All News and Events
21 Jun: Winter Solstice @ The Kensi
Winter Solstice Open Mic! Add your voice to the Kensi-Frenzy Singalong Choir!
Saturday 21 June from 7.00pm
Free Entry! Free Finger Food!
Where? Regent Room, Kensington Hotel, 23 Regent Street, Kensington
Discount drinks for KRA members. You are welcome to join the KRA on the night ($15 for 1 year membership).
Register to perform via email to contact@kra.org.au or text 0401 126 173. Acts limited to 10 minutes length.
5 & 27 Jul: Winter Plant-a-thon
Winter is planting time in Borthwick Park!
We’re planting another batch of grasses, groundcovers, climbers and low shrubs into the beds in the Park on two dates in July 2025:
Saturday 5th July, 1pm to 4.30pm. Afternoon tea provided mid-afternoon and stay for drinks and nibbles afterwards.
Sunday 27th July, 9am to 12.30pm. Morning tea provided mid-morning with lunch afterwards.
We’ll be planting, staking and guarding, and mulching around the new plantings. Jobs for everyone! Full training provided. Come by yourself or bring the family or a friend. All welcome! Kid-friendly events! Please wear clothing and footwear suitable for gardening.
Why are we still planting in Borthwick Park? It seems to be already full of plants!
🌱Weed suppression – More native ground covers = less weeds in the beds.
🌱Replacement – Species like wattles and soft herbaceous plants are short-lived. Plants are regularly damaged during park activity or storms or heat.
🌱Diversity – Increasing the diversity of plant species maximises the health of the park. Every year we try out new species of shrubs, grasses and groundcovers to attract new butterflies and birds and benefit our ancient River Redgums. All species planted are indigenous to the local area, mostly sourced from Trees for Life as seedlings. In 2025 we are planting a quantity of seedlings grown by local volunteers from seed provided by Trees for Life and from seed or cuttings collected in Borthwick Park.
Find out more about the widely acclaimed biodiversity project which has transformed Borthwick Park since conception in 2009 by clicking here.
High Street heritage under demolition threat
This modest building at 69 High Street was formerly the Kensington Village school house. It is thought to have been built in the 1840s-1850s.
Although the building has stood firm for approximately 180 years, it now stands cordoned off, urgently requiring maintenance. In February 2025 the property owners submitted a Development Application under the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Act 2016 (SA) seeking to demolish this Local Heritage building. The relevant authority considering the application is the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters Council Assessment Panel/Assessment Manager.
Both the built and natural heritage of Kensington – the character-laden buildings, the magnificent remnant river red gums, the ancient creekline – were here before we arrived. It’s important to remember that we are not so much ‘owners’ but rather ‘custodians’ of the living history in our suburb. The Kensington Residents’ Association was formed in 1977 by a group of concerned residents seeking to protect the suburb’s heritage and resolve other issues of community concern.
The Association was instrumental in the declaration of Kensington as an Historic Conservation Zone: three levels of heritage listing protect many buildings that otherwise might have been demolished. In 2014 the KRA campaigned to preserve 63 Maesbury Street (pictured below). Take a stroll down Maesbury Street to No. 63 and and you’ll see how subsequent owners successfully restored and extended this quaint cottage.
The KRA has now opposed the demolition of 69 High St through written and verbal presentations to the Council Assessment Panel (CAP). Approximately 30 KRA members and supporters attended the CAP meeting at Norwood Town Hall on 19th May 2025. Heritage consultant Sandy Wilkinson and Trent Kuchel from Urathane Solutions submitted their professional assessment that the damage to 69 High St is readily repairable, therefore demolition is not warranted. The Council Assessment Panel deferred their final decision on the 69 High Street demolition application pending further consultation.
Watch this space, watch 69 High Street, and if you share our concerns for its future write to Council’s General Manager Urban Planning & Environment, Carlos Buzzetti (cbuzzetti@npsp.sa.gov.au), and Ward Councillors Christel Mex (cmex@electedmembers.npsp.sa.gov.au) and John Callisto (jcallisto@electedmembers.npsp.sa.gov.au).
