Crisscross the city and Southern Hills in the footsteps of Boyle Finniss a committed SA pioneer from 1836 to his death in 1893. He planted the first SA crops, did the first land survey, fathered the first white female born here, he bought one of the first flour mills, planted some of the first oranges and vines, was a writer of our constitution and was the first elected Premier of SA. He led one of the first surveys of SA’s Northern Territory and became its first Government Resident in 1864. You will visit Marion village, surveyed by Finniss, Rapid Bay and the Fanny Finniss memorial at Second Valley. Finniss did the first survey at Victor and we visit the town of Finniss and travel along the picturesque Finniss River valley. Extensive notes provided. Lunch break in Victor. Depart WEA Centre 8:30 am. Return around 5:00 pm.

Your Tutor is Dr Denis Binnion AM

Dr Denis Binnion AM has been teaching at WEA since 1974.

Denis became involved in adult education in the 1970s teaching evening classes in history for the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Institute of Technology. He joined the WEA in 1979 as a course programmer in language and liberal studies, and served as its Chief Executive Officer for 20 years.

As CEO, Denis established WEA Travel, a licensed travel agency that has been conducting Australian and overseas study tours since 1984. He has personally led dozens of group tours with up to 40 participants at a time to India, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Canada, Peru, Argentina, Chile and New Zealand.

Denis has spent more than 40 years developing study tours and writing history notes for historical and geographical tours within South Australia, other states of Australia and places around the world including parts of Asia, South America and New Zealand. In his retirement he continues to lead WEA overseas study tours and runs regular one day and weekend historical tours of rural areas in South Australia.