1. Image: Burgundy velvet male jacket.

    'Afghan' jacket

    The jacket was given to Mr Frederick Budge of Farina, South Australia, by a Muslim (‘Afghan’) trader he knew who went on a pilgrimage to Mecca, at some time in the 1890s. 

    Collection Item | Southwest corner | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

  2. Image: Inside Adelaide Hospital in 1890

    Adelaide Hospital Row

    A long-running dispute over a senior nursing appointment culminated with a medical officers’ strike and the temporary loss of medical teaching at the Adelaide Hospital

    Historical Subject | By Donald Simpson | 1890s, 1900-1910

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

    Algerians in South Australia

    African and Asian Algerians have immigrated to Australia since 1973.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

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

    Americans in South Australia

    The first Americans who arrived in South Australia were whalers and seal hunters. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1880s, late twentieth century, Second World War

  5. Image: white cotton apron

    apron

    The apron was worn by Joan Mallen when she worked at the Cheer Up Hut on the banks of the Torrens, near the present Festival Theatre, during the Second World War. 

    Collection Item | Parklands | 1940s

  6. Image: Archaeological excavation, Queen’s Theatre

    Archaeology

    Although originating with scientists and untrained laymen, archaeology has a distinguished record in South Australia. 

    Historical Subject | By DJ Mulvaney | 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

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

    Argentinians in South Australia

    Argentinian immigration to South Australia began in the 1970s, and may be attributed to the decline of Argentina’s economy and standard of living. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  8. Auditor-General

    Independent auditing of Government is established in the position of the colonies first auditor general

    Historical Subject | By Brendan Moran | 1830s, 1840s, 1930s

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

    Bangladeshis in South Australia

    The first Bengali immigrants came to South Australia to escape the 1971 civil war between West and East Pakistan.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  10. Image: crowds on jetty

    Beaches

    With their carnivals and regattas, bathing-beauty competitions, amusements, sea and sand, beaches were one of the key gathering places for South Australians from the 1870s to the 1950s. 

    Historical Subject | By Marie Boland | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

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

    Belarusians in South Australia

    The first significant wave of Belarusians arrived in South Australia as Displaced Persons (DPs) when Belarus anti-communist fighters, members of Belarusian Youth Union, military Belarusian (anti-Russian) units, pro-German Belarusian government organizations and others were in conflict with the Soviet Red Army.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, mid twentieth century

  12. Image: rectangular glass bottle with green label

    Bottle

    Bottle of herbal lotion sold by Mahomet Allum. 

    Collection Item | 1940s, 1950s

  13. Image: hand drawn greeting card

    Christmas Card

    Hand-drawn Christmas card with the message 'Buon Natale'.

    Collection Item | 1940s

  14. Image: View of Victoria Square showing motorcars, a motorbike rider and the electric trams navigating the flooded streets through Victoria Square in 1925

    Climate

    Climate was and still is an important factor in how and where South Australia first settled. 

    Historical Subject | By Peter Schwerdtfeger | 1800-1810, 1830s

  15. Image: silver cup with image of a woman on side

    Cup

    This cup was presented to the Art Gallery of South Australia by Queen Mary as part of Empire-wide celebrations for the Silver Jubilee of George V in 1935.

    Collection Item | North Terrace | 1830s

  16. Image: a man sits cross legged on a chair, holding a newspaper

    Elder Family

    Elder Family of Scots merchants and ship owners saw the infant South Australia as an opportunity to expand their business interests. Alexander Lang Elder (1815–1885), the pioneer, arrived in 1839 and established a trading business. 

    Historical Subject | By Carol Fort | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

  17. Image: A group of Caucasian men with film equipment observe a conversation between two other men, one of whom is elderly and dressed in Afghan attire

    Film

    In October 1896, within one year of the Lumière brothers’ first public screening of film in Paris, the first public film screening in South Australia occurred at the Theatre Royal in Hindley Street

    Historical Subject | By Dylan Walker | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

  18. Image: Box showing image of rockets with the label 'jet plane'

    Fire Cracker Box

    Packaging and remnats from firecrackers stocked at Gordon Sym Choon's Union Street shop. 

    Collection Item | Rundle Street east | 1960s, 1970s

  19. Image: A tall gum tree stands near the bank of a river, which is visible in the distant background. The trunk of the tree is adorned with several small signs showing the year in which a major flood occurred and its water level height

    Floods

    Paradoxically, the only parts of South Australia to experience occasional serious disruption of by flooding are the far distant sparsely populated deserts around Lake Eyre

    Historical Subject | By CR Twidale, University of Adelaide | River Torrens | 1840s, 1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, 2010s

  20. Image: man in formal regalia

    Freemasonry

    The first South Australian Freemasons lodge formed in England, before the colony of South Australia was settled. 

    Historical Subject | By David Hilliard | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  21. Image: two men washing a large van

    Hawker Vans

    There is evidence that hawkers were active in Australia as early as the 1820s. 

    Historical Subject | By Michelle Toft, National Motor Museum | 1820s, 1830s, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  22. Image: view from above of man amongst large pipes

    Improved sewerage system for Adelaide

    In 1881 Adelaide became the first Australian capital city to be connected to a water-borne sewerage system. 

    Historical Subject | By Corinne Ball, Migration Museum | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

  23. Korean War

    Over 400 South Australians served in the Korean War (1950–53) alongside other Commonwealth and United States forces

    Historical Subject | By Brendan Moran | 1950s

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

    Koreans in South Australia

    Most Korean South Australians are from the Republic of Korea (known as South Korea). They first began arriving in South Australia in the early 1970s. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  25. Image: Collection of seven tin and stone cottages at Murtho, South Australia

    Labour Settlements

    Labour settlements were created during the 1890s to trial collective ownership, new farming technology and the high unemployment created by the Depression.

    Historical Subject | By Brendan Moran | 1850s, 1890s

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

    Laotians in South Australia

    The first large scale arrival of Laotians in Australia was in 1976. Only a few made their way to South Australia. The numbers increased steadily until the 1980s, and are only in the hundreds even in the twenty-first century.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  27. Image: Seven bewigged and robed supreme court judges, seated and posing for photograph, 1915

    Legal Profession

    The evolving profession in South Australia retained some centuries-old practices.

    Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1980s

  28. Image: bronze medal with striped ribbon

    Medal

    Honorary medal awarded to Antonio Giordano by the World Federation of Italian Press Abroad.

    Collection Item | 1970s

  29. Image: wooden box with two open drawers

    Paint Box

    This paint box is believed to have belonged to soldier, public servant and explorer, Captain Charles Sturt.

    Collection Item | 1800-1810, 1830s, 1840s

  30. Image: wooden post inscribed 'South Australia'

    Poeppel's Corner Post

    Wooden post used to mark the point where the boundaries of South Australia the Northern Territory and Queensland meet.

    Collection Item | 1870s, 1880s

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