Panorama Chronology1838Land Grant issued for Section 261 to Edward Stephens.

1839Land Grant issued for Section 260 to Col. SG Kingston who died in 1845.

1839Land Grant issued for Section 259 to William Gilles and leased to WB Randell.

1842Section 259 Leased to Henry Snelling.

1843Section 260 leased to Henry Snelling from Kingston’s Estate.

1846John O’Dea bought Section 1073 (78 acres for £78). By 1864 he had added sections 1074 and 1080 to his holdings at £2¼ per acre.

1848Village of Springbank advertised for auction to be held on 13 December 1848. Described as 'the beautiful village of Springbank ... lies about four miles to the south and can be reached by half-a-dozen roads from Adelaide. Each allotment is partly enclosed, containing from five to ten acres of rich cultivated land, from which a fine view of the sea is enjoyed.' (SA Register 6 Dec 1848)

1850Marshall Mac Dermott as manager of the Bank of Australasia, sold 16 of the 29 allotments. It took the rest of the decade to sell the remainder to wind up Kingston’s Estate after auctioneer Emmett went insolvent in 1850.

Looking East towards towards the Lynton stone crushing plant (centre left) with Windy Point behind. View fromLooking East towards towards the Lynton stone crushing plant (centre left) with Windy Point behind. View from what is today Panorama Drive. 1930swhat is today Panorama Drive. 1930s

House built by John O'Dea (1803 – 1895) near what is today Hogarth Road - 1970s

Probably to escape the political situation in his native Ennis, County Clare, Ireland, John O'Dea, his wife Mary, their son and several cousins came to South Australia on the 'Birman' in 1840. One of the first to settle in the southern part of modern Panorama (then called Spring Gully) John had left the district by the early 1860s though he retained the property until 1878 when he gave most of it to his son Daniel.

1851Honora Fennell was the first child definitely born at Springbank on November 4, to Patrick and Mary Fennell (nee O’Callaghan). They had only moved to their blocks 18 & 19 a fortnight before her birth.

1853 - 1854'On 8 July 1853 F Temme bought 40 acres of land at Springbank and sold a small parcel of it to his brother-in-law, Julius Weil and bought three more adjoining allotments in 1858 which gave him a farming area of a little more than 41 acres at a total cost of £677/10/0'. From Bellersen to Bluestone” by FW Temme Pub. 1986

In the first Council Rate Assessment there were 11 households, mostly living in huts, 5 were classed as 'dwellings'. Isaac Skinner had purchased block 4 in the Village of Springbank and built four huts and possibly a dwelling for his family by the time the Council Clerk recorded the first assessment. Isaac was a publican for three or four years during the 1860s including a year at the Lady Macdonald Hotel within walking distance of his home.

Also mentioned as land owners as well as occupiers in the 1854 assessment were: Michael Colbert, Robert Walker, Patrick Fennell, Patrick Callaghan, William Anchor, M Considine, Triestram Bath, Benjamin Colbert, M Teaque, William Chester, Joseph Purchase, Mrs Laidlaw, William Sawyer, R Richardson, J O'Neil and George Radford.

1862Mr Skinner offered to build a Council Hall and Stables at Springbank and let it to the District Council at 2/6 per week. However it was agreed 'that the District was not a position at present to build a Council Hall.' (Council Minutes Aug 1862)

1864Sections 1074 & 1080 transferred to John O’Dea from John Morphett.

1867 & 1869William and Jane Anchor died. Of their 10 children, 7 did not survive to adulthood.

1868Patrick Callaghan was the first to settle on Section 261.

1871Benjamin Colbert died.

1873William Sawyer died. 1874Robert Walker died Mr Weil executor. Michael Colbert died.

1878John O’Dea passed property onto his son Daniel

1881Julius Weil died.

1883William Chester and Peter McMahon died.

1924Subdivision began in the southern end of the modern suburb. One development was named Panorama Estate. Of the 24 land divisions between 1924 and 1969, eleven had taken place by 1930 but because of the Depression and War it was 1948 before they continued. (Deposited Plans LTO)

Aerial photo of Springbank (northern Panorama) 1949.

At left is Goodwood Road while the North/South Road at centre is Eliza Place. The East/West dirt track at bottom left is today Panorama Drive.

Weil Weil

Motorcycle scramble

Motorcycle scramble

trackstracks

CallaghanCallaghan

Bath Bath

O'NeilO'NeilWalkerWalker

TemmeTemme

1944Land was transferred to ETSA for a substation.

1949-1950Bedford Industries built Cowan Building as a sheltered workshop at Panorama.

1955Springbank Dump which had been used for around 15 years was closed. (Advertiser 25 Aug 1955)

1956Proposal for a Drive-In Theatre in the factory zone at Springbank (Advertiser 6 Nov 1956)

1965Panorama Engineering Trade School opened.

1960sSpeil family developed a mushroom growing business in the old railway tunnels. ( Chronicle 9 April 1971; Courier 25 Oct 1972)

1961Panorama Methodist Church built.

1970Sleeps Hill Reserve declared. ( DP 3261)

1975Mitcham Council and community groups develop a 'playground paradise' at what is today CC Hood reserve. The park was named after Cyril Hood, a former Counciler and Mayor of Mitcham who acquired the land from the Housing Trust and who happened to be a descendant of pioneer, Isaac Skinner.

1988Hi-Line Drive-In redeveloped. The site is now occupied by Kentucky Avenue and the southern end of Tafquin Street.

In the back yard. Goodwood Road - 1950s.In the back yard. Goodwood Road - 1950s.

Panorama Map

Prepared by Mitcham Local History Service and Heritage Research Centre 103b Princes Rd, Mitcham SA 5062. Ph 8372 8261June 2005

Motorcycle Scramble Tra Motorcycle Scramble Trackck Sleeps Hill - 1950s Sleeps Hill - 1950s Last edit: 03/12/2009