Bridgewater is a town in South Australia, located in the Adelaide Hills to the south-east of the Adelaide city centre. It is the former end of the Adelaide-Bridgewater railway line, which was closed in 1987. The railway was converted to standard gauge in 1995 and continues to be the main line from Adelaide to Melbourne, but no trains stop at the now demolished Bridgewater railway station. A section of the Heysen walking trail runs through the town, as well as the Pioneer Women’s walking trail.
In the Mount Barker Courier, date May 12, 1912, it was stated that the residents of Bridgewater had decided to establish an institute. Institutes were community-initiated establishments, created as a place to meet, to socialise, and to host a library. In October 1913, Lady Bosanquet, who was the wife of the then Governor of South Australia, laid the foundation stone for the building of the institute.
The primary aim of the Bridgewater Institute was for educational purposes, and secondarily a medium for the entertainment of the people. The Bridgewater Institute had a library downstairs, where IT Share is now located. Institutes were often affiliated with the SA Institute, so they had access to government subsidies for books, and to guidance about purchasing and accessing circulating boxes of books. The Institutes relied on voluntary labour and fund-raising.
At some point, date unclear, the library was removed from the building and the Bridgewater Institute became known as the Bridgewater Hall. The Bridgewater Hall is owned by the Adelaide Hills Council and was given local heritage status in October 2000. It is managed by the Bridgewater Hall Inc Committee, a small group of dedicated volunteers and continues to be well utilised by the local and broader hills community for a diverse range of activities.
A couple of interesting events from the history archives courtesy of the Mount Lofty Districts Historical Society Inc.
Bridgewater Hall is located on the beautiful lands of the Peramangk and Kaurna peoples.