In July 1973, David Jarman, who was a resident of Mitchell Park and teacher at Westminster School, published an article entitled “Up The Creek” in the South Australian Science Teachers Association Journal. The article was about the impact of concreting the Sturt River. Alison Dolling reprinted these two diagrams from that article on page 313 of her history of Marion. Some straightening of the Sturt River had already been done in the 1960s, in order for Marion Road to be passable where formerly it had been crossed by the river in three places. Items found in the area at the time indicated that parts of the area had been an Aboriginal camp site and burial ground. The position of a very large river red gum tree, which had been used as a fire tree by the original inhabitants, is marked on the map. Photographs of the tree taken by Lew Woolven in the 1960s are in Album 10 on pages 2a, 3a and 6b. Lew recalled the tree as being a favourite play spot for the local children through his own childhood and that of his children. The 1973 map shows the straight concreted section of the river with a drive-in theatre, gasometer and light industry on the western side of the river, along Marion Road, and Housing Trust houses and a school on the eastern side of the river. Jarman, David

The map shows Part Section 118 and Sections 119, 120 and 121, Part Section 79 Hundred of Noarlunga; and Section 77, 78, 79, 462, 2908, and Part Section 64. Streets and allotments for the suburbs are shown. The location of the course of the Sturt River is shown, as well as the Sturt Memorial Oval, Sturt Primary School, Tonsley Park Primary School, Drive-in theatre on Marion Road, Gasometer on Marion Road, Laffer’s Triangle, the Sturt Methodist Church, Mitsubishi Australia Ltd, and the Bedford Park Teachers College.Scale of map: 1:2 500. It is Sheet No. 6627-1-f in a series of maps. Issued under the authority of the Minister of Lands. Photolithography by B.A. James, Government Printer, 1974. An index to sheets adjoining this sheet is given. First edition. Department of Lands (S. Aust.)

The plan of the Marion Township is believed to have been placed in a time capsule under the second Marion Bridge over the Sturt River at Finniss Street, Marion. The second Marion Bridge was opened in 1896. The plan was found when a new bridge replaced the second Marion Bridge in 1971. It was in poor condition, with many creases. This is a photograph of the map before it was restored. The Sturt River can be seen winding through the town, and Nixon Street, Light Square, Market Street, Finniss Street, Jacob Street and George Street can be seen. Allotments are marked on the plan. It is thought that the plan was drawn in connection with the sale of blocks of land in Marion. For a while it was thought to date from 1838, but this is unlikely. It is more likely to have been drawn some time between the 1860s and 1890s. The photograph was taken in the 1970s. Method of Acquisition: Date of Manufacture: Dimensions: Description: unknown

The plan of the Marion Township is believed to have been placed in a time capsule under the second Marion Bridge over the Sturt River at Finniss Street, Marion. The second Marion Bridge was opened in 1896. The plan was found when a new bridge replaced the second Marion Bridge in 1971. It was in poor condition, with many creases. This is a photograph of the map after it was restored. About 30% of the map fragments are missing. The Sturt River can be seen winding through the town, and Nixon Street, Light Square, Market Street, Finniss Street, Jacob Street and George Street can be seen. Allotments are marked on the plan. It is thought that the plan was drawn in connection with the sale of blocks of land in Marion. For a while it was thought to date from 1838, but this is unlikely. It is more likely to have been drawn some time between the 1860s and 1890s. The photograph was taken in the 1970s. unknown

This photograph was used with the permission of the Department of Lands by Alison Dolling on page 314 of her book “The History of Marion on the Sturt”. It was taken on the 3rd of January 1959 and is labelled Survey 325, Photo no. 9366, scale of enlargement 1:5333. The area shown extends to the Oaklands railway station in the west, almost to Daws Road in the north, the Sturt Rd–South Rd intersection in the east and almost to Seacombe Road in the south. All or part of the following (2012-vintage) suburbs are included: Oaklands Park, Marion, Mitchell Park, Clovelly Park, Seacombe Gardens, Sturt and Bedford Park. The photograph was taken before the straightening and concreting of the Sturt River so it can be seen winding its way from the south-east to the north-west. Among features visible in the photograph are the Sturt Methodist church, Fairford on Laffer’s Triangle, the Sturt Recreation Ground, Oaklands Estate, new Housing Trust homes in Mitchell Park, vineyards, orchards, glass houses and pug holes. Method of Acquisition: Date of Manufacture: Dimensions: Description: South Australia. Department of Lands.

