1. 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

  2. Image: two ships on still water

    The hulk 'Fitzjames'

    Between 1880 and 1891 the hulk Fitzjames, colloquially known as ‘Hell afloat’, served as a Reformatory for over 100 boys aged from 8 to 16 years of age. 

    Historical Thing | By Nikki Sullivan | 1880s, 1890s

  3. Governor Richard MacDonnell

    The opening of Parliament 1857

    Crowds gathered on 22 April 1857 to watch Governor Sir Richard Graves MacDonnell open South Australia’s first fully elected parliament.

    Historical Event | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1850s

  4. Image: Front view of a theatre building with cars driving in the foreground and people on the street

    Theatre

    South Australia’s theatrical beginnings were commercial and entrepreneurial: trade as much as art drove public houses and performance together.

    Historical Subject | By Gus Worby | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  5. Image: man sitting on rocky outcrop overlooking township

    Strehlow, Theodor

    Theodor George Henry Strehlow (1908–1978) was brought up by his parents, Carl and Frieda Strehlow at the Hermannsburg Mission near Alice Springs. His work as linguist and ethnologist contributed extensively to white understanding of Aboriginal culture and music, but provoked ongoing dispute between settler and Indigenous cultures.

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

  6. 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

  7. Image: Black and white photo of an old observatory building.

    Time

    Within a year of settlement, Adelaide's residents were synchronising their timepieces by a bell rung in North Terrace near West Terrace at local noon.

    Historical Subject | By Bill Stacy | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  8. 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

  9. Image: A photographic portrait of a middle-aged Caucasian man with a full beard and head of hair. He is wearing an Edwardian-era suit and tie

    Price, Mr. Thomas

    As the first Labor premier of South Australia, Tom Price established a minimum wage and electrified the tramways.

    Historical Person | By Nick Ganzis | North Terrace | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910

  10. 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

  11. 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

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

    Ukrainians in South Australia

    The first significant wave of Ukrainians arrived in Australia during the years 1911 - 1915. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  13. Unitarians

    Originally a liberal religious faith without dogma or creeds, Unitarians now emphasise the importance of free inquiry, tolerance of religious differences and individual spiritual exploration.

    Historical Organisation | By David Hilliard | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  14. 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

  15. Image: Brougham Place Uniting Church

    Uniting Church

    The third-largest religious denomination in South Australia arose through a relatively recent amalgamation of long-standing churches, but their strong traditions remain.

    Historical Organisation | By David Hilliard | early twenty–first century, late twentieth century

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

    Uruguayans in South Australia

    Uruguayans first came to Australia in significant numbers in the 1960s and 1970s. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  17. Venere di Canova, 2013

    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

  18. 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

  19. Image: trees in from of a building with tall tower

    Victoria Square/ Tarntanyangga

    Victoria Square, named after Princess Victoria (later Queen Victoria) in 1836, is the central and most significant of Adelaide’s squares.

    Historical Place | By Owen Hems | Central Market | Aboriginal Country pre-contact, early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  20. Image: Black memorial monument for the Vietnam War, front of memorial.

    Vietnam War

    The Vietnam War had a significant impact on South Australian political life, and the course and character of opposition aroused by the war and conscription for it were different in Adelaide than in other capital cities.

    Historical Event | By Malcolm Saunders | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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

    Vietnamese in South Australia

    Before 1975, the Vietnamese in Australia were either wives of ex-servicemen, students, or orphans who had come to Australia between 1969 and 1974. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  22. Image: A muddy riverbank and river with several sailing ships at anchor just offshore. A small group of people alight from a rowboat in the foreground

    Ville de Bordeaux

    Originally designed as a warship, this French merchant vessel's first—and only—foray into South Australian waters was fraught with illegality and controversy.

    Historical Thing | By James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s

  23. Image: People in a field picking grapes

    Viticulture

    The growing of grape vines dates from the earliest years of European settlement in South Australia.

    Historical Subject | By Dr Geoffrey Bishop | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  24. Image: A small circular badge with painted wattle flowers with text above them which says for our own

    Wattle Day

    1 September in Australia is Wattle Day, though not widely known, some have argued it should replace Australia Day.

    Historical Event | By Catherine Manning, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1900-1910, 1910s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  25. Sir John Langdon Bonython, 1926

    Wealth

    In South Australia, the prime key to wealth has been land. From its inception as a European colony, ownership (or control) of land meant access to agricultural and mineral resources. For the Aboriginal peoples, dispossession meant devastation.

    Historical Subject | By Martin P Shanahan | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  26. Image: The upper floor of a rectangular building with two windows and a set of double-doors. The words ‘Hy. Weman. Sail Maker, Ship Chandler’ are painted on the building front

    Weman Building

    Once home to one of colonial Port Adelaide's highly regarded sail-making and ship's chandlery businesses, the Weman Building has been faithfully restored to its original appearance and is part of the South Australian Maritime Museum's Lipson Street complex.

    Historical Place | By James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

  27. Image: parklands

    West Parklands

    A temporary camping ground for the early European settlers, the West Parklands developed to host most notably a cemetery and a school.

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

  28. Campden, West Terrace

    West Terrace

    A major cemetery, a palace and an observatory have graced West Terrace along with its parklands border

    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, 2000-2010, 2010s

  29. Image: large stone cross on stone base in graveyard

    West Terrace Cemetery

    West Terrace Cemetery reflects the early population groups of Adelaide, and is a popular destination for tour groups.

    Historical Place | By Rhiannon Agutter, History Trust of South Australia | West Terrace | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  30. Image: display of bundles of wheat

    Wheat

    The story of wheat is more than the story of a versatile food grain. In South Australia, the history of the production, transport and marketing of wheat opens wider windows onto society, economics and politics.

    Historical Subject | By RFI Smith | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

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