South Australia’s big history event (or should I say history MONTH), officially called the ‘About Time History Festival’ is being held throughout May 2012. The events are scheduled, the books are out, the website has been updated … so bring on May!!

With over 500 events scheduled this year, and I came up with the idea of highlighting just a few … little did I know just how hard it would be to choose 20 or so. I know it sounds so incredibly cliche, but there REALLY, REALLY is something for everyone here.

Below are the few that I managed to narrow my enormous list down to, but feel free to pop onto the About Time website, and check them all out. You can search by region or area, by group, or by day …

VICTORIAN FUNERAL RE-ENACTMENT
Organised by: Adelaide Cemeteries Authority
When: Sunday 27 May, 10.30 am
Where: West Terrace Cemetery, 161 West Terrace, Adelaide
Cost: Free
In a grandiose display of Victorian funeral pomp Sidney Harrison Funerals’ horse-drawn hearse will lead official mourners from the Victoriana Society along West Terrace. The funeral cortège will continue into the cemetery before arriving at the graveside for a traditional committal service. The spectacle will launch the Beliefs, Attitudes and Customs interpretive trail at West Terrace Cemetery. Bookings required.

WEDDINGS IN PETERBOROUGH – FROM THE 1900s TO 2011
Organised by: Peterborough History Group
When: Every Friday in May, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Where: History Rooms, 7-9 Jervois Street, Peterborough
Cost: $2 per person
Visit this photographic exhibition of weddings through the ages in Peterborough, supported by newspaper clippings detailing wedding presents and guests’ clothing. Some antique wedding gowns will be on display as well as other wedding memorabilia including scrap books of wedding and engagement cards and wedding invitations. Bookings required for groups only.

DISCOVER YOUR ANCESTORS
Organised by: Kapunda Historical Society and Museum
When: Self guided tours all the time in May. Museum open every day 1.00pm – 4.00pm
Where: Kapunda Cemetery, Clare Road, Kapunda (4km out of town)
Cost: Free
Discover the last resting place of many of Kapunda’s notable citizens – and perhaps your ancestors too – at the Kapunda Clare Road Cemetery, the principal of eleven cemeteries in the district. Clare Road Cemetery brochure available free of charge from the Kapunda Museum. Street parking available.

TRACING FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Organised by: Lyndoch Historical Society
When: Saturday 19 May and Sunday 20 May, 11.00am – 4.30pm
Where: Lyndoch Library and History Centre, Barossa Valley Way, Lyndoch
Cost: Gold Coin Donation
Trace your family history with assistance from Lyndoch Historical Society. Access births, deaths and marriages records on CD, family history websites and resources specifically relating to Lyndoch and Hoffnungsthal history. See a display of family history books and visit a museum of local history. Group limit 8. Bookings required for groups only.

HISTORY FROM THE HEADSTONES
Organised by: Gumeracha & District History Centre
When: Tuesday 1 May, 9.00am – 7.00pm
Where: Gumeracha Civic Centre, Albert Street, Gumeracha
Cost: Gold Coin Donation
Are you researching the Gumeracha area or trying to find more family history clues? Call in and see what we’ve got! Our collection relates specifically to the Torrens Valley area and is the result of many hours of dedicated volunteer work. Much of the data is only available at our History Centre. Volunteers will be available to assist your search.

SCHOOL ARCHIVES TRAMWAY TRAIL FROM THE CITY TO GLENELG
Organised by: Immanuel College Archives and SA School Archives Group
When: Wednesday 2 May, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Where: Immanuel College Archives, chapel foyer, Immanual College 32 Morphett Rd, Novar Gardens
Cost: Free
Follow the school archive trail and visit the collections of participating schools along the tramline. Make a day of it – stop for lunch along the way. Discover the award-winning chapel and intriguing background of previous sites of Immanuel College since 1895. Other participating schools include: St Peter’s Woodlands, Immanuel, Annesley, Pulteney Grammar, St Mary’s College and Christian Brothers College.

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THE WAY WE WERE – PRESERVING GARDEN GOODIES
Organised by: City of Charles Sturt and Transition Adelaide West
When: Saturday 26 May, 2.00pm – 4.00pm
Where: Woodville Town Hall, 74 Woodville Road, Woodville
Cost: Gold Coin Donation
Remember when people made their own jams and preserves? Come to a workshop run by Transition Adelaide West to re-discover this fun and cheap cooking skill. Bookings required.

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ORAL HISTORY WORKSHOP
Organised by: Glenelg Historical Society
When: Monday 14 May, 10.00am – 2.00pm
Where: St Peter’s Anglican Church Hall, Torrens Square, Augusta Street, Glenelg
Cost: $30 Per Person
Oral history is a great way to capture local community, family and corporate histories. The Glenelg Historical Society will share their experiences of setting up their Oral History Project and discuss the research, techniques and technology required. This workshop will be held in the new community hall of Glenelg’s historic St Peter’s Anglican Church. Includes morning tea and light lunch. Bookings required.

BUS TOUR OF BRIGHTON WITH DEVONSHIRE TEA AT KINGSTON HOUSE
Organised by: Holdfast Bay History Centre
When: Sunday 6 May, 1.00pm – 4.30pm
Where: Depart from Holdfast Bay History Centre, 14 Jetty Road, Brighton
Cost: Gold Coin Donation
Board the bus for a tour of historical highlights of Brighton. Enjoy an old-fashioned Devonshire tea at heritage-listed Kingston House, home of the Kingstons, and learn the good and the bad about the family. Devonshire tea $7. Bookings required.

