mid nineteenth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a clean-shaven man wearing a turtleneck sweater and tweed jacket

Heysen, Sir Wilhelm

Sir Hans Heysen was a masterly artist, the immortaliser of the gum tree on canvas, and a dedicated conservationist.

Historical Person | By Peter Heysen | North Terrace | 1960s, early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Pencil sketch of the upper torso of an elderly man wearing a suit and academic robes

Newland, Sir Henry

Sir Henry Newland gained an international reputation as a pioneer plastic surgeon.

Historical Person | By Ian L.D. Forbes | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Cleland, Sir John

Pathologist, naturalist and ardent conservationist, Professor Cleland, as he preferred to be known, contributed across many fields.

Historical Person | By Dr Jane Southcott | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Image: A moustachioed middle-aged Caucasian man in an Australian Army officer's uniform. He is wearing a hat and spectacles with oval lenses

Wills, Sir Kenneth

Businessman and soldier Sir Kenneth Wills was Controller of the Allied Intelligence Bureau during the Second World War.

Historical Person | By William Wills | North Terrace | 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Bonython, Sir John

Sir Langdon Bonython was a progressive liberal whose long life encompassed being a parliamentarian, newspaper proprietor and philanthropist.

Historical Person | By Warren Bonython | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s

Dumas, Sir Frederick

At the end of his long life, newspaperman Sir Lloyd Dumas described himself as simply ‘the luckiest man in the world’.

Historical Person | By Jim Loudon | North Terrace | early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

The bronze bust of Sir Mellis Napier, sculpted by eminent South Australian artist John Dowie, commemorates his distinguished community service, including to the law and legal profession in South Australia

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1880s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Napier, Sir Thomas

Sir Mellis Napier was a Chief Justice of South Australia, and arguably a reactionary one.

Historical Person | By Peter Moore | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Chapman, Sir Robert

Sir Robert Chapman was an engineer with a gift for recognising the fundamentals of any problem.

Historical Person | By Philip Fargher | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s

Image: A man in stage make-up and costume dances on a stage with arms outstretched

Helpmann, Sir Robert

His versatility as actor, dancer, producer and choreographer, coupled with flamboyance and wit, made Sir Robert Helpmann a household name.

Historical Person | By Meg Denton | North Terrace, Parklands | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Jacobs, Sir Roland

Jacobs was a businessman, but also a warm and generous philanthropist with no interest in personal wealth.

Historical Person | By The Hon S.J. Jacobs | North Terrace | 1970s, early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A man with a chin-beard and wearing mid-Victorian era attire poses for a photograph. He stands next to a bannister and is holding a stove-pipe hat

Davenport, Sir Samuel

Davenport was a liberal-minded and literate parliamentarian and a promoter of industry, especially in the fields of horticulture and viniculture

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

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a white-haired man with goatee. He is wearing a suit and is standing with his arms crossed

Kidman, Sir Sidney

Abstemious but easy-going, Sir Sidney Kidman was a pastoralist and philanthropist who made friends easily.

Historical Person | By Rob Linn | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young, clean-shaven man in a dark, pinstriped suit

Playford, Sir Thomas

Premier for 26 years, Playford managed the industrialisation of South Australia while maintaining a conservative social agenda.

Historical Person | By Gaye Brown | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged bearded man wearing a cravat and overcoat

Hughes, Sir Walter

A pastoralist and mine-owner once accused of fraud, Hughes stated shortly before his death: ‘I have been a sinner all my life’.

Historical Person | By Patricia Sumerling | North Terrace | 1840s, mid nineteenth century

Image: A painted portrait of a middle-aged Caucasian man wearing a mid-twentieth century suit and academic regalia

Mitchell, Sir William

Philosopher, Chancellor of the University of Adelaide, and a teacher of economics, psychology and literature, Sir William Mitchell was nothing if not a polymath.

Historical Person | By Dr W. Martin Davies | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

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

Image: facade of a building with cars parked in front of it

South Australian Hotel

This hotel on North Terrace was first licenced as a public house in 1878 and was closed and demolished in 1971. To many, ‘The South’, the city’s three-storey grand hotel, was Adelaide.

Historical Place | By Patricia Sumerling | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth 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

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

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: 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: 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: 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

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

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

Adelaidia