Elizabeth Public Library

In 1955, the same year in which the first residents moved into homes in Elizabeth, a new bill encouraging the provision of public library services in the State was passed through Parliament. It became the Libraries (Subsidies) Act, providing for a Government subsidy to Councils for expenditure on approved public library services.

It was particularly appropriate therefore, that the first public library in South Australia supported by a local authority under this act should have been established in the town of Elizabeth. Discussions regarding the provision of the service began in 1957 between the District Council of Salisbury, the Libraries Board of South Australia and the South Australian Housing Trust. As a result of this the Trust provided premises, rent free, in the Elizabeth South Shopping Centre and the library doors were first opened on December 11th 1957, by the Premier Sir Thomas Playford a few minutes after the shopping centre itself had been officially opened for trading. The library started with 4,000 books and a staff of two. From the beginning the demand exceeded all estimates and during the evening of the first day it became necessary to bring out additional librarians form the city to help with the rush. Two days later an additional 500 books were sent from Adelaide to help keep up supplies.  Nearly 500 readers registered at the library on the first day and by the end of December, 1,500 people, or 20 per cent of the 7,000 residents of Elizabeth had enrolled as borrowers. In 1960 two more branches were opened, one at Salisbury North and the other in the Elizabeth North Shopping Centre.

As the City of Elizabeth grew, plans were underway for the building of the new large Central Library which was opened in the Elizabeth Town Centre on September 15th, 1969 by the chairman of the South Australian Libraries Board. Up to that time, approximately 1, 600,000 book loans had been made from the Elizabeth South and North branches.

At the opening of the Central Library, the Chief Librarian, Mr. Warwick Dunstan said, “ It is the largest public library building in the State and has the potential to develop into a very busy, well-used public library.” – a prediction which has certainly proved to be true today.