We cancelled our plans to holiday in Victoria this winter, and decided to stay home and explore. Partly because we have a lot on, and partly because we want to explore. Because of Don’s job we have seen a lot of the state but always enjoy finding out more, sometimes we have felt that we explored more of an area than the people who lived there did.
Because it is NAIDOC week, Don chose for us to go to Kingston’s Historic house at Marino. Not an obvious connection to our First Nation’s peoples, until you take a step out to the edge of a cliff and see the beautiful sculpture created by the renowned sculptor, John Dowie. It’s a starkly beautiful piece situated as it is, facing Gulf St Vincent. The dreamtime story is of love and loss, and explains for the people the creation story of the waterholes and springs in the area, as well as familial love. (Picture of the plaque and sculpture below.)
National NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year (Sunday to Sunday), to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. You can support and get to know your local Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander communities through activities and events held across the country.
Kingston’s Historic House “Built in 1840, Kingston House is one of South Australia’s oldest remaining houses. It is still being used today. The quiet beauty and hidden charm of the House and Reserve make it a favourite picnic spot for visitors.” There are many more impressive and beautiful houses in the state, but the story of Charles Kingston is what draws you in. He was so much revered - despite being a bit of a ratbag - that the state government bought his house some time after his death. An excerpt from the section about him on the Kingston’s house website: “He was a great social reformer and is noted for introducing the following legislations:
the first factory regulations
set wages for set hours
industrial conciliation
establishment of the State Bank guaranteeing deposits
Married Women’s Property Act
female suffrage (second in the world), and
women’s right to stand for Parliament (first in the world).”
So you can see why he would have appealed to me. After a lovely Devonshire Tea - provided by the volunteers who look after the house, we were given a talk by Coralie, who knows her subject, and who understands well Charles Kingston’s place in our state, and Australia’s history.
Visiting many historic places as we do, coming across those people with a passion for passing on all those wonderful details about each place and tidbits about the lives of those who were associated with them is what makes history come alive. We also felt that recently when we visited ‘The Cedars' - definitely worth another visit.
Meantime, another ‘Meet Your Neighbours’ event to prepare for, and trying to keep warm!
