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WEST TORRENS HISTORICAL SOCIETY INC.
32nd. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
MARCH 23rd. 2009.
I am delighted to report that the Society has had a most
eventful and fulfilling year with many aspirations achieved and dreams
brought to fruition. The digitizing programme has continued but
unfortunately not at the pace we would like. We are pleased to welcome
back Kim Sofo on to the Library Staff, and she is making every effort to
add files to the website despite the lack of staff hours dedicated
expressly to this task. At our suggestion priority has been given to the
Thebarton files as this area was lacking on the website. As soon as this
work is completed we trust that time will be made available to catch up on
the serious back-log of our files.
The completion of the
Significance Study by historian Peter Donovan was a major achievement and
will put us in a more favourable position to apply for Commonwealth Grants
in the future. It has also given us directions to plan to work at
implementing the many suggestions made by Peter to improve our
collection.
During History Week 2008, we saw the launching of the
first ten of Council's "Plaques for Places" project. The plaques have now
been installed at the various sites and we look forward to this work
continuing with many more plaques in the future.
Our speakers at
meetings have included John Storer on the history of the West Torrens
Football Club, Ken Sutter reminiscing on 'Food on the Table", Tony Cooper
on "Penny Farthing History" and interesting presentations by several
members.
A great deal of historical material has been collected
from donations and member's research, and we have also had gifts of office
furniture and stationery. Numerous requests from Council and outside
sources for information and research on specific items have been in most
cases accommodated. The Hamra Library web-site continues to generate a
great deal of interest and favourable comment particularly in
acknowledgement of the extensive collection of photographs
available.
After much planning by a sub-committee, the long
awaited first edition of the "West Torrens Historian" will be launched at
tonight's meeting. It is envisaged that this will be a thrice yearly
publication and will generate new interest in our Society and eventually
increased membership. Special thanks to editor Chris. Brice and the team
of Deane Prettejohn, Greg Slattery, Geoff. Grainger, John Gray and John
Andrewartha for helping to make this happen.
It was decided at a
special meeting of the committee to create a Society website so that the
aims and initiatives of our group can be more readily accessed. Deane
Prettejohn has worked at length on this project which is nearing
completion.
We once again express our sincere thanks to the Mayor
and members of the City of West Torrens for their support of our Society
in many ways and for the continued interest and involvement by members of
the Hamra Library staff. The refurbishment of "Kandahar" historic home has
given us a much improved and more comfortable place in which to work and
we are grateful for the way that interruption to our activities was kept
to a minimum.
The continuing work of collecting, collating,
filing, scanning and recording of new materials as well as the increasing
requests for information has been admirably handled by a group of
enthusiastic and willing volunteers. My thanks and appreciation goes out
to them all.
We have continued our monthly working bees on the
Tuesday prior to our meetings, and this has proved to be a most valuable
contribution to our ongoing work. Thanks to those who have been able to
assist in this way.
Outreach to various groups, schools, History
Week and numerous requests for research assistance has kept us busy, and
in most cases has been rewarding.
Several members of our Society
have agreed to tackle special areas of research, or have given their time
in transcribing and typing hand-written and hard-to read files, filing
records, scanning photographs and generally helping in many ways. I extend
a special thankyou to these folk.
To our committee, our auditor,
our council representative and all members I extend my sincere thanks for
another year of great achievement.
The future indeed looks bright for our Society when we can see such dedication and enthusiasm from within our
Society and from the community at large.
John Andrewartha
PRESIDENT.
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