Our Local History collection is a compilation of resources reflecting the history of our region.
Most of the items are printed, published and paper-based material, however there is also an oral history collection and original manuscripts.
This collection is available from Aldinga, Hub and Noarlunga libraries.
Digital assets are available in our library catalogue.
Help sheet - accessing historical photographs online(PDF, 2MB)
You also have access to a selection of online resources with your Onkaparinga Library card:
For more assistance, please contact the staff at your local library.
Photographic quotation form(PDF, 248KB)
Bibliography of Aboriginal and Kaurna titles(PDF, 173KB) held in our collection. (you can view the availability of these titles in our online catalogue)
We have created fact sheets to guide you on your local and family history journey. These will save you time and set you in the right direction.
Genealogies and biographies for the inhabitants of the St Philip and St James churchyard born before 1900.
View online
For South Australia’s History Festival in May 2017 the City of Onkaparinga Libraries have released a book detailing the lost places of our City. Villages and settlements which have fallen off the map, or never quite made it there, are featured.
View online
To commemorate the Centenary of World War I, the City of Onkaparinga Libraries produced a book in remembrance of the men and women who served from our City. Details of 668 individuals are recorded to recognise the contribution of our local people to the war effort, and the sacrifice of those who did not return.
View the booklet online
Susan Marsden and Mayor Lorraine Rosenberg
‘A house is a machine for living’ wrote the architect Le Corbusier many years ago, and his words are quoted by David Cookson in this book when describing the family shack built at Moana which is his own ‘home in Onkaparinga’. All of these stories are variations on the theme of machines for living, but Le Corbusier would have been astounded and perhaps delighted by these distinctively Australian manifestations. The tellers of these stories of home are also characteristically local and distinctively Onkaparinga.
‘My home in Onkaparinga’ was conceived during 2010 when City of Onkaparinga staff sought a way to celebrate the region’s history during South Australia’s 175th anniversary in 2011. Ideas were shared at meetings with local history representatives, and there was agreement that the project should focus on ordinary people and their stories, and that in doing so a good deal of related history would be highlighted. And so it has.
Through this celebration of our homes we celebrate the individuals, families and communities who have made our city the thriving, innovative, inclusive place it is today
Download My Home in Onkaparinga(PDF, 3MB)