Part of Things HQ
Find us at 4B Barwell Avenue, Barmera in the beautiful Riverland region of South Australia. We are in between the Barmera Library and Soldiers Memorial Hall.
Our upstairs space at Hawdon Chambers has co-working desks, workshop and intimate sized event space, exhibition and presentation spaces, a small resource library, kitchenette and toilets.
The original use of Hawdown Chambers on Barwell Avenue Barmera was the first offices of the (then) Barmera Council.
Most recently Hawdon Chambers have been vacant since Riverland Youth Theatre moved their offices from Hawdon Chambers to the Renmark Institute in 2005. Yep, this space has been sitting vacant and unused for fourteen years (until Part of Things)!
Hawdon Chambers sit above the Soldiers Memorial Hall and are part of the Bonney Theatre Complex on the main street of Barmera.
Hawdon Chambers is a council owned venue and Part of Things has a community lease. The lease was secured through an open public expression of interest process.
Hawdon Chambers was renovated in 2017 but is still an old building and only accessible via steps from the street and a set of stairs internally (the space is on the first/second floor). There is no lift/ramp access. Part of Things would love your ideas for exploring ways of using technology and other ideas to rethink participation, collaboration and audience for anyone that is unable to access Hawdon Chambers physically. We welcome creative suggestions.
The Riverland
The Riverland is a collection of regional towns, smaller townships, blocks and farms covering a 150km stretch of the River Murray in South Australia. The Riverland is north east of Adelaide and begins at Blanchetown, stretching along the Murray to Renmark and the Victorian border. The region includes the five major towns of Renmark, Berri, Barmera, Loxton and Waikerie, over twenty smaller townships and families living on blocks and farms. The region includes the three councils of Renmark Paringa, Berri Barmera and Loxton Waikerie (and parts of the region covered by Mid Murray Council). Most towns in the Riverland are within a 40minute drive of one another and it’s common for people to live in a different town to where they work or go to school.
Riverland Regional Data:
Population: 31,507
Median Age: 44.5
First Nations population: 3.1%
Age under 18 population: 22.7%
Age 19 – 24 population: 5.7%
Most common industry and occupation: Grape growing and Labourers
(this data taken from 2019 Commissioner for Children and Young People Hopes & Dreams Regional Snapshot Report: https://www.ccyp.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Hopes-Dreams-Report-2019-V8-FINAL-Small.pdf)
Part of Things 