Birkenhead, South Australia

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Birkenhead is a suburb of Port Adelaide in South Australia. It was surveyed and laid out on Section 700, Hundred of Port Adelaide, by Thomas Elder and John Hart. The subdivision was advertised in the Register on 16 December 1861. The advertisement highlighted the desirability of the area due to its proximity to Port Adelaide, offering convenient and healthy housing opportunities for families and individuals.

The name Birkenhead originates from a town in Cheshire, England, and is derived from the Old English words bircen (birch) and heafod (headland). The English town itself has historical significance, being the site of a priory founded in 1150. The priory's ruins remain on a sandstone peninsula near the estuary of the River Mersey.

The subdivision's development aimed to cater to the growing demand for residential areas close to Port Adelaide, especially considering its adjacency to the South Australian Company and the railway terminus, providing easy access to the port and surrounding areas.[1]

GMH

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The mosaic, originally installed in the foyer of the Birkenhead building, was created as a centerpiece for the reception area of General Motors Australia (GMA). Designed by David Williams of the architectural firm

Williams & Good, it featured the early "GMA" logo. When the Birkenhead factory was demolished in 1991, the mosaic floor remained intact and was rediscovered on the site, now owned by Renewal SA. Local commentators of Holden history believe the mosaic to be an early General Motors-Holden's Limited logo dating back to 1931. The logo was modified by altering the "A" in "GMA" to form an "H," representing the transition to General Motors-Holden's Limited. This modified emblem served as inspiration for GMH's inaugural logo. Despite its historical significance, the mosaic showed slight imperfections, such as misaligned letters, indicating the ease of its transformation.[2]

References

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1. Place names of South Australia, By Geoffrey.H.Manning, 1990, P.36.
2. More than Holden Our own, By William James Holden, 2023, P.79.