Mid North and Clare Valley

Boarding Out Society

The origins of foster care for disadvantaged children

Historical Organisation | By Mary-Louise Geyer | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

Book Plan of South Adelaide

Book Plan of South Adelaide. Courtesy of the State Library of South Australia, SLSA: B1578746

Prior to the development of the suburbs of Adelaide, ‘South Adelaide’ was the name given to the city area bordered by North, South, East and West Terraces. ‘South Adelaide’ was distinguished from ‘North Adelaide’, located across the River Torrens.

Maps and Panoramas | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1880s

Image: woman driving horse and buggy in park

Botanic Park

Botanic Park has blossomed as a place for informal family gatherings and a venue for public events

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s, 2020s, Aboriginal Country pre-contact

Image: bearded man poses for portrait photograph

Finniss, Boyle

South Australia’s first premier was born at sea off the Cape of Good Hope and educated at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst.

Historical Person | By Carol Fort | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1880s

West End Brewery fronting the south side of Hindley Street, Adelaide, 1925

Breweries and beer

How did Lion and Coopers come to be South Australia’s only major brewers of beer today?

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

Brookman Building

Developing technical education via a School of Mines and Industries leading to SAIT and then UniSA

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

Image: a two storey corner hotel with 1960s era cars parked on the street outside.

Brown Street

Brown Street, running from South Terrace to Grote Street, morphed into Morphett Street in 1967 but the area retains its out-of-the-way feel

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

Spence, Catherine Helen

Writer and social reformer Catherine Helen Spence was also the first woman to write a novel about Australia.

Historical Person | By Susan Magarey | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910

Bronze sculpture, Catherine Helen Spence by Ieva Porcius, 1986

Catherine Helen Spence statue

The powerful sculpture of Catherine Helen Spence in Light Square, Adelaide celebrates the life and work of a formidable South Australian.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Northwest corner | 1850s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1980s

Charles Cameron Kingston Memorial

A remarkable and feisty South Australian attorney-general and premier, a father of federation and the first Australian Minster for Trade and Customs is commemorated by this statue

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

Image: black and white photograph of a seated man, dressed in black and holding a cane

Kingston PC QC, Charles

Though dogged by scandal, Charles Kingston was a lawyer, parliamentarian and Federalist who steered many reforms through the South Australian Parliament and helped draft Australia’s Constitution.

Historical Person | By The Hon Dr John Bannon, AO | North Terrace, Northwest corner, Southwest corner | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910

Cawthorne, Charles

Cawthorne was a dynamic music seller and concert manager, and is remembered as a genial raconteur.

Historical Person | By Joyce Gibberd | Rundle Street east | 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, 1910s, 1920s

Childhood

The history of childhood in South Australia has been characterised by the assimilation policies practised by the state and the Christian churches throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and also changes in infant mortality, and the introduction of compulsory schooling.

Historical Subject | By Ian Davey | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century

Image: black and white photo of man in glasses, hat and suit

Dennis, Mr. Clarence

Dennis was a poet, journalist and satirist, renowned for The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke, the bestselling book of Australian poetry.

Historical Person | By Valmai Hankel | North Terrace, Southeast corner | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century

Closer Settlement

Settlers believed that using land intensively maximised its value and civilised its occupants, and that holdings should be small to allow people to hold land

Historical Subject | By Bill Gammage | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Cornish

South Australian mineral discoveries of the 1840s (especially at Kapunda and Burra in the Mid North) and extension of the farming frontier, were a magnet to the Cornish.

Historical Subject | By Mel Davies | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: sepia shot of building facade, with three men at the entrance, one by the side, and a horse-drawn carriage

Crown and Anchor Hotel

The current hotspot for alternative and grunge music has a colourful criminal history

Historical Place | By Hannah Stewart, History Trust of South Australia | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Image: black and white photograph of a man sitting in garden

Fowler, David

Merchant David Fowler built a successful grocery business, famous for jams, confectionery and preserved fruit.

Historical Person | By John Walker | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

Image: A small group of Caucasian men, women and children dressed in late Victorian attire ride in a carriage-like vehicle along a town road. The vehicle has four spoked wheels and what appears to be an engine. A moustachioed middle-aged man operates it

Shearer, Mr. David

Though a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, David Shearer also designed an early car, constructed an observatory, and was a keen artist.

Historical Person | By Don Beaty | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of an elderly Aboriginal man. He is clean-shaven, sporting a short haircut and is wearing a suit jacket and tie

Unaipon, David

David Unaipon was an Aboriginal leader, writer, gatherer of legends, and inventor who was referred to in the press as 'the Black Leonardo'.

Historical Person | By Philip Jones | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Image: A young Caucasian man rides a camel in the Australian outback. He is dressed in 1930s attire, including a fedora hat

Distance

Geographical position and distance have strongly shaped the European history of South Australia.

Historical Subject | By Geoffrey Blainey | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Dunmoochin

Dunmoochin, built around 1858, was the home of Irish emigrants John and Honora Griffin and their three children. It is an example of the many workers’ cottages built in the West End.

Historical Place | By Vedrana Budimir, History Trust of South Australia | Southwest corner | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

East End Market

The East End Market was Adelaide’s first formal fruit and vegetable market.

Historical Place | By Alexander Parsons, History Trust of South Australia | East Terrace | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: a herd of sheep graze under gum and pine trees

East Parklands

Despite an inauspicious start as a dumping ground for waste, the East Parklands gradually developed as an attractive centre for recreation in the city.

Historical Place | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia | East Terrace, Rundle Street east, Southeast corner | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: A long two-storey brick terrace building with three large double height arches and decorative gables. Along the street at the front a number of horse drawn carts are parked.

East Terrace

A street in an area of contrasts - the rich, the poor, society figures, outcasts, business, leisure, health and education are associated with East Terrace

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