1950s

Film

In October 1896, within one year of the Lumière brothers’ first public screening of film in Paris, the first public film screening in South Australia occurred at the Theatre Royal in Hindley Street

Historical Subject | By Dylan Walker | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Find a Furby

Artist Laura Lamington is responsible for a Furby craze that has been sweeping across Adelaide since around 2017. Paste-ups of the lovable creature can be spotted everywhere around town.

Historical Thing | By Cindy Crook, History Trust of South Australia | 2010s

Image: Box showing image of rockets with the label 'jet plane'

Fire Cracker Box

Packaging and remnats from firecrackers stocked at Gordon Sym Choon's Union Street shop.

Collection Item | Rundle Street east | 1960s, 1970s

First aerial ascent

American aeronaut Thomas Gale made South Australia’s first successful aerial ascent in June 1871

Historical Event | By Corinne Ball, Migration Museum | North Terrace | 1870s

First Church of Christ, Scientist, Adelaide

Opened in 1957 for 360 people with a Sunday school for 300, the church has a marble porch and a 21.3m impressive entrance foyer

Historical Place | By Open House Adelaide | North Terrace | 1950s

Hudson, Flexmore

Flexmore Hudson was a poet and teacher who produced Poetry, the second largest poetry magazine circulating in the English speaking world.

Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: a round bordered illustration of a church with a single spire on it's right hand side

Flinders Street

From ‘City of Churches’ to the ‘City of Cars’, Flinders Street reflects changes in Adelaide

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1840s, 1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, early twenty–first century

Image: A tall gum tree stands near the bank of a river, which is visible in the distant background. The trunk of the tree is adorned with several small signs showing the year in which a major flood occurred and its water level height

Floods

Paradoxically, the only parts of South Australia to experience occasional serious disruption of by flooding are the far distant sparsely populated deserts around Lake Eyre

Historical Subject | By CR Twidale, University of Adelaide | River Torrens | 1840s, 1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, 2010s

Women arranging flowers on the ground with buildings in the background

Flower Day

Every year between 1938 and 1975 Adelaidians showed pride in their city by beautifying it with mass displays of flowers on National Flower Day.

Historical Event | By John Davis | North Terrace | 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

The franchise has proved a lively issue in South Australia’s political history. Before representative government, wealthy men of property claimed that parliament should represent only those with a stake in the country, whereas many colonists sought popular representation.

Historical Subject | By Dr Helen Jones | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A man wearing mid-Victorian era attire poses for a photograph. He is seated and is wearing a suit and jacket with tails, and has a fob watch on a chain attached to his waistcoat.

Faulding, Mr. Francis

Faulding was a manufacturing chemist, prominent businessman, city councillor and church benefactor.

Historical Person | By Peter Donovan | North Terrace, Rundle Street east | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, mid nineteenth century

Image: The body of a tug boat upside down in the process of being constructed, numerous people, ropes and ladders surround the boat

Perry, Mr. Frank

Frank Tennyson Perry (1887–1965) was born in Gawler and educated at Prince Alfred College before joining his uncle’s engineering business in 1903.

Historical Person | By Carol Fort | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Image: Photograph of farmers and horses pulling a harvester

May, Mr. John

Frederick May was an engineer and manufacturer, and the archetypal 'quiet achiever' who missed out on major fame and success.

Historical Person | By Mark Boon | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

Freemasonry

The first South Australian Freemasons lodge formed in England, before the colony of South Australia was settled.

Historical Subject | By David Hilliard | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A lithograph of a middle-aged man in Victorian attire seated at a table and holding a book

Angas , George

This merchant, banker, landowner and philanthropist was generous but shrewd, and often tagged with the phrase ‘philanthropy plus ten per cent’.

Historical Person | By John Healey | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s

Hall, Mr. George

In the days before Coca-Cola and Pepsi, George Hall was a forward-thinking manufacturer of soft drinks.

Historical Person | By Anna Stirling Pope | North Terrace | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged man with mutton-chop sideburns wearing clerical vestments

Farr, Dr. George

A clergyman and headmaster, Farr was a champion of gentlemanly behaviour, honesty and good sportsmanship.

Historical Person | By Robert Fisher | North Terrace, Parklands | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a bearded, middle-aged man wearing a suit with cravat and jewelled cravat pin

Goyder, Mr. George

A surveyor and conservationist, and incredibly prolific letter-writer, Goyder is mainly remembered for his famous ‘line of rainfall’.

Historical Person | By Nic Klaassen | North Terrace | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Giordano Collection

A collection held by the Migration Museum documenting the life of Antonio Giordano.

Collection Level Description | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: Black and white photograph of Indigenous woman

Elphick MBE, Gladys

Known to all as ‘Aunty Glad’, Elphick was a tireless worker for Aboriginal welfare.

Historical Person | By Lewis O'Brien & Professor Paul Hughes | North Terrace | 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: Black and white photograph showing front of large, white two-storey building

Government House

One of Adelaide’s oldest buildings, Government House welcomes thousands of visitors each year

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 1980s, 2000-2010

Image: Hundreds of schools students in black uniforms pose in lines outside a large symmetrical stone building with decorative brickwork between floors, two huge arched windows on the front gable ends and smaller windows on the sides.

Grote Street

Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Central Market continue to attract people to Grote Street

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

Salisbury , Harold

Harold Hubert Salisbury (1915–1991), a career policeman and winner of the Queen’s Police medal in 1970, was recruited from Yorkshire to be South Australia’s police commissioner in 1972. In 1978 the ‘Salisbury Affair’ polarised South Australia’s community (roughly along party-political lines) and remains controversial.

Historical Person | By Carol Fort | 1970s, early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Hawker Vans

There is evidence that hawkers were active in Australia as early as the 1820s.

Historical Subject | By Michelle Toft, National Motor Museum | 1820s, 1830s, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Health

How healthy are South Australians? And what makes the differences?

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

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of an incredibly attractive young woman with light-coloured eyes and an ear-length 1920s haircut

Mayo, Dr. Helen

Medical practitioner Helen Mayo combined energy and a strong social conscience in her promotion of child health services.

Historical Person | By Decie Denholm | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Henley-on-Torrens Regatta

In 1910 thousands of people lined the Torrens to see the carnival of lavishly decorated boats in the first Henley-on-Torrens Regatta

Historical Event | By Corinne Ball, Migration Museum | Parklands, River Torrens | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: A group of men and children stand outside a two storey terrace building the ground floor of which is serving as a drapery store with fabric sitting in baskets on the street, coats hanging along the storefront and hats in the window.

Hindley Street

An eclectic mix since foundation, Hindley Street has seen it all

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Hindley Street | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: View of a group of children in garden with church in the background

Hindmarsh Square / Mukata

Hindmarsh Square, located in the north-east of Adelaide, was one of the six squares designed by Colonel William Light in his 1837 plan of Adelaide. Originally designed as an oasis from the surrounding city, the Square would, however, see it’s size reduced and its lawns intersected by both Pulteney and Grenfell streets as transport and the city developed around it. Despite this, Hindmarsh Square continues to serve its intended purpose as an area of respite from its urban surrounding.

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

Historical Relics Collection

A collection of nearly 400 objects related to the foundation and settlement of the British colony of South Australia.

Collection Level Description | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

Adelaidia

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