Places

Pilgrim Uniting Church

The Church is a beautiful example of Revival Gothic, quite rare in South Australia. Features include the largest church pipe organ in the state and many magnificent stained glass windows

Historical Place | By Open House Adelaide | 1860s

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

Image: men and women in dark coloured clothing pose in two rows for a formal photograph.

Pirie Street Methodist Church

Pirie Street Methodist Church was the ‘cathedral church’ of Methodism in Adelaide.

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | late nineteenth century

Image: painting of building with figures holding spears in foreground

Pirltawardli

Pirltawardli, (possum home) is the site of the first Christian mission to Aboriginal people in South Australia.

Historical Place | By Rhondda Harris | Parklands | 1840s

Princess Elizabeth Playground

The Princess Elizabeth Playground was opened in 1929.

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia

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: Black and white photograph of the outside of a 19th century villa style building

Queen's College

Designed in 1892, Queen’s School became one of South Australia’s leading private schools.

Historical Place | By Cindy Crook, History Trust of South Australia | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Queen's Theatre

Built in 1840, the Queen's Theatre is the oldest surviving theatre building in Adelaide.

Historical Place | By Catherine Manning and James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | Northwest corner | 1840s

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 map depicting morphological features of the City of Adelaide and its surrounding landscape, with particular emphasis placed on the River Torrens and its associated features

River Torrens

The River Torrens has dominated the development of Adelaide and its metropolis, often in subtle or little recognised ways

Historical Place | By CR Twidale, University of Adelaide | River Torrens | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: black and white photo of street lined with three and four storey buildings

Rundle Street

Rundle Street has been a centre of shops and arcades, theatre and cafes, as well as acrimonious debate

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Rundle Mall, Rundle Street east | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: a brick convent building behind a stone wall.

Saint Mary's Dominican Convent and School

Saint Mary's Convent and School is one of several historically significant Catholic church buildings and religious community residences based on Franklin Street and West Terrace.

Historical Place | By Vedrana Budimir, History Trust of South Australia | Southwest corner | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: crowd of people in front of church

Saint Patrick's Church on Grote Street is one of several historically significant Catholic church buildings in the southwest corner of the Adelaide CBD. The original building was the first Catholic church in Adelaide.

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 nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Schools' Patriotic Fund

The Children's Patriotic Fund and Schools' Patriotic Fund were repsonsible for aiding the war effort on the homefront during the First and Second World War, respectively. They achieved this by mobilising school children across South Australia to contribute in any way they could towards the war effort.

Historical Organisation | By Jack Evans, History Trust of South Australia | 1910s, 1940s, First World War, Second World War

Image: Four men and a woman in university graduation attire sit on chairs and pose for a photograph

Science

Before and after the arrival of Europeans, Aboriginal peoples had a well-developed cultural understanding and practical knowledge of plants, animal behaviour, local geology and meteorological conditions. Information they provided was frequently vital to the success – and even survival – of early European navigators and explorers.

Historical Subject | By Pauline Payne | 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

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

Serbians in South Australia

Serbians migrated to South Australia from the 1940s - 1990s to escape various forms of prosecution and have since established a wide community.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1990s, early twentieth century, Second World War

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

Image: group of planes in large hanger style building

South Australian Aviation Museum

The South Australian Aviation Museum is a purpose-built premises that houses historical aircraft, images and a library that are dedicated to aviation.

Historical Place | By Mike Milln, South Australian Aviation Museum | 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

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

South Australian Museum

The South Australian Museum houses large scientific and cultural collections, with particular significance attached to its Aboriginal collection.

Historical Place | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia

South Parklands

Originally a camping site for local Aboriginal groups, the South Parklands were first used by Europeans as a military rifle range before evolving into the attractive centre for recreation that they are today.

Historical Place | By James Hunter and Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia

South Terrace

Mansions at one end and cottages at the other, with businesses, welfare, medical and educational institutions in between, all overlooking the parklands

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

St Francis Xavier's Cathedral

Built in a striking Gothic Revival style, St. Francis Xavier’s Cathedral is the Roman Catholic Cathedral of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Adelaide.

Historical Place | By Alexander Parsons, History Trust of South Australia | 1850s

Image: A large stone church bordered by a wooden picket fence and a handful of trees. Part of a dirt street is visible in the foreground

St Luke's Church

St Luke's Church has a long history of supporting, and support from, the community of Adelaide.

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia

Image: stone church building with high central steeple

St Paul's Anglican Church

St Paul’s Anglican Church was built on the corner of Flinders Street and Pulteney Street in 1863. A rectory facing Flinders Street was added shortly after.

Historical Place | By Open House Adelaide

State Herbarium

Tram Barn A, which once housed part of the tram fleet, is now the State Herbarium, housing over one million plant specimens.

Historical Place | By Open House Adelaide | 1900-1910

Image: Front of large, two-storey historic building with columns bordering its front door

State Library of South Australia

The State Library of South Australia is one of several major cultural institutions located along North Terrace, on what is often referred to as 'Adelaide's cultural boulevard'.