Christies Homestead

Ball point pen drawing on card of the Christies Farm Homestead, at Christies Beach, depicting the home and surrounding buildings.

Bruce Swann was a stud stock auctioneer with Elders-GM and in that capacity travelled throughout South Australia recording with his pen the old buildings of South Australia's rural regions. Following his retirement he found more time for his art and produced books and calendars of the buildings and scenes he drew. Swann also recorded rural scenes closer to metropolitan Adelaide - areas that are now disappearing beneath housing estates.

The Christie family homestead at Christies Beach is typical of these. Lambert Christie, son of William Christie, bought the farm Dalebrook on the creek now called Christies Creek. The farm straddled the creek, extending north into the land now operated as a sewage treatment plant, south towards what is now Beach Road and east past the junction of Dyson and Flaxmill Road. Wheat, barley and oats were grown, and Lambert was an active member of the Morphett Vale District Council, serving as Chairman from 1904 to 1909. He was also active in the local literary society. When the Morphett Vale Institute in William Street, Morphett Vale, was extended in 1928 Lambert laid the foundation stone. Lambert and his sons worked the farm until 1932 when it was sold, and the land south of the creek sub-divided, becoming known as Christies Beach.

This item is reproduced courtesy of the estate of Bruce Swann. It may be printed or saved for research or study. Use for any other purpose requires written permission from the estate of Bruce Swann. To request approval, complete the Quote for Copy/Permission form.