Kangaroo Island Pioneers 

Media Release from Kangaroo Island Council, Tuesday, 7 July 2026

Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association leaves lasting legacy after more than 43 years

Kangaroo Island Council has acknowledged the extraordinary contribution of the Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association (KIPA) following the organisation's decision to formally conclude its operations after more than 43 years of service to the Island's history and heritage.

At a KIPA Extraordinary General Meeting in March, members voted to amalgamate with Pioneers SA as a result of the Association spending the past three years in a holding pattern due to an ongoing shortage of members willing to serve on the Executive committee.

Despite maintaining a healthy membership, the remaining Executive determined that amalgamation was the most appropriate way to ensure members could continue their involvement in preserving South Australia's pioneering heritage.

Mayor Michael Pengilly paid tribute to the Association's volunteers and the enormous legacy they leave behind.

"For more than four decades, the Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association has been the custodian of much of our Island's early history," Mayor Pengilly said. "Their volunteers have devoted countless hours to researching, preserving and sharing the stories of the people, places and events that shaped not only Kangaroo Island but South Australia itself.

"The Association's work has helped ensure the Island receives the recognition it deserves as the site of South Australia's first official European settlement, while preserving an extraordinary body of historical knowledge for future generations.

"On behalf of Council and the wider community, I thank every member, past and present, who has contributed to this remarkable legacy."

KIPA President, Chris Ward, said the decision to wind up the Association had been difficult but necessary.

"While KIPA has continued to enjoy the support of many members, it became increasingly difficult to attract volunteers willing to serve on the Executive committee. This, of course, is not uncommon for many similar voluntary organisations today. After three years of trying to find a sustainable way forward, the remaining Executive believed amalgamating with Pioneers SA was the best outcome for our members and for the ongoing appreciation of South Australia's pioneering history."

The President also thanked Kangaroo Island Council for its longstanding support. "The Association has received tremendous assistance from Kangaroo Island Council over many years, and I would particularly like to thank Council and the Mayor for their ongoing encouragement and support of our work. That partnership has helped us achieve so much for the Island's historical record."

Founded more than 43 years ago by Dene Cordes, who grew up on Kangaroo Island, KIPA has played a pivotal role in preserving and promoting Kangaroo Island's unique place in South Australian history. 

Through decades of research, publications, commemorations and heritage advocacy, the Association has increased public awareness of Kangaroo Island's pivotal role in the establishment of the colony of South Australia.

Among its many achievements, KIPA: 

• Established the annual Settlement Day commemorations at Reeves Point in 1985, recognising the arrival of the Duke of York on 27 July 1836 and the first official European settlement in South Australia.

• Led research, interpretation and preservation of the historic Old Mulberry Tree at Reeves Point, including the installation of interpretive signage.

• Undertook significant restoration work at pioneer cemeteries, including the identification and marking of previously unmarked graves at Penneshaw Cemetery in 2014.

• Compiled extensive historical and genealogical research documenting the Island's earliest pioneers (sealers, whalers, escaped convicts, and mainlanders who arrived between 1820 and 1835), pioneer families, immigrant ships, soldier settlers, early industries, post offices and many other aspects of Kangaroo Island's history.

• Researched, established and promoted numerous cairns, plaques and memorials commemorating significant people, places and events across the Island.

• Developed an extensive online historical archive containing thousands of pages of articles, digitised newspapers, family histories, timelines, photographs, maps and educational resources, making valuable historical material freely available to researchers around the world. The website will now be managed by Pioneers SA, ensuring this important resource remains available and freely accessible to all researchers into the future.

• Honoured and documented the service of Kangaroo Island people who served in Australia's military conflicts.

• Documented many of the Island's historically significant signs and landmarks.

Mayor Pengilly said while the Association was concluding, its contribution would endure.

"The Kangaroo Island Pioneers Association may have reached the end of its journey as an organisation, but the legacy created by its dedicated volunteers will continue to educate, inspire and enrich our community for generations to come. Kangaroo Island is a better place because of their commitment to preserving our shared history.

It has been a great honour to serve as Patron of this organisation. Through its dedication, commitment and countless hours of work, it has ensured that the rich history and heritage of Kangaroo Island are preserved and shared with future generations. I am deeply grateful to have been associated with an organisation that has contributed so much to ensuring Kangaroo Island's history is never forgotten."

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