Unpacking the ELIZABETH HERITAGE SURVEY of 1997 

Yeah Clive, I feel ya buddy. This channel was inspired when I visited my old neighbourhood on Tudor Crescent in Smithfield Plains. Like you my family home still stood as it was privately owned, but the childhood homes of almost all of my friends were all gone. Like they were never there. Like they didn't matter. But they were there, and they do matter. I'm very disappointed in the Playford City Council as a whole. I think their performance has been abysmal overall. I'm sure there have been individuals who have done good things, and tried with limited backing or resources to serve the north, but it seems they have been in the minority. Talk is cheap, you just have to walk or drive around to see the state of things. Thank you for watching Clive. I'm glad the channel brings back fond memories for you mate. 🙏

Brilliantly articulated avebury. Thank you 🙏

They could if the heart and the will was there Deidre. Many former public buildings such as the Smithfield Plains Shops are now privately owned. Problem is there is no incentive or pressure placed upon the owners to upkeep them. When SAHT was running the show all private enterprises had encumbrances placed upon them to ensure buildings and sites would not be neglected. No such thing today. It's amazing to look at SPSC now, compared to the opening day of Foodland there. Have you seen that footage? Amazing - the place was packed and alive. Thanks again for watching Deidre; always appreciated 🙏

Yes I have seen the Foodland opening, such great footage! I’m taking my daughter to Adelaide next week to show her where I grew up, I’ve pre warned her that it’s not like it was then. I’m a bit embarrassed to show her sadly. My dad was a leading hand on Munno Para District Council and didn’t like the idea of the merge at all. It was first rumoured back in the late 70s when he worked there. He put in a lot of the footpaths and maintained the parks and gardens in Munno Para area as well, he would be rolling in his grave to see it now!!

That's a shame about the lack of support from local council - though not surprising. Honouring and preserving local history has never been their strong point, dating back to before Playford Council even existed. That initial pride and sense of identity seems to have evaporated very quickly once the first generation of local councillors left office. Hotel Elizabeth should still be standing, as the first building ever erected in the town centre, but even that only lasted about 26 years - gone by the mid-eighties.

Can't argue with that, sadly, as I suspect there is some truth to it. Some desperation too I imagine, for cash strapped councils trying to raise money. Though the Playford Council spend money they have raised of some pretty bizarre things at times - like that Windsor Carpark no-one uses or ever wanted.

Well the SAHT unfortunately were downgraded some time in the early eighties to being merely a welfare housing authority. No longer having the powers they had during the Playford era. I don't think it's that they no longer cared, but were no longer able to effectively make a difference. All those SAHT houses that were once built for workers were exclusively now for the under privileged and unemployed. There is a dramatic downturn in Elizabeth's circumstances following the decision to make SAHT only about welfare groups. Coupled with an economic downturn and Elizabeth was a sitting duck. But the ineffectiveness of local leaders from the eighties on is pretty clear at this point - and once we get to the Playford City Council era we really start to see the bottom fall out. Partly I imagine because the new council wanted to make their own mark and stamp their own identity, which I totally get. That could have been done without it being at the expense of Elizabeth heritage however. One need not have negated the other. Sadly, in most circumstances it has.