mid nineteenth century

Image: sculpture of black stone with water

14 Pieces

Recalling the ancient Ichthyosaur, this sculpture invites interaction

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2000-2010

14 Pieces Fountain- South Australian Museum

14 Pieces is a sculpture fountain based on the opalised fossilised vertebrae of the Ichthyosaur in the South Australian Museum.

Historical Thing | By South Australian School for Vision Impaired (SASVI) | North Terrace | 2000-2010

Image: bronze sculpture of man and woman in uniform

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial

Australia’s first memorial to recognise the service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was unveiled in Adelaide on 10 November 2013.

Historical Thing | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | River Torrens | early twenty–first century

Image: flag with black top, red bottom and large yellow circle in the middle

Aboriginal flag

The Aboriginal flag flies high over its birthplace, Tarntanyangga/Victoria Square, a symbol of Aboriginal pride, rights and identity.

Historical Thing | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Adelaide City Council plaques

Adelaide City Council plaques promote the city’s heritage and some South Australian identities.

Historical Thing | By Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | Hindley Street, North Terrace | 1980s, early twenty–first century

August Wilhelm Pelzer Plaque

A plaque to the 'City Gardener' is now obscured in a city garden

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2000-2010

Bill's Fountain- State Library of South Australia

This fountain is a memorial to William Faulding Scammell, AO, CBE who was Chancellor of Adelaide University from 1991 to 1998.

Historical Thing | North Terrace | 2000-2010

Colonel Light statue

Colonel William Light’s statue on Montefiore Hill pointing towards the centre of Adelaide has come to symbolise the city that Light laid out.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1840s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1930s, early twenty–first century

Dardanelles Memorial

The first Anzac memorial was once an obelisk in a grove of wattles

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, 2000-2010, 2010s, First World War

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

Knot

The shining steel and simple form of Knot typifies the work of sculptor Herbert (Bert) Flugelman.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Light Horse Memorial

Remembering South Australian Light Horsemen who served in Egypt and Palestine and at Gallipoli

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, Boer War, early twenty–first century

Magarey Medal

An award for the ‘fairest and most brilliant player’ in South Australia’s major Australian Rules football competition

Historical Thing | By Bernard Whimpress | 1890s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Narisha Cash's Ngadlu Padninthi Kamanka mural (2017)

Ngadlu Padninthi Kamangka (We Walk Together) mural

Narisha Cash's mural acknowledges and celebrates the Kaurna people as the traditional owners and custodians of Adelaide and the Adelaide plains.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2010s, Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early twenty–first century

Image: steel quadrangle-shaped sculpture with rounded edges and a geometric hole in the middle

Owen Broughton Sculpture

This Owen Broughton work won the 1976 Rundle Mall sculpture contest alongside Bert Flugelman's Mall's Balls and John Dowie's Girl on a Slide.

Historical Thing | By Hannah Stewart, History Trust of South Australia | 1970s, 1980s, 2000-2010

Crumpled bronze bag on plinth with grass and plants nearby

Paper Bag

Michelle Nikou's bronze sculpture stands in almost comic contrast with the plinths that populate North Terrace further west.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2010s, early twenty–first century

Image: a long, narrow tourist boat with a canvas roof is moored at a concrete dock with a metal railing.

Popeye

'Popeye the Sailor' was a popular cartoon at the cinema in the 1930s when Gordon Watts introduced a tourist pleasure craft on the River Torrens

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | River Torrens | 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

Image: close-up of inside surfaces of the touchstone.

Reconciliation Touchstone

The red granite sculpture captures the plaster imprints of 64 handshakes made at a Reconciliation Week ceremony in 2006.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Barron, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2000-2010, Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early twenty–first century

Image: The multimedia screen emits a rainbow of colors over nighttime pedestrians

Rundle Lantern

The Rundle Lantern is 100% green-powered and the light show is carbon neutral.

Historical Thing | By Hannah Stewart, History Trust of South Australia | Rundle Street east | 2000-2010

Sir Lawrence Bragg bust

The bust of Sir Lawrence Bragg commemorates a South Australian Nobel Laureate

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1970s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: crowd of people around large bronze statue of seated man

Sir Walter Watson Hughes statue

The bronze figure of Sir Walter Watson Hughes by Francis Williamson stands on a massive block of red granite.

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton and James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1900-1910, 2000-2010

Song of Australia

‘Song of Australia’ became the accepted national song in South Australia and, for a time, throughout Australia.

Historical Thing | By Kerrie Round | late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: The statue of a horse and rider mounting the crest of a hill

South African War Memorial

The mounted trooper reining in his horse commemorates South Australians who served in the South African War (1899-1902).

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1930s, 2000-2010

Image: view of a street corner with telephone box and poles

Unique to and ubiquitous throughout South Australia, the ugliness of stobie poles is periodically denounced, as also the mortal damage which they can and do inflict on the occupants of any vehicle unlucky enough to strike one at speed.

Historical Thing | By Patricia Sumerling and Wilfrid Prest | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Susan Grace Benny Plaque

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 Thing | By Laura Sherwood, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 2000-2010

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

Image: bronze sculpture of family group with suitcase

The Immigrants

The Immigrants sculpture has been climbed on, sat on, stood next to and embraced by many people who have walked through the gates of the Migration Museum since 2006.

Historical Thing | By Catherine Manning, Migration Museum | North Terrace | 2000-2010

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

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

Adelaidia