1950s

Spiritualism

Spiritualism began as a nineteenth-century radical cause and survives to the present as a spiritual option.

Historical Subject | By Helen Bartley and Jill Roe | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century

Image: large stone building with group of children in front

Sturt Street School

Sturt Street Primary School, built in 1883, was the local primary school for families living in the South West of the Adelaide CBD.

Historical Place | By Vedrana Budimir, History Trust of South Australia | Southwest corner | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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

Image: tea pot decorated with Chinese dragon

Sym Choon Collection

A collection of objects related to the Sym Choon family, reflecting their lives as first generation Australians with Chinese heritage.

Collection Level Description | Rundle Street east | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Sym Choon Shops

In 1925/26 Thomas Sym Choon bought his four children a shop each.

Historical Place | By Hannah Stewart, History Trust of South Australia | Rundle Street east | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: people standing in front of buildings

Synagogue Place, named after the Synagogue built in 1850, has been the centre of the Jewish community in South Australia for much of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It has since grown, becoming increasingly commercialised with numerous businesses making it their home.

Historical Place | By Owen Hems | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Temperance

The temperance movement saw the abolition of alcohol as a cure for society’s ills – and also believed it was an achievable goal.

Historical Subject | By Judith Raftery | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: street view of buildings with horse and cart

The Adelaide Club

Modelled on the gentlemen’s clubs that proliferated in London from the eighteenth century, the Adelaide Club resembles bodies established at about the same time in the capital cities of the other Australian colonies.

Historical Organisation | By Dirk van Dissel | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Theatre

South Australia’s theatrical beginnings were commercial and entrepreneurial: trade as much as art drove public houses and performance together.

Historical Subject | By Gus Worby | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: stacks of wine bottles and large wine barrels with signs reading Hardy's

Hardy, Thomas

Thomas Hardy lectured and wrote on the wine business and olive growing, was a member of the Phylloxera Board, Wine Growers’ Association, South Australian Agricultural and Horticultural Society and the Chamber of Manufactures, judged local horticultural shows, published regularly in the local press and wrote two books, Notes on Vineyards in America and Europe (1885) and A Vigneron Abroad, Trip to South Africa (1899).

Historical Person | By Dr Geoffrey Bishop | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: Black and white photo of an old observatory building.

Time

Within a year of settlement, Adelaide's residents were synchronising their timepieces by a bell rung in North Terrace near West Terrace at local noon.

Historical Subject | By Bill Stacy | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Torrens Lake Fountain

The Torrens Lake Fountain commemorates the first time South Australia was visited by a reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II in 1954.

Historical Thing | By Madeleine Ryan, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1950s

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

Tricycle

Tricycle, painted red and white.

Collection Item | 1950s

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: 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

Image: trees in from of a building with tall tower

Victoria Square/ Tarntanyangga

Victoria Square, named after Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria) in 1836, is the central and most significant of Adelaide’s squares.

Historical Place | By Owen Hems | Central Market | Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Viticulture

The growing of grape vines dates from the earliest years of European settlement in South Australia.

Historical Subject | By Dr Geoffrey Bishop | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Photograph of the committee members for the John McDouall Stuart Statue

Torode, Mr. Walter

Once a prominent builder in Adelaide, Unley and the Adelaide Hills, some of Walter Torode’s constructions have stood the test of time

Historical Person | By Peter Bell | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century

Gill, Mr. Walter

A conscientious and gifted forestry administrator, Walter Gill was also an enthusiastic nature photographer.

Historical Person | By Dr David Jones | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century

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

Wealth

In South Australia, the prime key to wealth has been land. From its inception as a European colony, ownership (or control) of land meant access to agricultural and mineral resources. For the Aboriginal peoples, dispossession meant devastation.

Historical Subject | By Martin P Shanahan | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century