Our Town

A glimpse into the history of ironing through the ages, brought to you by Pauline Reid from the Clare branch of the National Trust of South Australia.

Join Jeff, Marilyn and David as they recount the inspiring story of Meta Pruul, an extraordinary woman whose musical talent enriched the cultural life of South Australia.

The Pruul family, displaced by the Second World War, eventually settled in Gawler. Find out how they adapted to their new lives and the ways they contributed to the life of the town. A heart-warming story told by those who knew its key players, this episode will appeal to music lovers, and to those who remember a time when bricks were made by hand!

By David Tucker, Jeff Turner, Marilyn Tucker, Tony Baylis, Grace & Skye Humphill.

Join Jeff Turner for a walk through what was the old Willaston migrant camp in South Australia. Jeff takes a stroll through his town to a local place that is very special to him, and many others in the Gawler region.  Today, it is the much loved home of the Willaston Football Club where locals support their favourite team.  In days gone by it was the temporary home for many new families arriving from Europe after WWII. 

Migrant families who arrived in Gawler in the 1940s-1960s bought their children who had to be educated.  Many of the children could not speak English.  Student numbers swelled in local classrooms and new friendships were forged. 

Join us for Episode 2 of Our Town, as Jeff Turner describes what life was like for the new children at school. The research for this episode comes from work Jeff Turner and Anne Richards undertook for their book "This'll do". 

Millie continues her exploration of native vegetation in the Clare Valley.  She draws our attention to the smaller plants that she knows so well.  One of these small flowers, prized by the Ngadjuri people, was the Murnong.  This is a fabulous episode to listen to if you are planning a trip to Clare or are currently visiting the region.  

Find out about The Hill Family and how they came to live in the Clare Valley.  Millie talks about the plights and successes of a much loved local family and about Inchiquin homestead which was the scene of many celebrations, balls, and social gatherings. 

Pauline shares a sad mystery from long ago.  Her episode examines the social history of Clare and tragic death of two children to drowning around the time of WWI. 

Join Millie as she talks about her special region; the natural landscape and native trees of the Clare Valley.  We discover that her local environment has big trees and small amongst the wide open plains and broad valleys, and we find out why. 

A group of settlers to Clare came from the Highlands and islands of Scotland. We find out how this group of early migrant families came to be living in the Clare Valley.