mid nineteenth century

Image: a large metal arched door with a sign reading: "H.M. Gaol Adelaide"

Adelaide Gaol

One of South Australia's earliest buildings and home to over 300 000 people from 1841 to 1988, Adelaide Gaol is one of Australia's longest operating prisons.

Historical Place | By Rhiannon Agutter, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Image: A large, two-storey building with a tall clock tower in one corner is brilliantly lit at night. A small number of people on the street below look at the building

Adelaide General Post Office

The classically styled freestone Adelaide General Post Office was constructed in the late nineteenth century and housed both the post and telegraph offices which connected Australia with the world

Historical Place | By Dr Julie Collins, University of South Australia | Northwest corner | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: large building with small cross on roof

Archbishop's House

Archbishop’s House, formerly known as Bishop’s Palace, was built in 1845 as the residence for the Roman Catholic Bishop of Adelaide, Francis Murphy.

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

Image: horse drawn vehicles travel down a dirt road lined with terraced shops

Austral Hotel

Constructed from east to west in January 1880, Adelaide’s most distinctive commercial complex of14 shops and hotel, heading west along Rundle Street, was built for The South Australian Company.

Historical Place | By Hannah Stewart, History Trust of South Australia | Rundle Street east | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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

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

Image: A large brick building with archway windows and a square turret at one end. Cars drive by on a busy street in the foreground

Central Market

The Central Market is a distinctively Adelaide institution, renowned for fine food and produce and a bustling cosmopolitan atmosphere

Historical Place | By Peter Bell | Central Market | 1860s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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

Image: The memorial to Colonel Light without its spire

Colonel William Light Grave and Monument

Colonel William Light’s grave remains in Light Square, while Light's Monument there has been replaced and embellished over time

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Northwest corner | 1830s, 1840s, 1870s, 1890s, 1900-1910

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

Elder Park Rotunda

Celebrated at its opening in 1882, and again a century later, the rotunda remains a focus point for events in Elder Park.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1880s, 1980s

Image: A crowd of people in early twentieth century attire sit on the grass around a rotunda where a band plays

Elder Park.

From dumping ground to pleasure gardens

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

Emigration Square

Care for migrants, the unemployed and the destitute was evident from South Australia’s foundation days.

Historical Place | By Kate Walsh | Northwest corner | 1830s, 1840s

Image: Bronze statue of a mans upper body

Farnese Hercules

One of three statues given to Adelaide by WA Horn, Hercules was unveiled in October 1892 in Victoria Square.

Historical Thing | By Madeleine Ryan and Pat Stretton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1890s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A man wearing mid-Victorian era attire poses for a photograph. He is seated and is wearing a suit and jacket with tails, and has a fob watch on a chain attached to his waistcoat.

Faulding, Mr. Francis

Faulding was a manufacturing chemist, prominent businessman, city councillor and church benefactor.

Historical Person | By Peter Donovan | North Terrace, Rundle Street east | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, mid nineteenth century

Image: View of shop fronts and cars along currie street

Hassell, Mr. George

A printer and publisher, Hassell was devoted to the immaculate ‘embellishment of books’.

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

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged man with mutton-chop sideburns wearing clerical vestments

Farr, Dr. George

A clergyman and headmaster, Farr was a champion of gentlemanly behaviour, honesty and good sportsmanship.

Historical Person | By Robert Fisher | North Terrace, Parklands | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth 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

Image: Hundreds of schools students in black uniforms pose in lines outside a large symmetrical stone building with decorative brickwork between floors, two huge arched windows on the front gable ends and smaller windows on the sides.

Grote Street

Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Central Market continue to attract people to Grote Street

Historical Place | By Margaret Anderson and Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Central Market | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Fisher, Sir James

Fisher became the first Mayor of Adelaide in 1840 and the first resident South Australian to be knighted in 1860

Historical Person | By Allison Russell, History Trust of South Australia | Central Market | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s

Wendt, Joachim

Joachim Wendt was a Danish-born silversmith whose work included extravagant naturalism, Edwardian style, and restrained Regency taste.

Historical Person | By Richard Phillips | North Terrace, Rundle Street east | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s

Image: An obituary notice featuring a photographic portrait of a moustachioed middle-aged man wearing wire-rimmed spectacles

Hartley, Mr. John

Though stern and strict, educationist (and first Inspector-General of Schools) John Anderson Hartley favoured progressive and innovative ideas.

Historical Person | By Anna Stirling Pope | North Terrace, Parklands | late nineteenth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged woman in Victorian attire

Farr, Mrs. Julia

The plight of the girls in the Destitute Asylum spurred on social worker Julia Farr.

Historical Person | By Joan Clift | North Terrace, Parklands | late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: Crowd watching unveiling of monument

Light Square/ Wauwi

Originally intended as a recreational garden oasis from the surrounding city, Light Square, however, developed a reputation for prostitution, drinking and violence.

Historical Place | By Owen Hems | Northwest corner | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century