1. Image: Women welding in factory

    Industrialisation

    For three decades or so from the late 1930s, largely coinciding with the premiership of Tom Playford, rapid industrialisation transformed the state of South Australia. 

    Historical Subject | By David C Rich | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  2. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Irish in South Australia

    Irish immigrants have settled throughout the state of South Australia

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  3. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Italians in South Australia

    Antonio Giannoni from Rimini was the first Italian to settle in South Australia

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century

  4. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Japanese in South Australia

    South Australia’s earliest contact with Japan was in 1876, when the South Australian government began negotiations to settle Japanese sugar cane farmers in the Northern Territory. The scheme was never realised.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  5. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Jewish in South Australia

    Jews are descendants of a nomadic people who lived in the Middle East in ancient times, or adherents of the Jewish religion.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  6. Image: Two large interconnected synagogue buildings, a man stands in the bare yard at the front of the building.

    Jewish People

    Small in number over time, Adelaide’s Jews have contributed significantly to the professions, especially medicine, and are well represented in academia, industry and commerce. 

    Historical Subject | By Bruce Rosen | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  7. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Jordanians in South Australia

    Most Jordanian South Australians have come to the state since the Second World War. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  8. Kaurna language team 2013

    Kaurna language (Kaurna warra)

    Kaurna, the original language of Adelaide and the Adelaide Plains, is once again being heard.

    Historical Subject | By Rob Amery | Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century

  9. Ivarityi

    Kaurna People

    The original people of the Adelaide Plains are still here - and once again speaking the Kaurna language.

    Historical Subject | By Lewis Yerloburka O'Brien & Mandy Paul | 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

  10. Image: several caucasian children sit around a wooden table playing with plasticine

    Kindergartens

    Based on the philosophy and understanding of child development of the German educator and philosopher Friedrich Froebel, kindergartens in South Australia began for both educational and humanitarian reasons.

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

  11. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Latvians in South Australia

    In the nineteenth century South Australia was visited by numerous Latvian sailors who worked on Baltic trading ships, carrying mainly softwood timber, known as Baltic pine. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  12. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Lebanese in South Australia

    Lebanese immigrants began arriving in Australia in the late nineteenth century. They emigrated from what was then the province of Syria in the Ottoman Empire for a variety of reasons. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  13. Image: Old document in browning ink with large wax seal attached at bottom

    Letters Patent

    South Australia's founding document is once again the source of intense political and legal debate.

    Historical Subject | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  14. Image: Crowd watching unveiling of monument

    Light Square/ Wauwi

    Originally intended as a recreational garden oasis from the surrounding city, Light Square, however, developed a reputation for prostitution, drinking and violence.

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

  15. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Lithuanians in South Australia

    Lithuanian migrants came to South Australia as early as the 1840s, numbers expanded significantly following the Second World War. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1840s, 1930s, mid twentieth century

  16. Magazines

    The first South Australian magazine to focus on local content was the South Australian Magazine, first published in 1841. Other magazines published during the nineteenth century include: Illustrated Adelaide Post, Pictorial Australian, Observer Miscellany, Adelaide Punch, Lantern, and Quiz.South Australian magazines published in the twentieth century include: Pheonix, Chapbook, and Angry Penguins. ‘Street press’, free newsprint magazines, began appearing in the last decades of the twentieth century with such titles as dB and Rip It Up . 

    Historical Subject | By Anthony Laube | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century

  17. Image: mushroom cloud

    Maralinga

    The main site for joint Australian–British nuclear weapons tests in Australia lies 800 kilometres north-west of Adelaide on the southern edge of the Great Victoria Desert. 

    Historical Place | By Peter Morton | early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  18. Image: wedding party

    Marriage and divorce

    Marriage and divorce rates have fluctuated according to social mores and legislative imposts. 

    Historical Subject | By Margaret Allen | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  19. Image: bench top covered in large number of bottles of alcohol

    Mars Bar

    Adelaide’s longest running gay venue, located at 120 Gouger Street and known, until recently, as the Mars Bar, first opened in December 1976.

    Historical Place | By Nikki Sullivan, Migration Museum | Southwest corner | 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s, mid twentieth century

  20. Image: group of men in front of tin huts

    Migrant Hostels and Work Camps

    Tens of thousands of people went through work camps and migrant hostels in South Australia.

    Historical Subject | By Dr Karen Agutter, the University of Adelaide, & Catherine Manning, Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  21. Image: woman in nursing uniform working

    Nursing

    On-the-job experience was the only training for the earliest nurses, but the profession is now part of the higher education sector

    Historical Subject | By Joan Durdin | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  22. Image: caucasian man sitting in an armchair tells a story

    Oral History 

    There’s a lot to talk about with history – while history doesn’t stop being made it, record it while you can

    Historical Subject | By Beth M Robertson | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, Great Depression, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century, Second World War

  23. Philanthropy

    ‘South Australia’, wrote the early twentieth-century author of The Cyclopedia of South Australia, ‘owes its existence to a movement which had its origins in philanthropy’. 

    Historical Subject | By Rob Linn | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  24. Image: a corrugated iron workshop with a gable roof and a central doorway flanked by a single window on either side. Next door is a small cottage with a verandah and central chimney.

    Pirie Street

    Pirie Street has been home to cottages, churches, commerce and clubs

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

  25. Image: Black and white portrait photograph of the upper body of a man dressed in formal attire

    Playford Family

    A Baptist minister and Waterloo veteran with a dragoon’s pension, South Australia’s first Thomas Playford arrived in 1844 to claim an inherited original town acre. Thomas’s eldest son, Thomas Playford (1837–1915), was a successful orchardist at Drysdale, Norton Summit, in the Adelaide Hills. Thomas’s grandson, Tom Playford (1896–1981), also went into parliament, becoming Australia’s longest-serving premier.

    Historical Subject | By Carol Fort | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  26. Image: group of people standing together on steps

    Population

    South Australia’s demography is in many ways the most distinctive of all Australia’s states, but the wealth of historical population data available for both the colony and state remains under-analysed.

    Historical Subject | By Graeme Hugo | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  27. Image: A two-storey octagonal stone tower set within a high wall with a crenellated parapet.

    Prisons

    Although South Australia was proclaimed a free settlement, colonial officials soon found they needed a gaol to house lawbreakers. 

    Historical Subject | By Patricia Sumerling | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  28. Auniformed policeman sitting sits on teh He is wearing a shako style cap and spurs.

    Probation

    In South Australia probation encapsulated several kinds of opportunity, not only for those prosecuted but also for the criminal justice system and society

    Historical Subject | By Jon Telfer | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  29. 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

  30. Image: men standing in front of building

    Pubs

    JM Freeland characterises Australian pubs as among ‘the most socially significant, historically valuable, architecturally interesting and colourful features of Australian society’ (Freeland 1977, p. 1). South Australia’s pubs are no exception. 

    Historical Subject | By Patricia Sumerling | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

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