State Records of South Australia

11/11/2026

Adelaide’s 2026 National Pharmacies Christmas Pageant is on Saturday, November 14.

Fun fact: It was Sir Edward Hayward, then owner of department store John Martin’s, who started the parade in 1933.

David Jones bought the store in the 1980s, but the pageant retained the John Martin’s name until the State Government took over the event in 1996.

State Records has numerous photographs of Christmas Pageants dating back to the 1930s, including when Rundle Mall was still a street.

Below are a selection of images of pageants gone by. What memories do you have of watching them?

See more photos in our Flickr album:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-sa/albums/72157627915011809/
Photos:

1: Father Christmas delights children and the young-at-heart during the first pageant in 1933, pictured rolling through Rundle Street (now Rundle Mall). SRSA GRS11929/1/ Image 1

2: A wintery and wet Christmas pageant parade in 1995 with Father Christmas, a sled, reindeers and elves, plus the Channel 9 camera operator to capture the fun. SRSA GRS 11929/1/26

3: A bus bright and colourful bus on the way to the Magic Cave in 1985. SRSA GRS 11929/1/66

4: The pageant queen in 1977 going past the Queen Victoria Statue. SRSA GRS 11929/1/9

5: Celebrating Christmas in 1960. SRSA GRG7/70/103

6: A regal-looking elephant float is pulled along the route in 1948. SRSA GRG7/70/98

11/11/2026

Today, November 11, we commemorate Remembrance Day, marking the anniversary of the 1918 Armistice that ended fighting on the Western Front during the First World War.

While military records are held by National Archives, these photos of brothers Walter and Harold Tyler are among about 3000 of soldiers, sailors and nurses who served in World War One that are within State Records’ collection.

Walter (b 1894) and Harold (b 1898) were two of seven children whose lives changed after they joined the military during World War I.

Walter was a cleaner with the South Australian Railways before he joined the AIF on November 8, 1915.

Among his services were being in the 9th Light Horse Brigade, the 5th Divisional Artillery Column, and the 4th Divisional Supply Column (Mechanical Transport Company), spending some time in France.

He was taken out of duty with ‘valvular disease of the heart’ and spent time in hospitals in England during the rest of the war, and was discharged from the AIF on medical grounds before returning to Australia aboard the “Shropshire” on June 28, 1919.

After the War, Walter continued working for the Railways as a fireman, married Linda Victoria Hounslow, and they had four children: Brian, Ruth, Kathleen and Lorna.

He died in 1974, aged 80.

His younger brother Harold was a junior clerk and enlisted on April 12, 1916, about three months shy of his 18th birthday.

Some of his services were as a Private with the 19th Reinforcements of the 10th Battalion and a Gunner in the 5th Divisional Artillery Column.

He too spent time in France, before returning to Australia via Devon aboard the "Beltana" and was discharged from the AIF on August 29, 1919.

He married Gwendolyn Hooper Pitman and they had three children: Constance, Donald and Randolph.

Harold had a long career in local government, working in the District Council of Minnipa (later LeHunte) and later, Enfield. He was a founding member of the latter council’s Town Planning Committee and helped acquire land for public use within the City of Enfield.

Harold died in 1972, aged aged 74.

The Harold Tyler Reserve in Angle Park is named after him.

These photos have been digitised and can be seen, like many others, on our Flickr album: flickr.com/photos/state-records-sa/albums/72157626501163158

Lest we forget.

Pictures:
Walter, standing with his left foot forward, SRSA ref: GRG26/5/4/380

Harold, holding a bugle, SRSA ref: GRG26/5/4/381

City of Adelaide, City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Wudinna District Council, Australian Army, RSL South Australia

09/11/2026

What excuse have you told your boss why you need an advance payment on your paycheque?

“I had to buy a coat last week as one of the pigs tore my working coat” was a line Leo Leonard Scott used during his time as an apprentice farmer.

The files from his time as a Boy Migrant in the 1920s are within State Records’ collection.

They were recently discovered by his daughter and granddaughter, Natalie and Joanne (pictured), during a visit to our Research Centre at Gepps Cross.

Read Leo’s endearing story on our blog:
www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/priceless-little-brothers-letters-reveal-farm-life-before-becoming-a-world-war-ii-pow

South Australian Genealogy & Heraldry Society History Council of South Australia

05/11/2026

More than 53,000 staff who worked for the South Australian Railways (SAR) have information about them within State Records’ collection.

Finding information about loved ones who worked at the SAR has been made easier by an indexing project.

Volunteer Meredith said being involved in the project was rewarding.

“As I typed, I pondered the lives of these people, their immigrant story, those who were given leave to enlist…and so many to have “killed in action” recorded on their sheet: a microcosm of our State’s story,” she said.

Find out more about our South Australian Railways records, and the work involved in making them easy for you to search them, in our blog:

www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/south-australian-railways-employee-records-project

Picture: Adelaide Railway Station, circa 1910. SRSA GRG35/58/4/102

City of Port Adelaide Enfield National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide Railways and Tramways of Australia

02/11/2026

02/11/2026

On November 3, 1985, the inaugural Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix took place in Adelaide.

The track took in parts of the C*D between 1985-1995, including Stag Corner,
Rundle Road, Brewery Bend and Dequetteville Terrace.

State Records has digitised footage from the inaugural race.

Tell us your memories of Formula 1 in Adelaide in the comments below.

Video: SRSA GRS/7911/1/2/14

F1 South Australian Tourism Commission City of Adelaide History Council of South Australia

31/10/2026

Getting men to open up can be a challenge, but thankfully some curly, straight, groomed and wild moustaches in our archives may give them a reason to start a conversation.

