mid nineteenth century

Image: A photographic portrait of a middle-aged man with a moustache and wire-rimmed spectacles

Black, John

Remembered as an eminent botanist, Black was also an accomplished linguist, who reprimanded his grandchildren in French and his dog in Spanish.

Historical Person | By Dr David Jones | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

Image: Illustration of a bearded man leaning on a rifle and armed with two pistols attached to his belt, c.1855

Stuart, John McDouall

Explorer and surveyor John McDouall Stuart was celebrated as a hero for leading the first European expedition to cross Australia from south to north.

Historical Person | By Peter Bowyer | North Terrace | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s

Image: A painted head-and-shoulders portrait of an elderly Caucasian man with a long white beard and equally long hair. He is wearing what appear to be ecclesiastical vestments and a hat

Ridley, Mr. John

A miller and inventor of the harvesting device that bears his name, John Ridley revolutionized the wheat industry in South Australia.

Historical Person | By Jack Reddin | North Terrace | 1840s, 1850s

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged woman in Victorian attire

Farr, Mrs. Julia

The plight of the girls in the Destitute Asylum spurred on social worker Julia Farr.

Historical Person | By Joan Clift | North Terrace, Parklands | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Knot

The shining steel and simple form of Knot typifies the work of sculptor Herbert (Bert) Flugelman.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: stone fountain shaped like bathtub in front of stone buildings

Lavington Bonython fountain

Affectionately known as the ‘Bonython bath’, this fountain stood outside the South Australian Museum from 1965 to 2005

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1870s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young Caucasian man wearing a late-Victorian era suit (without tie). He is sporting a large, luxurious handlebar moustache

Wells, Lawrence

Explorer and surveyor Lawrence Wells survived gruelling expeditions but died after being struck by a railcar.

Historical Person | By Rod Cramer | North Terrace | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s

Light Horse Memorial

Remembering South Australian Light Horsemen who served in Egypt and Palestine and at Gallipoli

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, Boer War, early twenty–first century

Image: A painted portrait of a middle-aged man sitting in a chair in front of a large bookcase. He is wearing wire-rimmed spectacles, a suit and tie, and academic gown

Florey, Sir Howard

Hundreds of millions of people have lived longer and healthier lives, thanks to medical scientist, Nobel Prize winner and penicillin pioneer Lord Florey.

Historical Person | By Pat Stretton | North Terrace | early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A photographic portrait of a moustachioed middle-aged Caucasian man wearing wire-rimmed spectacles and a mid-20th century suit and tie

Scammell, Mr. Luther

Manufacturing chemist Luther Scammell prepared compounds, saved a struggling business, and coined the name ‘Solyptol’.

Historical Person | By Peter Donovan | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

Image: A black and white image of Margaret Graham

Graham, Ms. Margaret

Margaret Graham was an outspoken and forthright nursing sister and army matron with a strong sense of justice.

Historical Person | By Joan Durdin | North Terrace | 1890s, early twentieth century

Deeply affected by the isolation and loneliness of her early married life, Mary Jane Warnes strived to improve conditions for her fellow countrywomen by founding the South Australian Country Women’s Association.

Historical Person | By Nancy Robinson Flannery | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Image: A portrait of a young woman wearing a nun’s habit. She is holding a bible and a crucifix

MacKillop, Mary

An educationist and co-founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Mary MacKillop is now famous as Australia’s only Catholic saint.

Historical Person | By Sister Marie Foale | Central Market, North Terrace | 1900-1910, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: sculpture of standing man in nineteenth century costume

Matthew Flinders Memorial

A statue to honour Matthew Flinders, the first explorer to circumnavigate Australia, was a long time coming in Adelaide

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1790s, 1800-1810, 1840s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s

Mills, Ms. May

Educationist and sports administrator May Mills believed 'the wholesome development of a nation' depended on sport.

