Remembering 'Miss Stayput's' legendary stand against SA's largest shopping mall

In the late 1960s, the developers behind Adelaide's largest shopping center, Marion Shopping Centre, encountered an unexpected obstacle: Eva Phelps, a woman affectionately dubbed "Miss Stayput" by local media. Phelps, who had lived her entire life in her family home on land that was once fertile market gardens, refused to vacate her property despite the surrounding development.

Her neighbors' homes were demolished to make way for the shopping mall, but Phelps remained resolute. Her house, located at 172 Sturt Road, Oaklands Park, became a unique landmark, surrounded on three sides by a car park. For nearly nine years, shoppers visiting the growing mall had to navigate around her property to enter.

“

Miss Eva Phelps was an example of the gold old, sturdy, resilient settlers or people early in the district who had to work hard to survive.

Danielle Trewartha, coordinator at the Marion Heritage Research Centre, described Phelps as an example of the "good old, sturdy, resilient settlers" who worked hard to build their community. Her father was an original settler in Marion, and her family had deep roots in the area, working the land as market gardeners.

“

They worked hard, built their community, her father was an original to Marion, her whole family was nearby. They had market gardens and had this courage and resilience to come and develop the land, and they didn't take things lying down.

The Phelps family's history in the area dates back to the 1880s when William and Lydia Phelps moved to a two-roomed hut and later purchased over an acre of land. William built a house where their children, including Eva, were raised. The land was known for its fertility, supporting dairy farming, glasshouses, and market gardens, and was even famous for its almond blossom festivals.

Eva's brother, Walter, and her youngest son, Lionel, also established homes nearby, continuing the family's connection to the land. Trewartha noted that the area's pioneering settlers were characterized by their resilience and diverse occupations, often combining farming with other work to sustain themselves. Phelps's prolonged stand against the development symbolized this enduring spirit.

“

It's lovely to talk with our visitors who remember when there were almonds, and paddocks, because it's still within living memory.