On 4 July 1970 the Corporation of the City of Whyalla came into being and now, fifty years later, Whyalla City Council is marking this significant milestone with month-long celebrations.
Council staff have been carefully planning the fiftieth anniversary celebrations in a way that encourages community involvement, whilst ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all during these covid-19 times.
The result is an eclectic mix of exhibitions, public displays, a customised webpage and a call out to residents to share photos, objects and memories of the last fifty years of life in Whyalla.
Finishing touches are currently being made to the fiftieth anniversary program, but for now here is a ‘sneak peek’ of what’s being planned:
Public Exhibitions
From July – December 2020 there will be exhibitions located in the foyer of the Council Civic Building, and the Whyalla Public Library.
While the Whyalla City Council was being formed, what else was happening in Whyalla, in South Australia and in the world?
These displays offer a captivating stroll back in time and are a great social summary of a different era.
Temporary Museum
From Monday 13 – Saturday 18 July a temporary Museum will pop up at Westlands Shopping Centre.
Community members are invited to bring in various objects that they consider have a strong connection with the last 50 years in Whyalla - personal memorabilia, photos, films, an old gate, a brick, trinkets, glasses - anything that has a special significance. These will be redisplayed as art works and cultural objects.
Concurrently, a series of video interviews will be made with residents, collecting the stories that accompany these objects and then screened through our giant camera.
Outdoor Projection
On Friday 31 July from 6:30pm-9:00pm there will be an Illuminart projection onto the exterior wall of the Middleback Theatre.
Photos of Whyalla from the 1970’s to now, many provided by residents, will be viewed larger than life in an outdoor projection experience.
Further information about the celebrations, ways that the community can be involved, and a link to the webpage for further details will be released later this week.