The Gawler Rotary Club in association with the Gawler and District Special Events Inc have launched their second Glimpses of Gawler Calendar. The calendar has wonderful photographs depicting Gawler’s industrial, commercial and European cultural history.
Mr Brian Thom, the Chairman of the Gawler History Team officially launched the calendar on Friday night.
Mr Thom said that in the late 1800s, Gawler was called ‘The Colonial Athens’, emanating from the output from the vast array of activity and cultural events initiated by the members of the Gawler Institute.
“In Gawler’s early days, from the combination of output from: the James Martin’s Phoenix Foundry, the May Bros. foundry near Gawler Railway Station, David Thomson’s Eagle Foundry in King Street, and Robinson’s Britannia Foundry on Barnet Road, Gawler was considered to be ‘the most industrialised town in Australia’,” Mr Thom said.
“The Phoenix Foundry produced over 200 very large steam trains for export.“The May Bros produced for the BHP mine in Broken Hill, a lifting device that was then considered the best of its kind in the world.“And we can still appreciate the beauty and workmanship of the cast-iron on Gawler verandas, and the ironwork within our cemeteries; all emanating from Eagle Foundry, Britannia Foundry and May Bros.
“Colonel Light, who made it all possible, had the right words. Travelling over this area 178 years ago, he wrote, ‘We have a beautiful country’. We now have a beautiful country town. Let’s keep it that way,” he said.
Local Member Mr Tony Piccolo said the calendar was excellent value at $15 per copy and would make an ideal Christmas gift, particularly for family and friends interstate and overseas who may not be familiar with Gawler’s history. The calendar can be purchased from Tony Piccolo’s Electorate Office at 148 Murray Street, the Gawler Visitor Centre and a number of businesses throughout the town