The Penola Cultural Association

Penola is a township rich with historic literary and religious figures, and an array of local, state and national heritage-listed buildings maintained by an active Penola branch of the National Trust of South Australia.

The Penola Cultural Association has been active in both researching and fundraising activities to honour the accomplishments of notable and historic individuals. These include Saint Mary MacKillop, John Riddoch, Adam Lindsay Gordon amongst numerous others.

The original Penola Cultural Trust, (now Penola Cultural Association) was established in 1996. The aims and ideals of the Penola Cultural Association are:

• Preserve and enhance or acquire the cultural heritage of Penola, in respect of existing and future culturally related tangible assets and non-tangible cultural aspects of the community.
• Engage both the Penola and wider community in the appreciation of, and commitment to local heritage.
• Undertake financial arrangements including, but not limited to, fundraising activities and applications for grants to enable the achievement of the above aims.

The Penola Cultural Association seeks to recognise and showcase the importance and magnitude of John Rymill’s extraordinary feats of endurance and his unwavering commitment to expand humanity’s knowledge of the world’s two polar regions. Born and bred in Penola in 1905 John Rymill led teams of polar explorers and endured significant hardships during the first part of the 20th century. He, and 5 of his compatriots are the first people to ever receive the British Polar Medal to both the Arctic and the Antarctic.

The Penola Cultural Association promotional video is: https://youtu.be/15-2YrBLSc4

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