning about the changes when mass migration schemes made Australia the multicultural country we are today. If you head to the Migration Museum, have a look at the banners project exhibition as the banners will be rotating in and out of the exhibition over the next 2 years so that all cultural groups who participated in the project will be featured.
Step into the rich tapestry of history
History lovers of Kapara Residential Care Home embarked on a captivating journey, exploring a myriad of exhibitions during the History Festival in May.
Explore the highlights, which included the Adelaide Arcade Tour, Rare Books & Manuscripts, and Vickers Vimy exhibition.
Love history? There’s something to explore all year long.
National Motor Museum
Visiting the National Motor Museum brought back many wonderful memories for Nico, Keith and Denis. The highlight of the visit was the old motorcycles, there is a photo of Keith standing next to an old Matchless motorcycle, and he spent time reminiscing about the one he used to ride.
There was also a Holden Exhibition – A retrospective 1948-2017 and a Lego Camry built by Brickman. It was a wonderful trip enjoyed by all.
