Helping people learn about local history has been somewhat of a “lifesaver” for Evelynne Bowden.

A volunteer at the Penola Local History Centre, Ms Bowden is described by some as an “unsung hero”, who has helped to preserve the history of the district for more than three decades.

Behind a door in the local history display at the visitor information centre lies a treasure trove.

Assessment records from Penola District Council, bound copies of The Penola Pennant, photographs, and transcriptions of interviews on subjects ranging from First Nations peoples to local sporting events fill bookshelves, filing cabinets and a compactus in three rooms.

“It’s incredible and it’s not well known in the community I guess,” Ms Bowden said.

“A lot of history has been recorded here.”

As a member and secretary for 15 years of the local branch of the National Trust of SA, Ms Bowden manages the collection, with the aim to display “as many items as possible” around town.

The daughter of a Barwell Boy from St Albans in England, she grew up in a family of seven on a farm in Rendelsham.

It was her marriage to husband Alex at Millicent Presbytarian Church in 1960 that saw her settle in Penola.

Sometime between teaching Sunday School, performing Cub Leader duties, and serving as secretary of the Presbytarian Ladies Association and Penola Tennis Club, her three children grew up.

Upon suggestion from a friend, Ms Bowden inquired about work at Penola High School.

In 1974 she started out as a lab assistant – something she “knew nothing about” – before transferring into the library, where she started “finding” her place.

To improve her knowledge, Ms Bowden enrolled into a Library Technician Assoc Diploma with distance education, periodically driving to Adelaide to attend TAFE.

In 1989, alongside librarian Barb Smith and local history officer Maggie Ragless, she helped establish a local history collection at the Community Library.

“It was slow but it grew over the years,” Ms Bowden said.

She retired in 1998 but her involvement with local history continued.

At the turn of the millennium, Evelynne and her partner Roen were instrumental in organising the 150 year celebrations of Penola – he was local National Trust chairman and she was secretary.

In 2002 the history collection was moved from the school to its current location in the John Riddoch Centre.

These days Ms Bowden’s diary “is full” – from cataloguing acquisitions and assisting with research
requests.

As she works she is as comfortable rifling through meticulously organised filing cabinets as she is updating databases on the computer.

Meanwhile, Ms Bowden says a surging interest in ancestry has kept her team of volunteers busy compiling family trees.

The Penola branch is also responsible for managing 10 historic cottages, including in Petticoat Lane.

Some are rented commercially, and two are currently bed and breakfasts.

“Our aim is to have them all income producing,” Ms Bowden said.

Digitising is an ongoing and important project, with assistance from SA Genealogy.

“We get donations from people we do research for, so we have got a bit of money and Wattle Range Council helps out as well,” Ms Bowden said.

Recently the National Trust has been working on linking historical signage to a walking trail app.

“That’s been an interesting thing as well,” she said.

However, Ms Bowden says the loss of Penola’s dedicated newspaper last year has presented challenges to record keeping.

“It means we have to buy every paper,” she said.

But this change has done little to dampen Ms Bowden enthusiasm for sharing history, reflected in her warm smile and kind eyes.

“Some of it is obtained up here,” she says as she points to her head.

“And some of it is not.”

Her years of care and commitment have been recognised with an Australia Day Award, a National Trust SA distinguished award, and a Premier’s Award for outstanding volunteer service.

Ms Bowden hopes to spread the word that anyone is welcome to make a research request or undertake their own local research, using the resources in the space.

“I just want people to know about us,” she said.

“That we are here and that this is available and accessible for people to use.”