Join the Port Adelaide Historical Society
Join the Port Adelaide Historical Society and you will receive the Portonian, a quarterly magazine packed full of interesting stories of yesteryear ! Join the Port Adelaide Historical Society and have access to all the information stored in at the society rooms, at the Museum and on this website!
Why Wendy joined...
I originally joined the Port Adelaide Historical Society to further my research of family history. My mother’s side of the family all from the Port Adelaide and Peninsula area.When I retired I took on a volunteering role doing walk and bus tours around the Port and Semaphore. I was keen to tap into the knowledge and local expertise of the society's volunteers on hand and be able to learn from their historical stories.The society, I found, had many old photos that I could browse through, books I could read and research such as the B.D.M. and the old Alberton Cemetery records etc. I have met many interesting characters who tell tales of their seafaring ways and days as well as well-known Historians of the area. The Ausbuilt Museum based on Fletcher Road, Birkenhead is a minefield of shipping artefacts and memorabilia also.I have been a member for the past 14 years during which the past seven years as the Society's Historian. The value of the many friends I have made and the knowledge I have gained over those years I cannot rate highly enough.Wendy Takos, Port Adelaide Historical Society Historian
Wendy Takos
Historian
Why John joined...
I found that the memorial stones (pavers) dedicated to my ancestors that were placed in the Alberton Pioneer Park Memorial Walk were deteriorating, so much so, they couldn’t be recognised. Signage at the park led me to the Port Adelaide Historical Society.By joining the Society I found that the Portonian Walk containing the memorial stones was a joint effort between the Port Adelaide Enfield Council and the Society. The walk was a compromise because the initial proposal was for a memorial wall. The wall was to contain the names of the 3,000 persons buried in what was the original Port Adelaide Cemetery. The memorial wall proved to be too expensive.At least three of my ancestors, were buried there in the mid to late 1800’s. The head stone of one of my adult relatives has been preserved; it’s one of only six headstones that survive.The concrete pavers have proven to be an inferior product for engraving and have weathered badly in some cases. Alternative stone has been sourced, given time and money, the original pavers will be replaced.The Historical Society has advertised the opportunity for its members and others to have the memorials replaced and with your support will replace the 160 pavers.I can recommend a visit to the Alberton site at the end of Parker Street; it’s a well kept secret. It’s a place for quiet reflection and a park that is well received by the surrounding inhabitants. The locals provide water for the animals that use the park and the Council has provided a small play ground for small children.You can have memorial installed by emailing the the Port Adelaide Historical Society at [email protected] Butler, Portonian Editor
John Butler
Member