1980s

Strange, Mr. Arthur

Kind-hearted and single-minded, 'Padre' Arthur Strange was the founder of the Helping Hand Centre.

Historical Person | By Rev. Keith Smith | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Adelaide Festival of the Arts

This festival is widely recognised as one of the great international arts festivals, while its accompanying Writers’ Week is the largest literary event of its kind.

Historical Event | By Lance Campbell | 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, 2000-2010

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young Caucasian woman dressed in an early twentieth century Girl Guides uniform with hat. She has light-coloured eyes and dark hair

Miethke, Ms. Adelaide

Prussian by descent, Adelaide Miethke was an educationist, and her School of the Air ‘bridged the lonely distance’ for outback children.

Historical Person | By Dr Helen Jones | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Ramsay, Mr. Alexander

As general manager of the South Australian Housing Trust, Alexander Maurice Ramsay was energetic and compassionate.

Historical Person | By Dr Susan Marsden | North Terrace | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Image: A middle-aged clean-shaven Caucasian man wearing a suit and wire-rimmed spectacles sits in a chair next to a desk. On the desk is a large pedal-powered radio, the handset of which is held by the man

Traeger, Mr. Alfred

Alf Traeger was friendly but self-effacing, and is perhaps best known as the inventor of the pedal wireless.

Historical Person | By John Healey | North Terrace | 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Duguid, Dr. Charles

Charles Duguid was a medical practitioner and champion of the underdog who spent many of his 102 years as a worker for Aboriginal advancement.

Historical Person | By Stewart Cockburn | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged man wearing a suit-jacket, open-necked shirt and pith helmet

Mountford, Mr. Charles

Charles Mountford was an anthropologist, writer and photographer, and was dedicated to the promotion of Aboriginal art and mythology.

Historical Person | By Philip Jones | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Christmas Pageant

One of the largest pageants in the world, come one, come all to Adelaide’s famous Christmas Pageant!

Historical Event | By Anne Burrows | North Terrace | 1930s, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Hayes, Mr. Colin

Colin Sidney Hayes (1924–1999) was an expert handler and judge of horses, and an astute businessman.

Historical Person | By Dirk van Dissel | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Hayes, Mr. Colin

Hayes is remembered as possibly the greatest racehorse trainer and thoroughbred breeder in the history of Australian racing.

Historical Person | By Dennis Markham | North Terrace | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: woman in front of sculpture of herself

Mitchell, Ms. Roma

A trailblazing jurist, Dame Roma Mitchell pushed for numerous law reforms and became South Australia’s first female governor.

Historical Person | By Nic Klaassen | North Terrace | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

Image: A young Caucasian woman poses for a photograph in her 1940s vintage bridal gown

Litchfield, Mrs. Ruby

As befitting a dedicated community worker and charity organizer, her simple philosophy was benign: ‘’To live and let live.’’

Historical Person | By Jo Peoples | North Terrace | 2000-2010, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Moriarty, Mr. Daniel

Daniel Moriarty has been acclaimed as the greatest footballer between the two World Wars.

Historical Person | By Prof John Daly | East Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Dallwitz, Mr. David

David Dallwitz was an accomplished musician and artist, whose work in both fields covered a wide variety of forms.

Historical Person | By Jane Hylton | North Terrace | 1930s, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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

McGuire, Mr. Dominic

Dominic Paul McGuire made a name for himself as a successful author, and became a political ambassador for Australia.

Historical Person | By Katharine Massam | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Dunstan AC QC, Donald

As premier, Dunstan’s agenda of social and political reform transformed South Australia.

Historical Person | By The Hon Dr John Bannon, AO | North Terrace | 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, late twentieth century

Image: A middle-aged Caucasian woman sits in a wheelchair and is wearing a fur stole and horn-rimmed glasses. Around her are seated three younger Caucasian women in formal dress

Taylor, Ms. Doris

Doris Taylor was the founder and organizer of Meals on Wheels, despite spending most of her life in a wheelchair.

Historical Person | By Michael Cudmore | North Terrace | 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Dowie, Dr. John

Works by the renowned and unpretentious artist John Dowie enhance many public places

Historical Person | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace, Parklands, Rundle Mall | 1910s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

George Ian Ogilvie Duncan, a lecturer in law at the University of Adelaide, drowned on 10 May after being thrown into the River Torrens. Rumours spread that officers from the vice squad engaged in ‘poofter bashing’ had killed Duncan.

Historical Event | By Tim Reeves | River Torrens | 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

Image: A 1950s vintage racing car drives around a corner and through the streets of a small rural town. A handful of small historic stone buildings are visible on either side of the road

Norman, Mr. Eldred

A racing car designer and driver, Eldred Norman was interested in all things mechanical.

Historical Person | By Jon G Chittleborough | Southeast corner | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Hudson, Flexmore

Flexmore Hudson was a poet and teacher who produced Poetry, the second largest poetry magazine circulating in the English speaking world.

Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Women arranging flowers on the ground with buildings in the background

Flower Day

Every year between 1938 and 1975 Adelaidians showed pride in their city by beautifying it with mass displays of flowers on National Flower Day.

Historical Event | By John Davis | North Terrace | 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

Image: The body of a tug boat upside down in the process of being constructed, numerous people, ropes and ladders surround the boat

Perry, Mr. Frank

Frank Tennyson Perry (1887–1965) was born in Gawler and educated at Prince Alfred College before joining his uncle’s engineering business in 1903.

Historical Person | By Carol Fort | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

Image: Black and white photograph of Indigenous woman

Elphick MBE, Gladys

Known to all as ‘Aunty Glad’, Elphick was a tireless worker for Aboriginal welfare.

Historical Person | By Lewis O'Brien & Professor Paul Hughes | North Terrace | 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Gibson, Ms. Gladys

Gladys Gibson was an educationist, president of the National Council of Women, and by all accounts a loyal friend and loving family member.

Historical Person | By Joan Brewer (research by Philippa Fletcher) | North Terrace | 1960s, mid twentieth century

Sym Choon, Miss Gladys

A pioneering businesswoman, Gladys Sym Choon was a well known member of South Australian society.

Historical Person | By Catherine Manning, Migration Museum | Rundle Street east | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Salisbury , Harold

Harold Hubert Salisbury (1915–1991), a career policeman and winner of the Queen’s Police medal in 1970, was recruited from Yorkshire to be South Australia’s police commissioner in 1972. In 1978 the ‘Salisbury Affair’ polarised South Australia’s community (roughly along party-political lines) and remains controversial.

Historical Person | By Carol Fort | 1970s, early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century