The Trust Archive preserves an unbroken record of the Trust’s administration from 1893 to the present day. Its holdings can be grouped into the following broad areas:
- Annual Reports (1947-present)
- Board Minutes (1894-present)
- Correspondence Files (1951-1998)
- District Council Records (1900-1960), including Ratepayer Assessment Books (1894-1948)
- Electricity Supply Records (1926-1973)
- Engineer’s Reports (1925-1954)
- Financial Records (1893-present)
- Human Resources Records (20th century-present)
- Irrigation records including ratepayer books, individual ratepayer records and infrastructure rehabilitation
- Drainage Records, including the Comprehensive Drainage Scheme (1961-1977)
- Maps, Oral Histories, Photographs and Artefacts
2025 Grant from the History Trust of South Australia
In June 2025, the Trust was fortunate to receive a grant from the History Trust of South Australia to conserve its earliest Minute Books and Assessment Books.
The Minute Books record the business and decisions of the Trust Board. Five volumes, covering the period from 1894 to 1927, were selected for conservation. These handwritten records document many of the key decisions made during the formative years of the Renmark irrigation settlement.
From 1900, the Trust also administered the irrigation district as a District Council. The Assessment Books, commonly known as Rate Books, contain information on property owners and occupiers, their place of residence, the area and assessed value of their properties, and the rates payable. For example, in 1902 the rate was sixpence (6d) in the pound of assessed value.
Together, these two sets of records provide both quantitative and qualitative evidence of the early development of the Renmark settlement, offering valuable insights into its administration, land ownership, and community growth.
Original Minute and Assessment books
The Minute and Assessment Books after conservation work
Display of Board Minutes and Assessment Books.
A display of the conserved Board minutes and District Council assessment (rates) books was set up in the Trust’s Board room.
These books complement the other historic items which the Trust has in its possession. These include a wooden lugger (painted green in the picture) which was donated to the Trust by Trevor Reed, the son of Bob Reed, who delivered wood to the Trust in the 1930s and 1940s. The lugger was carved by a Japanese internee who lived at the Woolenook internee camp near Renmark during WWII.
Other objects include pressure gauges, theodolites and other surveying equipment.
The conservation project was supported by the History Trust of South Australia’s Museums and Collection (MaC) Program grant fund