Local church warden Ray Oermann explaining the 175 years of St George’s Anglican Church history to the ABC film crew on Sunday. PHOTO: Supplied
GAWLER is set to feature on a new nationally-broadcast television program.
ABC TV producer and director Lin Jie Kong is profiling regional Chinese restaurants, including Gawler Palace Chinese Restaurant.
Over the weekend the Gawler History Team was asked to show Ms Kong and her team around the town, as part of production for an episode to be broadcast across the ABC’s three channels sometime next year.
Gawler History Team chair Brian Thom said he happily took them to the James Martin statue at Whitelaw Terrace to explain the importance of ‘The Father of Gawler’.
“Lin and her team learnt that James Martin was a Gawler councillor for four years, Gawler Mayor for eight years, a Member of State Parliament, and a Member of the Legislative Council for 15 years,” Mr Thom said.
“Within James Martin’s Phoenix Foundry on the corner of Calton Road and High Street, some of his 700 foundry workers built 268 steam trains for sale throughout Australia; some as heavy as 60 ton.
“James died in 1899 and, in 1903, the statue of James Martin was erected on the south east corner of Calton Road and Murray Street to honour his magnificent contribution to Gawler.
“In the mid-1960s it was shifted to Whitelaw Terrace and, in 2014, to celebrate Gawler’s 175th year, the statue’s 110 years of grime was removed, repairs were made and the statue was reinstated to its original glory.”
The ABC team was also taken to the John McKinlay Monument, adjacent to Pioneer Park, and Mr Thom said he explained how, in 1861, 42-year-old McKinlay was asked by the State Government to search for the missing explorers Burke and Wills.
“He passed away at age 53 and many notable Gawler citizens were asked to form a committee to decide how Gawler should celebrate his life and his notable achievements,” he said.
“In 1875, costing 650 pounds, the present grand McKinlay Monument with its Aberdeen Granite peak was unveiled.”
The production team was then taken to St Georges Anglican Church on Orleana Square in Cowan Street.
Church Warden Ray Oermann greeted them and explained the church’s 175 years of history.
The show is anticipated to be ready for broadcast on the ABC in about six months time.
