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Gepps Cross Abattoirs & SaleyardsPrint Page 
The sculpture "The Winds of Change" commemorates the Gepps Cross Abattoirs and Saleyards and is dedicated to the memory of Councillor Reg Atkinson in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the City of Salisbury.
A $50,000 public sculpture commemorating the Gepps Cross abattoirs and saleyards has been commissioned. It will be created for Unity Park on Main North Rd, Pooraka.
The sculpture will be created by Port Adelaide artist Annalise Rees and stand opposite the original abattoirs and saleyards site. It will depict the people and stock that passed through the abattoirs during its 89-year history, and incorporate moving parts inspired by windmills and weathervanes.
Part of the Mapping Salisbury: Main North Road Historical Marker Project, the sculpture is supported by S Kidman & Co, and is due for completion in December.
The Advertiser (SA)
Location
| Address: | Main North Road, Unity Park , Pooraka, 5095 |
|---|---|
| State: | SA |
| Area: | AUS |
| GPS Coordinates: | Lat: -34.834338 Long: 138.611172 Note: GPS Coordinates are approximate. |
Details
| Monument Type: | Sculpture |
|---|---|
| Monument Theme: | Government |
| Sub-Theme: | Local |
| Artist: | Annaliese Rees |
Dedication
`The Winds of Change`
By South Australian artist Annaliese Rees.
Commissioned by the City of Salisbury commemorating the Gepps Cross Abattoirs & Saleyards, with assistance from the Government of South Australia, through Arts SA.
This work is dedicated to the memory Councillor Reg Atkinson in recognition of his outstanding contribution to the City of Salisbury.
Under the Metropolitan Abattoirs Act 1908, a board consisting of eight members was constituted to oversee construction and management of a municipal abattoirs and livestock markerts for metropolitan Adelaide. The Adelaide City Council initiated this comprehensive scheme to undertake the slaughtering of cattle, sheep, lamb and pigs and provide cold storage at the new Metropolitan Abattoirs at Gepps Cross. The first beast was sold on July 14, 1913 to Adelaide butcher Charles Willoughby for £64.
No other establishment in Australasia at the time had a public authority controlling these tasks. It soon gained the status as being an important livestock selling-centre in South Australia. In a first for any abattoirs in Australasia, the board provide meat delivery to nearly all of Adelaide`s suburban butcher shops.
The Gepps Cross complex weathered the effects of drought, wars and rationing, and developments in transport, refrigeration and global trade. It was the centre of some long and bitter industrial action and also a centre of community and society. At its height, the Metropolitan Abattoirs at Gepps Cross was the largest single government employer in South Australia. The connection to the agricultural and rural industry is most obvious and marked, howver the entire state`s economy through employment, overseas export and trade has benefitted greatly. This work commemorates the Gepps Cross Abattoirs and Saleyards and the many people associated with its 89 year history; their stories, which are deserving of mention and honour.
