1890s

Survey Chain

Survey chain used by Isaac Guley in surveying the City of Adelaide with Colonel Light.

Collection Item | Central Market, East Terrace, Hindley Street, North Terrace, Northwest corner, Parklands, River Torrens, Rundle Mall, Rundle Street east, Southeast corner, Southwest corner | 1830s

Image: head and shoulders shot of woman looking at camera

Benny, Susan

The first female local government councillor in Australia, Benny was a Justice of the Peace, a businesswoman and a lobbyist for women’s equality.

Historical Person | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1870s, 1890s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

The first reading of the proclamation

The December 1836 proclamation at Holdfast Bay is South Australia’s best known historical event, despite it often being misunderstood

Historical Event | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s

Image: head and shoulders image of bearded man

The Great Stuart Demonstration

'A red letter day in the calendar of South Australia': welcoming home heroes

Historical Event | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | 1860s

The hulk 'Fitzjames'

Between 1880 and 1891 the hulk Fitzjames, colloquially known as ‘Hell afloat’, served as a Reformatory for over 100 boys aged from 8 to 16 years of age.

Historical Thing | By Nikki Sullivan | 1880s, 1890s

Image: Printed document headed ’Proclamation’

The Proclamation

South Australia’s first vice-regal proclamation was read at Holdfast Bay on 28 December 1836

Historical Subject | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s

Image: Photographic portrait of a middle-aged Caucasian man in the clothing of a Christian minister. He is sitting in an high-backed chair and has his right hand resting on a book--possibly a bible

Stow, Thomas

Founder of the Congregational Church in South Australia, Thomas Stow was a strenuous minister and a dedicated opponent of state aid to religion.

Historical Person | By Brian Jones | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young Caucasian man wearing a light-coloured, late-Victorian era suit and sporting a very large handlebar moustache

Smith, Mr. Tom

A proverbial chip off the old block, Tom Elder Barr Smith was an astute businessman and generous philanthropist.

Historical Person | By Pamela Oborn | North Terrace | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

Image: A photographic portrait of a middle-aged Caucasian man with a full beard and head of hair. He is wearing an Edwardian-era suit and tie

Price, Mr. Thomas

As the first Labor premier of South Australia, Tom Price established a minimum wage and electrified the tramways.

Historical Person | By Nick Ganzis | North Terrace | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910

Torrens Title

The Torrens title system for land ownership was inaugurated in South Australia has led the world in the computerisation of real property title information.

Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1830s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

Image: People walking and others fishing with hand rods from a wooden jetty

Tourism

The South Australian Tourism Commission, established in 1993, focuses on marketing South Australia as a tourist destination to interstate and overseas markets.

Historical Subject | By Lyn Leader-Elliot | North Terrace, Parklands | 1880s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

Image: two people walking through underground brick-walled rooms

Tunnels of Adelaide

Adelaide tunnel tales are a perennial favourite in the popular press, and are cheerfully perpetuated by tour operators and publicans everywhere.

Historical Thing | By Deb Morgan | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: group stand in front of a tavern building with four women standing on a balcony in the tavern

United Trades and Labor Council

Carpenters, tailors, bakers, carriers, cordwainers and coachmakers had formed unions within ten years of European settlement of South Australia, and by the 1870s there were thousands of union members in the colony.

Historical Organisation | By Tom Sheridan | 1890s, 1910s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

Image: Hellenic vase shaped bronze urn on square base

Urn

Urn made by Henry Tijou and carried in Queen Adelaide's funeral procession.

Collection Item | North Terrace | 1840s

Venere di Canova

A startled Venus caused consternation as Adelaide’s first public statue in 1892

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1850s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s

Image: A simple line drawing of a man in cricket batsman attire swinging a cricket bat

Richardson, Mr. Victor

The term 'all-round sportsman' might have been coined for Victor York Richardson, who excelled at cricket, football, baseball, lacrosse, tennis and basketball.

Historical Person | By Dr Bernard Whimpress | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Victoria Park Racecourse

The permanent establishment of what became popularly known as the 'Old Adelaide Racecourse' was exceptionally controversial

User Story | East Terrace | 1860s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Voyagers

The lives and cultures of ‘Afghan’ cameleers are recognised in Whitmore Square

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Southwest corner | 1860s, 1870s, 2000-2010

Bagot , Walter

Bagot was an architect whose work, including Bonython Hall and the Barr Smith Library, displays his preference for classical and traditional designs.

Historical Person | By Dr David Jones | North Terrace | 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Image: A small circular badge with painted wattle flowers with text above them which says for our own

Wattle Day

1 September in Australia is Wattle Day, though not widely known, some have argued it should replace Australia Day.

Historical Event | By Catherine Manning, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1900-1910, 1910s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Man addresses crowd at rotunda on Wattle Day

Wattle Day League

The Wattle Day League was responsible for campaigning to establish 'Wattle Day', a national day of celebration, within Australia and helped raise funds on the home front to help support Australian soldiers fighting in the First World War.

Historical Organisation | By Jack Evans, History Trust of South Australia | 1900-1910, 1910s, First World War

West Parklands

A temporary camping ground for the early European settlers, the West Parklands developed to host most notably a cemetery and a school.

Historical Place | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia | Northwest corner, Southwest corner | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

West Terrace

A major cemetery, a palace and an observatory have graced West Terrace along with its parklands border

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young, moustachioed man dressed in Victorian attire. He is wearing a cravat with a large pin or pendant embedded within it

Gosse, Mr. William

Short-lived explorer and surveyor William Christie Gosse was the first European to set eyes on Uluru.

Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s

Hay, William

William Gosse Hay was the son of a wealthy pastoralist, and a writer. Author of six novels which are stirring tales of noble heroes struggling to maintain moral honour in convict-era Tasmania. His unfinished work, ‘The Return of Robert Wasterton’, is set in 1890s Victor Harbor.

Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s