Movember is a month to raise awareness and funds for men’s health, where males can grow a moustache to help start a chat about where they're at.

We want to kick off by looking at some of the most epic moustaches throughout history that we’ve got captured in our archived photo collections.

The First Conference of the Directors of Education in Adelaide in 1916 had great moustaches, except for one chap in the back left!

Archibald Henry Peake (1859-1920), the Liberal Premier of South Australia three times, sported quite the distinguished moustache in this photograph.

According to the ANU, he was described as “like granite – strong and enduring” in the “Liberal Leader”, but struggled with poor health and his work exhausted him before he died of cerebral haemorrhage while still in office in 1920.

Another fine specimen, this picture of former Premier and Minister to Peake, Richard Butler (1850-1925).

See more historical moustaches in our special album at www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-sa/albums/72157675795419715/

Movember: 1300 476 966
MensLine Australia: 1300 78 99 78
Lifeline: 13 11 14
Beyond Blue: 1300 22 4636

Photos:
1: First Conference of the Directors of Education in Adelaide in 1916, SRSA GRG18/169/2/7
2: Richard Butler, SRSA GRS/12030/1/1
3: Archibald Henry Peake, SRSA GRG18/169/1/6

26/10/2026

State Records is marking (October 27) with a clip from the 1963 short documentary film 'Tunarama'.

This short was created by the Tourism Bureau to record the colour and action of the annual Port Lincoln festival, celebrating the communities, industries and landscape of the Eyre Peninsula.

The wear and tear visible on the scan of this 16mm film print is evidence of how often it was projected, and how popular the subject matter was, with many local and interstate audiences delighted by this lively record of Port Lincoln and surrounds.

This film print was digitised for long-term preservation as part of State Records' Deadline 2025 project.

Many audiovisual formats are at risk of complete loss because we rely on obsolete technologies to view and copy them.

The Deadline 2025 project digitised thousands of sound and image records in the archive to digital formats that can be managed and preserved into the future.

Video: SRSA GRG7/77/145



City of Port Lincoln Council South Australian Tourism Commission South Australian Film Corporation Recfish SA Tunarama Festival

25/10/2026

Gardens across South Australia are in full bloom as we reach the middle of spring.
The Festival of Flowers was celebrated earlier in October, continuing a tradition of celebrating beautiful blooms.

National Flower Day was celebrated in South Australia from 1936 to 1974. Beginning as an event for the state’s centenary in 1936, the festival was incorporated into the Adelaide Festival of Arts in 1960.

An aim of National Flower Day was to encourage homeowners to beautify South Australia’s rapidly expanding suburbs. Councils, community groups and organisations were also encouraged to create displays with prizes awarded to winning exhibits.

We host a collection of images from previous flower days in our collection. Below is a sample, and there are more on our Flickr album

https://www.flickr.com/photos/state-records-sa/albums/72157642327404954/

Image 1: A flower exhibit of a house covered in flowers for an event in 1950. SRSA GRG7/120/1 Photographs relating to National Flower Day activities

Image 2: The Unley float during a state centenary event in 1936. SRSA GRG7/120/17

Image 3: National Flower Day Floral Queen Miss Helen Nitschke being crowned by Lady Mayoress Mrs. Hargraves, circa 1960s. SRSA GRG7/70/90

Image 4: A floral carpet in front of the National War Memorial on North Terrace, Adelaide, in 1936. SRSA GRG7/69/1

Image 5: A springtime float as part of National Flower Day celebrations in 1936. SRSA GRG7/120/91

20/10/2026

The last Australian-built Holden Commodore rolled off the production line at Elizabeth on October 20, 2017.

About 2.3 million Commodores were built in Australia between 1978 – when the name was introduced - and 2017, before moving to a fully-imported model.

The much-loved family vehicle was initially introduced as a mid-size car, replacing the Kingswood. It was an instant hit, becoming Australia’s best-selling car between 1979-1981.

But as time passed, it became a full-size vehicle and tussled with the Ford Falcon for top spot, before regaining market dominance by becoming Australia’s top-selling car for 15 years straight between 1996-2010, when market conditions and consumer preferences changed.

The Elizabeth plant opened in 1960 and was operated by Holden from 1963-2017.

Among the popular name badges were the Torana, Kingswood, Statesman, and the Monaro.
Today the site is owned by Pelligra Group and is known as the Lionsgate Business Park.

These images from the State Promotion Advisor in 1981 include the VC model being made at Elizabeth.

Photos:

1: A publicity photograph of manufacturing in South Australia, featuring a VC Commodore at the Elizabeth plant, 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/19 General Motors Holden file Holden Commodore 1981 picture 1

2: 1: A publicity photograph of manufacturing in South Australia, featuring a VC Commodore on the Elizabeth production line, 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/19 General Motors Holden file Holden Commodore 1981 picture 2

3: A VC Holden Commodore is spray painted at Elizabeth. SRSA GRS888/1/19 General Motors Holden file Holden Commodore 1981 picture 3

4 and 5: Quality control checking a VC Commodore on the Elizabeth line in 1981. GRS888/1/18/No 9122 and SRSA GRS888/1/18/No 9121

6: Duco detailing a VC Holden Commodore on the Elizabeth line in 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/18/No 9123

7: Panel welding a Commodore in 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/18/No 9119

8: Upholstery sewing machinists working at the Elizabeth Holden plant in 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/18/No 9108

9: A panel press being serviced at Elizabeth in 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/18/No 9110

10: Engine finishing at Holden’s Elizabeth factory in 1981. SRSA GRS888/1/18/No 9111

Holden General Motors City of Playford RAA National Motor Museum South Aussie with Cosi Keith Conlon Remembering Our Australian Car Industry.