Bay Discovery Centre

Visited here and was lucky enough to catch an intriguing exhibition of black and white photographs of wood, stone, animal and mineral by Ed Douglas. Worth checking out. Very friendly volunteer staff

I had a bit of time to kill, so I ended up wandering around here one afternoon not that many weeks ago now.
I must say, I am impressed with many of the exhibitions I saw. The one that sticks in my mind the most was about Sir Douglas Mawson’s expedition. There’s also plenty of history about the local area.
Like everyone else said, it’s a gold coin donation. I ended up throwing in a few extra bucks, as I was really impressed with the work that the volunteers do, and I know how hard it is to keep places like this not only open, but also interesting.

This museum situated in the heritage-​listed old Glenelg Town Hall is well thought out and does exceptionally well on a shoestring budget.
Entry is by gold coin donation, which the volunteer at the front desk told me went towards essentials such as keeping the lights on, so if you’re doing fine financially, don’t be stingy and dig deep to support this worthwhile museum on the history of South Australia.
FASCINATING HISTORY ACCOUNT
You’ll learn here how Glenelg has played an integral role from the inception of this former British colony. For it was in Glenelg SA’s first governor, John Hindmarsh, delivered the proclamation of the state’s creation in 1836.
Indeed, there’s a fascinating little enclave which screens a video re-​enacting the voyage of the first European ship destined for Australia and ends just after that proclamation.
The enclave is designed to resemble a boat, so the seats are wooden, to help the viewer get an idea of what the voyage must have been like. Voice-​over artists dramatise letters written by some of South Australia’s first settlers.
IMPORTANT POLITICAL HISTORY
All aspects of SA and Australia’s modern political history are covered, and the shameful past of Australia and its failure to fully recognise indigenous Australians until 1967 when the constitution was changed is included, although the display here is mainly considered with political aspects of this issue.
The political history also documents how South Australia was the first state to give women the right to vote and stand in an election in 1896.
GLENELG TRAM
There’s also a great display on the old Glenelg tram in which the viewer sits in one of the old brown leather seats as they watch a documentary video on a TV positioned in a model of the front of old Glenelg tram.
ARCTIC EXPLORER
In the section which features memorabilia of Brighton’s famous geologist and academic Sir Douglas Mawson is a lined A4 pad on which visitors can leave notes of any recollections they might have of the man who led a 1911 expedition to the Arctic.
One person recounts how fascinated they were when he visited their school in 1950, eight years before his death.
MEZZANINE GALLERY
Above the historical museum is an art gallery that promotes the work of South Australian artists. Sometimes visitors have the option of buying a work, but it may set you back a few hundred dollars.

Located inside the Glenelg Town Hall in Moseley Square is the Bay Discovery Centre. If you’re a history buff and you like to see what life was like in the early days of settlement in the colony — especially at Glenelg — then go and take a look inside the centre. It’s a well set out place filled with interesting bits and pieces about our history. Most of the displays are interactive meaning a good time for the kids — both big and little — as they get the opportunity to have some hands on fun and learning at the same time.
The building housing the Bay Discovery Centre is the Glenelg Town Hall which was designed by Edmund Wright and built back in 1875. The building was initially built minus both the clock and the clock tower with both added several years later. A little over a decade after construction, the building was purchased by the local council and it became the Town Hall. In 1977 when the Brighton and Holdfast Bay councils merged to form the Holdfast Bay Council the Town Hall was left empty and that’s when they came up with the idea of the Bay Discovery Centre. ‘The Bay’ is of course a reference to Holdfast Bay which was the original name for Glenelg. If you’re wondering where that name came from, apparently the arrival of the Buffalo was closely followed by the arrival of three other ships, The Cygnet, The Rapid and The Africaine. They say The Rapid got stuck or held fast on arrival and thus evolved the name of Holdfast Bay. Cool story.
On the mezzanine floor of the Discovery Centre is an art gallery with an ever changing display of the works of local artists. Admission to both the gallery and the Discovery Centre is free and its open from 10am to 5pm daily.