Gawler Cultural Heritage Centre

04/10/2026

🍽️ What was life like at home during wartime?

Step into our recreated 1940s kitchen at Grit and Grace: Gawler Women in Wartime and discover some of the ways families adapted to life during the Second World War.

Children can explore the kitchen, look at the everyday objects on display and find out about things like rationing, make-do-and-mend and growing food at home.

It’s a great opportunity for parents, grandparents and children to explore the exhibition together and compare everyday life then with life today.

And don’t forget to pick up our free activity sheet for more things to find and discover throughout the Gallery.

📍 Gawler Heritage Gallery, Gawler Civic Centre
🎟️ Free entry
Mon-Wed 9am-5pm
Thurs 10am-6pm
Fri 9am-5pm
Sat 9am-1pm

Come along and see what you can discover about everyday life in wartime Gawler.

30/09/2026

👀 Can you spot them all?

Looking for something different to do with the kids these school holidays?

Bring the family to Grit and Grace: Gawler Women in Wartime at the Gawler Heritage Gallery and see how many fascinating objects you can discover together.

From uniforms and medals to everyday objects from wartime life, there are plenty of details to look for and our free activity sheet gives young visitors some fun challenges to complete as they explore the exhibition.

🔎 Look closely.
💡 See what you can discover.
📖 Learn the stories behind the objects.

📍 Gawler Heritage Gallery, Gawler Civic Centre
🎟️ Free entry

Make a visit to the Gallery part of your school holiday adventure!

21/09/2026

Stories, stitching and memories 🧵

What can a quilt tell us about the people and communities who made it?

Sometimes, the most fascinating stories are found not just in objects, but in the memories of the people who created, used and cared for them.

An oral history interview with Barbara Mullan OAM, recorded as part of the Gawler Broadcasting oral history project, provides a fascinating insight into her life and work as a textile artist and teacher. Barbara shares her experiences and passion for textiles, and the importance of encouraging others to explore their own creativity through this versatile art form.

🎧 Listen to Barbara’s oral history:
https://www.gawlerbroadcasting.org/oral-history/our-stories/gawler-oral-history-barbara-mullanoam/

Barbara’s story also gives us an opportunity to reflect on the importance of quilting and the stories held within handmade textiles.

The Gawler Cultural Heritage Centre cares for a number of quilts and textile pieces in the Gawler Heritage Collection. These objects are more than beautiful examples of needlework, they can tell us about the skills, creativity, friendships, families and everyday lives of the women who made them.

This is particularly timely following the 40th anniversary of the Gawler Quilting Circle, which brought together past and present members to celebrate four decades of quilting, friendship and community.

From an oral history recording to a carefully preserved quilt, these stories help us understand Gawler's past through the experiences of the people who lived it.

We encourage you to take a listen to Barbara’s story and think about what stories might be waiting to be uncovered in your own family photographs, textiles and treasured objects.

31/08/2026

📚 Thank you for joining us!

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Gawler Civic Centre on Saturday for an interesting and thought-provoking discussion with Dr Samantha Battams, author of Paving the Way.

Samantha shared fascinating stories from her research and spoke about both the challenges and the unexpected joys she encountered while uncovering the lives, achievements and contributions of her ancestors to South Australia’s history. Her talk was a wonderful reminder of just how fascinating family history can be and how much we can discover about the past by following the stories of those who came before us.

Thank you to Gawler Libraries for co-hosting the event, and to everyone who came along, listened, asked questions and shared in the morning.

We hope Samantha’s talk has inspired a few of you to dust off those family papers, dig a little deeper and see what stories your own family history might hold! 🔎📜

26/08/2026

Not heading to the Gawler Show this Saturday? Why not join us for a cuppa and a little history instead!

If the crowds, rides and showbags aren’t quite your thing, we have a lovely alternative for you. 📖

The Gawler Cultural Heritage Centre and Gawler Public Library invite you to join us on Saturday 29 August for an engaging author talk with Dr Samantha Battams, discussing her fascinating new book Paving the Way.

Hear about the stories of the pioneer families who made the journey to South Australia, the challenges they faced, and the research that uncovered their remarkable histories.

Enjoy a cuppa, good company and an hour of fascinating history – all while the Gawler Show is happening just down the road!

📅 Saturday 29 August
🕚 11.00 am – 12.30 pm
📍 Gawler Civic Centre Library

🎟️ Bookings are essential:
https://events.humanitix.com/author-talk-dr-samantha-battams-paving-the-way

Come for the cuppa, stay for the stories! ☕📚

Join us as Dr Samantha Battams discusses her book Paving the Way: Pioneer Ancestors from England, Ireland, Prussia and Bavaria to South Australia & New Zealand.

18/08/2026

Lest We Forget 🌺

Today, on Vietnam Veterans Day, we remember and honour the Australians who served during the Vietnam War, and acknowledge the service and sacrifice of veterans, their families and communities.

At the Gawler Civic Centre, the Walk of Honour includes a dedicated Honour Roll recognising people who were living in Gawler when they were sent overseas to serve in the Vietnam War. These names represent Gawler residents at the time of their enlistment and deployment, connecting the broader history of the Vietnam War directly to the people and families of our local community.

