Carol Cosgrove and Susan Marsden wrote this entry as the second chapter in their book Challenging Times, the 50th anniversary history of the National Trust of South Australia. The idea for a South Australian National Trust drew on the formation of the ‘National Trust for Places of Historical or Scientific Beauty’ in England, the world’s first National Trust. There were efforts to form a Trust prior to 1955 and agitators were concerned to preserve significant parts of both the natural and historic built environment in South Australia. The catalyst for the Trust’s eventual formation was Premier Sir Thomas Playford’s decision to overturn a decision to proclaim a large part of the Younghusband Peninsula a bird sanctuary. The National Trust of South Australia, established in 1955, was the second branch of the National Trust to be set up in Australia after New South Wales, and was the first Australian branch to be incorporated under an Act of Parliament.

Challenging Times covers the period from the National Trust’s formation in 1955 to the 50th anniversary in 2005. The book includes chronologies at the beginning of each chapter and information on the formation and work of its many branches.

The authors acknowledge and thank the National Trust of South Australia for permission to reproduce this history from Challenging Times.