General stores were a central feature of most country towns. They provided a wide range of goods and services, and were run by local families. The general store in Meadows, in the Mount Lofty Ranges of South Australia, was built Read More …
Watching films under the stars is a special experience. Some people may remember watching films in one of the many drive-in cinemas that used to exist in city and country towns across Australia. The first drive-in cinema in Australia opened Read More …
You may not be familiar with the tradition of Father Christmas arriving in a helicopter – unless you lived in Woomera. Woomera was established in 1947 as a rocket range in northern South Australia to test missiles and research rockets. Read More …
As the school year comes to a close and we approach the summer holidays, it is interesting to look back over some of the pastimes that children used to enjoy – many of which were outdoors. Barry Ellis grew up Read More …
Sporting facilities in country towns sometimes reflect their unique location. Just as Woomera had black greens on its golf course, it had a dirt oval for cricket. Terry Clark described the different ovals that were used in Woomera: Cricket was Read More …
Some of the funniest stories I’ve come across in oral history interviews have been about attempts to get to a sporting match on time. Not all attempts have been smooth sailing! Allan Hartwell talked about how his Meadows B grade Read More …
Woomera in its heyday in the 1960s had a population of more than 6000 people, and an enviable range of sports facilities to cater for every possible sporting preference. These facilities included a golf course, but one that was markedly Read More …
Aeolian instruments are instruments that are ‘played’ by the wind. They have fascinated humans for centuries. In modern times, many beautiful sculptures around the world have been designed to produce music. True Aeolian instruments produce notes that vary according to Read More …
Quiet places are becoming rare; places where we can listen quietly to the natural environment. Woomera is one of those rare places. Those who have lived in the remote town in the desert 446 km north of Adelaide, love the Read More …
I recently came across an interesting blog post, encouraging family historians to record oral histories with family members using FamilySearch apps and then to add them to their FamilySearch family trees. Oral history is a wonderful way of recording family Read More …