The Honour Roll is a lasting reminder that the story of Vietnam service is also part of Gawler's story. Behind every name is an individual, a family and a community that was affected by their service.

The experiences of Gawler women who served as nurses in Vietnam are also explored in our Grit and Grace: Gawler Women in Wartime exhibition. Their stories reveal another important dimension of Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War, the women who served in demanding conditions caring for wounded and sick servicemen. Their courage, professionalism and dedication are an important part of the history of Gawler's women and their wartime service.

Today, we remember those from our community who served, those who supported them, and those who carried the experience of war home.

Lest we forget.

12/08/2026

🧵 40 years of quilting, friendship and memories 🧵

Were you part of the Gawler Quilting Circle in its early days? Or perhaps you know someone who was?

This Saturday, we’re celebrating 40 years of the Gawler Quilting Circle and we’d love to reconnect with the women who helped shape this much-loved local group.

It all began almost 40 years ago when Quilts in Women’s Lives was shown in the Reading Room of the Gawler Public Library. The film attracted a room full of enthusiastic quilters and became the catalyst for the formation of the Gawler Quilting Circle, a group that continues to thrive today.

Join us for a special reunion featuring:
🧵 An exhibition of quilts and other items created by the group, now cared for in the Gawler Heritage Collection
🎥 A screening of the original Quilts in Women’s Lives film
💬 Memories and stories from the Circle’s early days and the decades that followed
🥪 A light lunch and, most importantly, an opportunity to catch up with old friends and fellow quilters.

It will be a celebration of 40 years of creativity, friendship, community and connection.

📅 Saturday 15 August 2026
⏰ 10.30am–2pm
📍 Gawler Civic Centre

If you were involved in the Gawler Quilting Circle, please join us and help spread the word to former members who may not be on social media.

🎟️ RSVPs are essential and can be made by booking a seat for lunch:
Book your place here https://events.humanitix.com/gawler-quilting-circle-40-year-reunion

11/08/2026

⏳ Don't miss this special author event presented by the Gawler Cultural Heritage Centre and the Gawler Public Library.

Dr Samantha Battams' book Paving the Way shines a light on the lives of South Australia's pioneer families, revealing stories of migration, settlement and perseverance that helped shape our communities.

Drawing on extensive historical and family history research, Dr Battams brings these journeys to life and offers fascinating insights for anyone interested in South Australian history or genealogy.
Come along to hear from the author, ask questions, and discover the stories that connect us with the past.

📅 Saturday 29 August
🕚 11.00 am - 12.30 pm
📍 Gawler Civic Centre Library
🎟️ Secure your place today:
https://events.humanitix.com/author-talk-dr-samantha-battams-paving-the-way

Join us as Dr Samantha Battams discusses her book Paving the Way: Pioneer Ancestors from England, Ireland, Prussia and Bavaria to South Australia & New Zealand.

03/08/2026

🌿 New Digital Exhibition Now Showing at the Civic Centre Café Space 🌿

📸 Memories of the North Para, South Para & Gawler Rivers

Now showing in the Civic Centre Café Space, this new digital exhibition explores everyday life along Gawler's river systems during the 1960s and 1970s right through to more recent floods.

Follow the shortcuts children took across swing bridges and railway lines to get to town and school and discover how generations of local families connected with the rivers through recreation, adventure and community life. Compiled by Robert Skewes and featuring memories of the Dieckmann family, the exhibition captures a unique chapter of Gawler's social history.

Drop in for a coffee and take a journey into Gawler's past.

02/08/2026

It's always a pleasure to welcome homegrown experts back to Gawler to share their knowledge and passion.

Recently, the Gawler Cultural Heritage Centre was delighted to host Chris Redman, a conservator specialising in variable media, during a visit to explore the Gawler Heritage Collection and discuss the unique challenges associated with preserving these important cultural records.

Variable media refers to heritage items that rely on changing technologies for access and interpretation. This can include audio recordings, video tapes, film, photographs, digital files, computer-based artworks, and other formats that may become inaccessible as playback equipment and software become obsolete. Unlike traditional documents or objects, variable media often require ongoing management and migration to newer formats to ensure they remain usable into the future.

Timely conservation of variable media is critical. Magnetic tapes can deteriorate, film can degrade, and digital files can become inaccessible as technology changes. Once playback equipment disappears or a format becomes unreadable, valuable historical information can be lost forever. Early intervention helps safeguard these records and ensures they remain accessible for future generations.

Chris, who grew up in Gawler and now works interstate in the field of audiovisual and variable media conservation, provided valuable insights into current preservation practices and the importance of prioritising at-risk media. His expertise highlighted the opportunities and challenges faced by collecting institutions across Australia as they work to preserve increasingly diverse heritage materials.

The Gawler Heritage Collection contains a body of variable media documenting the history of the town and its people. From oral history interviews and community recordings to audiovisual records of local events, these materials capture stories, voices and experiences that complement traditional archival records and photographs. They provide a rich and often deeply personal record of Gawler's social, cultural and civic history.

Visits such as this are an important reminder that preserving heritage is not only about caring for historic objects and documents. It is also about ensuring that recorded memories, moving images and sound recordings remain accessible and meaningful for future generations. The Cultural Heritage Centre looks forward to continuing its work to preserve and share these valuable pieces of Gawler's history.