KESWICK BARRACKS HERITAGE WALK
Organised by: Army Museum of South Australia
When: Meet outside the Army Museum of South Australia
Where: Keswick Barracks, Anzac Highway, Keswick
Cost: Gold Coin Donation
Join a fascinating guided tour around the buildings and grounds of Keswick Barracks. Keswick Barracks has been an integral part of the military in South Australia for 100 years and was also the Repatriation General Hospital during and after the First World War. Guide book provided. Bookings required for groups only.

HISTORY IN STAINED GLASS
Organised by: Walkerville Anglican Church, Town of Walkerville
When: Friday 25 May, 10.00am – 11.00am and 2.30pm – 3.30pm; Saturday 26 May, 11.00am – 12.00pm; Sunday 27 May, 2.00pm – 3.00pm
Where: St Andrew’s Anglican Church, 43 Church Terrace, Walkerville
Cost: Free
Take time to view the vibrant stained-glass windows of St Andrew’s Church. Your guide will tell stories of prominent South Australian pioneers related to the stained glass, of themes of the windows and of people in whose memory the windows were given. Experience the peaceful ambience of this nineteenth-century church. Refreshments available for a small charge.

GALA DAY
Organised by: Tea Tree Gully Branch, National Trust of South Australia
When: Sunday 6 May, 10.00am – 3.00pm
Where: Old Highercombe Hotel Museum, 3 Perseverance Road, Tea Tree Gully
Cost: Free
Official opening at 11 am of our new display Slab Hut to Food Bowl. View the early settlement of Steventon and how local traders, businesses and farming contributed to the district’s growth. Wander through the building and grounds and see many interactive displays. Relax, visit the delicious food stalls and enjoy wine tasting. Take a step back in time!

TREASURES IN THE ATTIC – AND ANTIQUE APPRAISALS
Organised by: Prospect Library
When: Thursday 24 May, 2.00 pm – 4.00pm
Where: Prospect Library, 1 Thomas Street, Nailsworth
Cost: Free
What rare, exotic, treasures might be unearthed in our neighbourhood? Come along and listen to James Bruce of Theodore Bruce Auctions who will speak about ‘Treasures in the attic’. Afterwards, James will give free, five-minute appraisals – you are invited to bring along one treasured item of your own. Afternoon tea provided. Bookings required.

EARLY GOLDEN GROVE: MEET THE SETTLERS FROM 1838!
Organised by: Golden Grove Uniting Church
When: Monday 14 May, Wednesday 16 May and Saturday 19 May, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Where: Golden Grove Uniting Church, corner of One Tree Hill Road and Crouch Road, Golden Grove
Cost: Gold Coin Donation
Visit the Presbyterian Church, (opened in 1866) and view a map of the early Golden Grove area – see where the farms were located and explore the locations as you leave our informative displays of past times. Are you a descendant of an early European settler in this area, and would you like to help add to our local history? Bookings required for groups only.

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SAVING LIVES – ONE STORY AT A TIME
Organised by: History from the Heart
When: Saturday 12 May, 10.00am – 2.00pm
Where: Campbelltown Library, 171 Montacute Road, Newton
Cost: $45 Per Person
This ‘hands on’ workshop is for people who have started to gather their life stories and don’t know how to advance. The workshop will include: timelines, the power of ‘showing’ not ‘telling’, linking your life with history, and much more. Bookings required.

A TASTE OF LITHUANIA
Organised by: Adelaide Lithuanian Society
When: Sunday 20 May, 12 noon – 2 pm
Where: Lithuanian House, 6-8 Eastry Street, Norwood
Cost: Free
Lithuanian House is the community hub for Lithuanians in Adelaide. It features its own library and museum, and provides traditional Lithuanian meals every Sunday. Come along and sample a taste of Lithuania and view the community’s legacy in its own museum. Bookings required for groups only.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN NEWSPAPERS THROUGH TIME
Organised by: State Library of South Australia
When: Every Wednesday in May, 2.00pm
Where: Meet your guide at the Cloaking desk, level 1, Spence Wing, The State Library of South Australia, corner North Terrace and Kintore Avenue, Adelaide
Cost: Free
Hear about South Australia’s first printing press that arrived on Glenelg beach in 1836. See a typesetting machine from 1948. Enjoy the story of Rupert Murdoch’s mentor and confidant at News Limited, a gentleman with a penchant for bow ties. Meet Preservation staff and see how they microfilm old newspapers. Find out how to read and print from newspapers on microfilm. Bookings required.

CURATOR FOR A DAY
Organised by: Migration Museum
When: Thursday 24 May, 10.00am – 4.00pm
Where: Lyceum Club, level 1, 20-24 Leigh Street, Adelaide
Cost: $15 Per Person
Come along and find out what a curator at the Migration Museum does – have a look behind the scenes and get a sneak preview of future exhibitions. Bookings required.

If you’re a history buff (and even if you’re not), get out and enjoy an event or two during South Australia’s About Time History Festival, and learn just a little more our heritage while doing so.