11 May: Mothers Day working bee
Since 2010 the residents of Kensington have been working together to replenish the biodiversity and beauty of Borthwick Park.
This lovely green space bounded by Thornton Street, Richmond Street, Bridge Street and Second Creek is the focus of a community-led project supported by the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters and Green Adelaide.
Borthwick Park working bees are held on the 2nd Sunday of every month 9-11am. Come along on Sunday 11th May and see what we get up to.
It’s Mothers Day so we’ll be mothering our young plants, tucking them into comfy beds of mulch and giving the place a good tidy up!!
Volunteering locally is a great way to meet new people in your neighbourhood. Bring the kids. Invite a friend or neighbour to volunteer with you. Jobs for all ages and capabilities. No prior gardening experience necessary. All training and tools are provided.
Wear enclosed footwear and clothing to suit the weather. Bring your KRA volunteer vest if you have one or we’ll issue you with on on the day.
Call John for more details on 0422 909 710.
If you can’t manage the physical work, you are still most welcome to join us for morning tea from 11am. Free tea, coffee, and a delicious spread of morning tea treats on offer. We’d love to see you.
Borthwick Park working bee
Borthwick Park is nestled between Second Creek and Thornton, Richmond Street and Bridge Streets in Kensington 5068. This lovely green space has been the focus of a community-driven revegetation project, supported by the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters and Green Adelaide, for the past 15 years. It’s hard to imagine when you visit the Park today, but when the project began the creek bank was choked with weeds and badly eroded, and the precious remnant river red gums were marooned in an expanse of kikuyu grass. Working bees are held on the 2nd Sunday of every month 9-11am to maintain the understorey of shrubs, vines, grasses and ground cover established since 2009.
🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳
Join us in the park on Sunday 13th April between 9am and 11am. We’ll be topping up mulch to keep soil moisture in and weeds out, tip pruning shrubs, evicting pesky feral grasses, hose-watering the newer plantings… whatever needs doing!
Volunteering locally is a great way to meet new people in your neighbourhood. Bring the kids. Invite a friend or neighbour to volunteer with you. Jobs for all ages and capabilities. No prior gardening experience necessary. All training and tools are provided. Wear enclosed footwear, hat and clothing to suit the weather. Bring your KRA volunteer vest if you have one or we’ll issue you with on on the day.
🍰🍪🫖☕🧁
If you can’t manage physical gardening work, you are most welcome to join us for morning tea from 11am. Free tea, coffee, and a delicious spread of morning tea treats on offer.
Kids AFL event – Winter 2026
This very special FREE* event has been proudly arranged by the Norwood Football Club and the Kensington Residents’ Association over the past 2 years (2024, 2025) and we hope to run it again in 2026.
Kids aged 5-12 years accompanied by their adult caregiver are invited to join in the fun at Norwood Oval. Activities include:
Coaching session (dress warmly and wear shoes to kick in, but no footy boots please!);
Tour of Norwood Oval including viewing footy memorabilia displayed beneath the grandstands;
Meeting Norwood players;
Refreshments on the day;
Footy gift to take home.
* FREE for Kensington Residents’ Association members’ children, $10 each for other children payable on the day (or $15 for one year membership to K.R.A.)
Event registration is essential. Limited to 25 children. A responsible adult must be registered to accompany every family group of 1-3 children.
2 Mar: Clean Up Australia Day
On Sunday 2nd March, Kensington residents will once again join thousands of people across the nation, all cleaning up their local area on Clean Up Australia Day.
Meet Kensington’s Clean Up Coordinator Peter Duffy in Borthwick Park, Thornton Street, at 9:30am. Wear shoes for comfortable walking, sun protection and clothing to suit the weather. Volunteers will be given gloves and sturdy bags for waste and recyclables, and assigned one suburban block to lap and collect items discarded on the footpath. In small groups we’ll cover all of Kensington and regroup in Borthwick Park at about 11am for barbeque brunch provided by the Kensington Residents’ Association.
