1. Mary Lee

    Suffrage 125

    The History Trust of South Australia is coordinating a series of programs and events to mark the 125th anniversary of womens suffrage in South Autralia. In December 1894, after decades of activism, women in South Australia were awarded the right to vote and stand for parliament. In 2019 we will celebrate the victory of the early suffragists such as Mary Lee, Augusta Zadow, Catherine Helen Spence and those who joined the fight. The Suffrage 125 initiative will explore issues of gender equality over the past 125 years.

    Historical Subject | By The History Trust of South Australia | 1890s

  2. Image: head and shoulders shot of woman looking at camera

    Benny, Susan

    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 Person | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1870s, 1890s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

  3. Image: tea pot decorated with Chinese dragon

    Sym Choon Collection

    A collection of objects related to the Sym Choon family, reflecting their lives as first generation Australians with Chinese heritage.

    Collection Level Description | Rundle Street east | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

  4. Image: sepia shot of building facades

    Sym Choon Shops

    In 1925/26 Thomas Sym Choon bought his four children a shop each.

    Historical Place | By Hannah Stewart, History Trust of South Australia | Rundle Street east | 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

  5. 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

  6. The Eternal Question by Richard Kelly Tipping 1982, Light Square

    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

  7. 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

  8. Image: gold chain with opal

    The Lady Mayoress' Chain

    Collection Item | 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

  9. 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

  10. Image: Man stands leaning on heavily loaded truck perched on top of a sandhill

    Kruse, Mr. Esmond

    Tom Kruse became an outback legend for his long service as mailman on the Birdsville Track.

    Historical Person | By Matthew Lombard, National Motor Museum | 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1980s, 1990s

  11. 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

  12. Image: Building front view

    Torrens Building

    Built in 1881, this heritage-listed building on Victoria Square has long captured the public's imagination with tales of secret tunnels.

    Historical Place | By Alexander Parsons, History Trust of South Australia | Central Market | 1870s, 1880s

  13. 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

  14. Image: People walking and others fishing with hand rods from a wooden jetty

    Tourism

    The South Australian Tourism Commission, established in 1993, focuses on marketing South Australia as a tourist destination to interstate and overseas markets.

    Historical Subject | By Lyn Leader-Elliot | North Terrace, Parklands | 1880s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

  15. 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

  16. Image: black and white image of stone building with peaked roof.

    Union Church, Peterborough

    Union Chapel was the first building for many denominations in Peterborough.

    Historical Place | 1870s, late nineteenth century

  17. 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

  18. 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

  19. 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

  20. Voyagers in Whitmore Square night photo

    Voyagers

    The lives and cultures of ‘Afghan’ cameleers are recognised in Whitmore Square

    Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Southwest corner | 1860s, 1870s, 2000-2010

  21. Image: Yellow ribbon covered in colourful badges

    WAB, ACWW and FWIC badges

    This group of badges is a memento of Isla Shilton's extensive involvement in the Women’s Agricultural Bureau and with the Associated Country Women of the World.

    Collection Item | 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

  22. 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

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young, moustachioed man dressed in Victorian attire. He is wearing a cravat with a large pin or pendant embedded within it

    Gosse, Mr. William

    Short-lived explorer and surveyor William Christie Gosse was the first European to set eyes on Uluru.

    Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s

  26. Image: Upper body portrait of a man

    Hay, William

    William Gosse Hay was the son of a wealthy pastoralist, and a writer. Author of six novels which are stirring tales of noble heroes struggling to maintain moral honour in convict-era Tasmania. His unfinished work, ‘The Return of Robert Wasterton’, is set in 1890s Victor Harbor. 

    Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

  27. Muirden, Mr. William

    William Muirden founded the Muirden College for Business Training, and was known for the balanced symmetry and harmony of his nature. 

    Historical Person | By Jim Loudon | Southeast corner | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

  28. Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged bearded man in a suit. He has a full head of hair and is looking to the left

    Mortlock, Mr. William

    William Mortlock was a pastoralist and a generous and popular, if not necessarily brilliant, parliamentarian.

    Historical Person | By Rob Linn | North Terrace | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

  29. Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a middle-aged Caucasian man with a bushy salt-and-pepper beard and receding ear-length hair. He is wearing a late-Victorian suit with bowtie

    Randell, Mr. William

    William Randell was a pioneer of River Murray paddle-steamers, and was responsible for both designing and piloting them. 

    Historical Person | By John Tolley | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s

  30. Image: Close-up photograph of part of an historic, multi-storey stone building. The words ‘Est. 1870, William Russell Pty. Ltd., Sailmaker and Ship Chandler’ are painted on the shutter of one of the building’s second-floor windows

    William Russell Pty. Ltd.

    The large, three-storey historic stone building at 221-223 St. Vincent Street in Port Adelaide is one of the last vestiges of a business once integral to South Australia’s maritime commerce.

    Historical Subject | By James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s

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