mid nineteenth century

National Trust of South Australia

With 50 branches, 138 properties and 4500 members, the National Trust of South Australia is the largest historical organisation in the state.

Historical Organisation | By Kerrie Round | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Penfolds

From medicinal benefits to international stature, some of Dr Penfold’s wines have acquired legendary status.

Historical Organisation | By Anne Burrows | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church has a long history in South Australia, owing much to the early Scotish community.

Historical Organisation | By John Love | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: statue of standing queen in royal robes and crown

Queen Victoria Monument

Since 1894 Queen Victoria has looked imperiously over the bustle of Victoria Square

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1950s, 1960s

Reclining Connected Forms

This 1969 bronze sculpture is one of the few pieces by the renowned British artist to be found in Australia.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1960s, late twentieth century

Rhythms of Construction

‘Construction’, ‘Thought’ and ‘Optimism’ make up the three elements of this bronze sculpture by Victor Meertens.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1990s, late twentieth century

Bronze bust of Douglas Mawson by Adelaide sculptor John Dowie, 1981

Sir Douglas Mawson bust

The spirit of Antarctic explorer and professor of geology, Sir Douglas Mawson, is captured in the bust by John Dowie

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1880s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1980s

Sir Lawrence Bragg bust

The bust of Sir Lawrence Bragg commemorates a South Australian Nobel Laureate

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1970s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Sir Mark Oliphant bust

The bust of Sir Mark Oliphant on North Terrace honours an eminent scientist and the state’s first South Australian-born governor.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1900-1910, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, Second World War

Sir Samuel Way Memorial Statue

A statue of Sir Samuel Way reflects his towering presence in legal, political and cultural circles in the last decades of the nineteenth century.

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

Bronze statue of Sir Thomas Elder by Alfred Drury, 1903 outside Elder Hall, University of Adelaide

Sir Thomas Elder statue

The sculpture of Elder is at the University of Adelaide, a major beneficiary of his philanthropy

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1890s, 1900-1910

Image: crowd of people around large bronze statue of seated man

Sir Walter Watson Hughes statue

The bronze figure of Sir Walter Watson Hughes by Francis Williamson stands on a massive block of red granite.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton and James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1900-1910, 2000-2010

Image: head and shoulders portrait of a reverend

In July 1882 Rev. Joseph Coles Kirby of Port Adelaide Congregational Church delivered a series of lectures on what he termed the Social Evil – broadly interpreted as drinking, prostitution and other forms of sexual licentiousness. Those present, following a similar movement in England, agreed to form the Social Purity Society (SPS), to combat what they perceived to be an epidemic of vice.

Historical Organisation | By Jim Jose | late nineteenth century

Song of Australia

‘Song of Australia’ became the accepted national song in South Australia and, for a time, throughout Australia.

Historical Thing | By Kerrie Round | late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: The statue of a horse and rider mounting the crest of a hill

South African War Memorial

The mounted trooper reining in his horse commemorates South Australians who served in the South African War (1899-1902).

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1930s, 2000-2010

Unveiling the colours of the SANFL premiers, 5 October 2010

South Australian Brewing Co. Ltd

Still brewing strong: Lion’s West End Brewery at Thebarton.

Historical Organisation | By Alison Painter | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: group of men sitting around long table

South Australian Liberal Party

South Australia’s major non-Labor political party has gone from a record period of governing to years in the political wilderness.

Historical Organisation | By Dean Jaensch | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

South Australian National Party

The National Party: A changing party in a changing political, social and rural environment

Historical Organisation | By Dean Jaensch | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: view of a street corner with telephone box and poles

Stobie Poles

Unique to and ubiquitous throughout South Australia, the ugliness of stobie poles is periodically denounced, as also the mortal damage which they can and do inflict on the occupants of any vehicle unlucky enough to strike one at speed.

Historical Thing | By Patricia Sumerling and Wilfrid Prest | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Street Naming Committee

Colonial factions struggled over the names to bestow on Adelaide's streets

Historical Organisation | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s

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

Image: bronze statue of a young naked boy in running pose

The Athlete

Once dubbed 'Adelaide's most active statue' the Athlete is now safely installed in the Lord Mayor's Courtyard.

Historical Thing | By Pat Stretton | Central Market, River Torrens, Southwest corner | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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: 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

Woman’s Christian Temperance Union

Alcohol was only one facet of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union’s social reform agenda.

Historical Organisation | By Margaret Allen | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century

Women's Work Depot

The Women's Work Depot sprang out of a First World War business, theTrench Comforts Shop, reforming in 1920 to sell goods made by women.

Historical Organisation | By Pat Stretton | Rundle Mall | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, early twentieth century

Workers' Educational Association of South Australia

Institutions transplanted to Australia were not always successful but the WEA, brought from England, survived an early period of adaptation before becoming a significant South Australian educational institution.

Historical Organisation | By Denis Binnion | early twentieth century

Yerrakartarta

At the time of its installation in 1995, Yerrakartarta was the largest public commission of Aboriginal artwork in Australia.

Historical Thing | North Terrace | 1990s, Aboriginal Country pre-contact, late twentieth century

Adelaidia