The KRA clean up is registered on the CUAD website – click here.
12 Mar: Sturt Candidates Forum
JOINTLY PRESENTED BY RESIDENTS’ ASSOCIATIONS OF KENSINGTON, KENT TOWN, NORWOOD & ST PETERS AND THE MAYLANDS-EVANDALE-STEPNEY COMMUNITY NETWORK GROUP
WHEN: Wednesday 12th March 2025 from 7pm
WHERE: Banquet Hall, St Peters Town Hall Complex, St Peters Street, St Peters.
WHO: An invitation has been extended to those who have already announced their candidacy. Any other candidates will also be invited to participate.
Confirmed attendees include
Dr Verity Cooper, Independent
Claire Clutterham, Labor
Katie McCusker, Greens
James Stevens, Liberal
All voters in the Federal Electorate of Sturt are welcome to attend this important meeting. You do not need to be a member of a local resident group.
Each candidate will be allowed time to canvas the local issues and to give their vision for the electorate.
The audience will then be given an opportunity to ask questions to help decide who should represent the people of Sturt in the Federal Parliament.
9 Feb: Borthwick Park working bee 🐝
Borthwick Park is nestled between Second Creek and Thornton, Richmond Street and Bridge Streets in Kensington 5068.
This lovely green space has been the focus of a community-driven revegetation project since 2009, kindly supported by the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters and Green Adelaide. Prior to commencement of the project the majestic remnant river red gums in the park were marooned in an expanse of kikuyu grass and the creek bank was weed-choked and badly eroded. Hard to imagine when you visit the park today!
Working bees are held on the 2nd Sunday of every month 9-11am to maintain the understorey of shrubs, vines, grasses and ground cover established over the past 15 years.
Join us in the park on Sunday 9th February between 9am and 11am. We’ll be topping up mulch to keep soil moisture in and weeds out, tip pruning shrubs, evicting pesky feral grasses, hose-watering the newer plantings… whatever needs doing!
Volunteering locally is a great way to meet new people in your neighbourhood. Bring the kids. Invite a friend or neighbour to volunteer with you. Jobs for all ages and capabilities. No prior gardening experience necessary. All training and tools are provided. Wear enclosed footwear, hat and clothing to suit the weather – it’s going to be HOT!! Bring your KRA volunteer vest if you have one or we’ll issue you with on on the day.
If you can’t manage physical gardening work, you are most welcome to join us for morning tea from 11am. Free tea, coffee, and a delicious spread of morning tea treats on offer.
17 Dec: Carolling in Kensington
Kensington residents and friends participate in our annual Christmas Carolling around the streets of our suburb.
Gather in Regent Garden next to McKellar Stewart kindy from 6.45pm for a 7pm start. We’ll cross over to The Kensi first for some warm up carols in the front bar.
Led by bagpipers, we’ll make our way down Thornton St pausing to sing at the Lithuanian community units, then turn right into High St to sing with the Sisters of St Joseph at the Bethany Centre (4 High Street).
We then head southeast along High St, down Richmond St and though Borthwick Park to the Thornton St entrance of the Norwood Aged Cottage Homes.
We walk through the NACH property to Bridge Street and walk up to finish with a few carols inside the Rising Sun Inn at approximately 8.30pm.
We stop frequently along this route to sing carols and spread Christmas cheer through our suburb. Side-tracks and minor route variations are possible, so if you would like the Kensington carollers to sing outside your home please get in touch with our Secretary (contact@kra.org.au) and we’ll do our best to make it happen!
Song sheets are provided by KRA. Wear comfortable walking shoes and dress with some Christmassy flair – think tinsel, Santa hats, Christmas shirts, reindeer antlers!!