Historical Person | By Dr Helen Jones | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: a two storey gothic style building with arched church style windows and an arched portico protruding from the front, providing a balcony above. A thin spire rises from the centre of the cross gable roof.

Mitchell Building

The 'University Building' has served many functions since it opened in 1882

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, 1970s

Image: Narisha Cash's Ngadlu Padninthi Kamanka mural (2017)

Ngadlu Padninthi Kamangka (We Walk Together) mural

Narisha Cash's mural acknowledges and celebrates the Kaurna people as the traditional owners and custodians of Adelaide and the Adelaide plains.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2010s, Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early twenty–first century

Image: A large group of Caucasian men and women in early Edwardian attire pose for a photograph in front of a large stone building. They are flanked by an Australian flag and British Union Jack

Tindale, Dr. Norman

Norman Tindale was a prodigious anthropologist and polymath who chronicled aboriginal culture, studied butterflies and moths, and broke Japanese wartime codes.

Historical Person | By Philip Jones | North Terrace | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Jolly, Mr. Norman

A forestry scientist by profession, Norman Jolly was also an accomplished scholar known for his integrity and keen critical faculty.

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

Image: A large, five storey, brick and stone building with a central tower, bay windows, crenellated parapet and pitched iron roof. The dome of the exhibition building can be seen behind.

North Terrace East

North Terrace east is Adelaide’s premier cultural boulevard

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

Image: a series of three storey buildings line one side of a wide city street. Between the buildings and the road is a line of trees. Travelling along the street are horse-drawn vehicles, motor cars and an electric tram, as well as people in 1920s clothes

North Terrace West

Stretching from Adelaide’s first survey point to Parliament House, the character of this part of North Terrace continues to evolve

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, early twenty–first century

Image: leather bench seats sit behind desks facing inwards and arranged along the walls of a large room which is decorated with large portraits. At the far end of the room is a more ornate desk with three individual seats.

Old Parliament House

The site of countless debates, Old Parliament House dates from 1855

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

Crumpled bronze bag on plinth with grass and plants nearby

Paper Bag

Michelle Nikou's bronze sculpture stands in almost comic contrast with the plinths that populate North Terrace further west.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2010s, early twenty–first century

Parliament House

The scene of pomp and ceremony, debates and demonstrations

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1930s, 1950s

Begg, Percy

Literally born in a tent, Percy Begg became a pioneer orthodontist whose innovations benefit patients to this day.

Historical Person | By Dr John Jenner | North Terrace | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: A middle-aged, clean-shaven man in a suit poses for a full-length photographic portrait. An autograph on the photo reads ‘Best Wishes to Keith Wingrove from Peter Dawson, May 20th 1933, Brisbane’

Dawson, Mr. Peter

A singer of both bush ballads and classics, Dawson was the first to record ‘Waltzing Matilda’.

Historical Person | By Joyce Gibberd | North Terrace | early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: two smiling caucasian women writing at a main desk in library

Public Libraries

South Australia was unique among the Australian colonies in that the South Australian Literary and Scientific Association assembled a subscription library before the settlers left Britain.

Historical Place | By Carl Bridge and Michael Talbot | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: close-up of inside surfaces of the touchstone.

Reconciliation Touchstone

The red granite sculpture captures the plaster imprints of 64 handshakes made at a Reconciliation Week ceremony in 2006.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2000-2010, Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early twenty–first century

Rex Theatre

Opening in 1933, inheriting the place of a cinema which had existed on the spot since 1910, the Rex Theatre was a popular cinema on Rundle Street that was demolished in 1961.

Historical Place | By Alexander Parsons, History Trust of South Australia | Rundle Mall | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Image: A photographic portrait of an elderly Caucasian man with a white goatee. He is wearing a Stetson hat and a dark-coloured overcoat

Smith, Mr. Richard

Richard Bowyer Smith and his brother Clarence could both rightfully claim distinction as the inventors of the stump-jump plough.

Historical Person | By Ros Paterson | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

Adelaidia