Several detailed aerial photographs taken by the Department of Lands have been taped together and cut to shape to show the northern, central and part of the southern suburbs of the City of Marion. Suburbs included (using the names they had in 2012) are Glengowrie, Morphettville, Plympton park, Park Holme, South Plympton, Glandore, Ascot Park, Edwardstown, Warradale, Oaklands Park, Marion, Mitchell Park, Clovelly Park, Dover Gardens, Seacombe Gardens, Sturt, Bedford Park, Seaview Downs, Seacombe heights, Darlington and part of O’Halloran Hill. New, post-war housing developments can be seen in the northern suburbs of the area, but the central and southern suburbs were still largely rural, with the Sturt River in its natural state and large plots planted with fruit or almond trees, grapevines or vegetables under glass. South Australia. Department of Lands

This large (700mm x 1020mm – scale 1” = 960’0”) map shows the street and suburb names in the City of Marion and neighbouring areas. The estimated date of 1951 is based on the layout of streets in the Mitchell Park, the description of Oaklands Estate as “Hospital Reserve” and the non-existence of Forbes Primary School, which opened in 1952. Sections of the City of Marion are coloured and numbered 1 to 8. These are not council wards as there were only four wards at the time. The map shows the housing blocks in each of the townships whose names later disappeared as suburb names and boundaries were defined, e.g. Hammersmith, Vermont, Forbes, Chellaston, Alexandra Park, Bessington, Harcourt Gardens, Brayville, Acklands Gardens and Mirreen. The full extent of the map goes from Richmond Road in the north to the southern boundary of Darlington in the south, and from the coast on the west to just east of Winston Avenue in the east. Unknown

Two foolscap photocopies of a map showing the boundary of the City of Marion and the roads and suburbs that existed at the time. The lack of roads in the southern suburbs and the fact that the Sturt River has not been straightened indicate that the map refers to no later than 1970. A stamp on the back of one of the copies indicates that these come from the Sturt Primary School library. The Sturt Primary School closed in 1996. Method of Acquisition: Date of Manufacture: Dimensions: Description: Unknown

Copy of a large-scale hand-drawn plan (scale 1/16” = 1’0”) for an adventure reserve on a triangle bounded by Sturt Road on the south and McInerney Avenue on the east. The plan was a joint exercise between the City of Marion and the Lions Club of Edwardstown and coincided with the straightening and concreting of the nearby Sturt River. The plan incorporated existing almond trees, probably from the Duncan property ‘Orange Grove’. Unknown

A hand-drawn map showing the Marion Historical Society visit to the Worthing Mine site which includes the surrounding area. The visit was on 27 October 1985. Marked on the map are Lonsdale Road, Ramrod Avenue, Waterfall Creek, the disused railway, Grand Central Avenue, the Conservation Park, the Field River, the site of the Worthing Mine and the meeting place for the group. Unknown

This photograph is an enlargement of one that, being similar to 2956, was probably taken during a survey by the Department of Lands. However, it is apparent that it was taken earlier than 2956, probably in 1949, because none of the farming land in Oaklands Park has yet been subdivided and had housing built on it. The area shown includes Sturt Road, Marion Road, Finniss Street and the railway line from Marion Road to just west of the Sturt River. All or part of the following (2012-vintage) suburbs are included: Oaklands Park, Marion, Mitchell Park, Clovelly Park, Seacombe Gardens, Sturt and Bedford Park. The photograph was taken before the straightening and concreting of the Sturt River so it can be seen winding its way from the south-east to the north-west. Among features visible in the photograph are the Oaklands Estate, Sturt Recreation Ground, the cluster of houses and shops on Sturt Road opposite the recreation ground, with the Moreton Bay fig trees at the front of the Sturt Post Office, and a patchwork of vineyards, orchards, glass houses and pug holes. Unknown

This photograph is an enlargement of part of 2941, probably taken during a survey by the Department of Lands, probably in 1949. The area shown includes Sturt Road, Marion Road, Norfolk Road and part of Finniss Street and shows the Sturt River winding its way from Sturt Rd along the eastern side of Marion Road until it crosses Marion Road three times. Until the river was straightened it was not possible to travel on Marion Road all the way from Oaklands Road to Sturt Road. Instead it was necessary, if travelling from the north, to turn right on to Finniss Street, cross the river on the Finniss Street bridge, turn left onto Township Rd, then left onto Norfolk Rd and right onto Marion Road again. Among features visible in the photograph are the Sturt School, Marion Methodist Church (with the four Hersey workers’ cottages opposite), St Ann’s Catholic Church, and properties owned by Duncan, Franklin, Caruso, Hersey, Western, Woolven, Parsons, Edwards and Threadgold families, among others. Marion district Town planning 007 Unknown