statue

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

Stanhope Press

The Stanhope press brought to Holdfast Bay in 1836 was used to print the Proclamation of South Australia.

Collection Item | 1830s

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

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

The Eternal Question

Word artist Richard Tipping prompts us to consider big ideas in his sculpture ‘The Eternal Question’

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Northwest corner | 1940s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

The first reading of the proclamation

The December 1836 proclamation at Holdfast Bay is South Australia’s best known historical event, despite it often being misunderstood

Historical Event | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s

The Lady Mayoress' Chain

Collection Item | 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: Printed document headed ’Proclamation’

The Proclamation

South Australia’s first vice-regal proclamation was read at Holdfast Bay on 28 December 1836

Historical Subject | By Margaret Anderson, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s

This major international conflict officially began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 3 September 1939. It lasted for six years, gradually increasing in scope and intensity as it blazed through Europe into Africa and Asia and on into Pacific Asia and the Americas.

Historical Subject | By Carol Fort | 1930s, 1940s

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: large fountain featuring human figures and birds lit up at night

Three Rivers Fountain

The Three Rivers fountain in Victoria Square commemorates the Royal Visit in 1963

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1960s, 2010s

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

Torrens Building

Built in 1881, this heritage-listed building on Victoria Square has long captured the public's imagination with tales of secret tunnels.

Historical Place | By Alexander Parsons, History Trust of South Australia | Central Market | 1870s, 1880s

Torrens Lake Fountain

The Torrens Lake Fountain commemorates the first time South Australia was visited by a reigning monarch, Queen Elizabeth II in 1954.

Historical Thing | By Madeleine Ryan, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1950s

Torrens Title

The Torrens title system for land ownership was inaugurated in South Australia has led the world in the computerisation of real property title information.

Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1830s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

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

Tricycle

Tricycle, painted red and white.

Collection Item | 1950s

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: group stand in front of a tavern building with four women standing on a balcony in the tavern

United Trades and Labor Council

Carpenters, tailors, bakers, carriers, cordwainers and coachmakers had formed unions within ten years of European settlement of South Australia, and by the 1870s there were thousands of union members in the colony.

Historical Organisation | By Tom Sheridan | 1890s, 1910s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

Urban Cow Studios

Previously situated on Frome Road, near the corner of North Terrace, the Urban Cow Studio has been operating in Adelaide for around 25 years.

Historical Thing | By Cindy Crook, History Trust of South Australia | 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

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

Victor Richardson Gates

An outstanding all-round sportsman was provided with the rare honour of being memorialised during his lifetime

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | River Torrens | 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, early twenty–first century

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