Featured Subject

Norwegians in South Australia

Featured Subject

Politics

Featured Subject

Yarn bombing in Adelaide

Bicycles

From 'boneshakers' to penny-farthings to mountain bikes, bicycles have certainly changed since the 1860s.

Historical Subject | By Dieuwke Jessop | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century
Bonython Family

Bonython Family is distinguished by a capacity for hard work, a leaning towards public service and significant benefaction to the institutions and people of Adelaide.

Historical Subject | By Carol Fort & Wilfred Prest | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century
Botanic Gardens

Botanic gardens delight visitors who can enjoy the diversity of specialised botanical collections on display in cultured settings

Historical Subject | By David S Jones
Brazilians in South Australia

Brazilians began arriving in Australia in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Breweries and beer

How did Lion and Coopers come to be South Australia’s only major brewers of beer today?

Historical Subject | By Alison Painter | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century
Building Materials

Diverse materials have been used for building houses, structures and other constructions in South Australia with distinctive local stone giving some districts their own identity

Historical Subject | By Peter Bell
Bulgarians in South Australia

The first organised group of Bulgarian immigrants arrived in South Australia in November 1907.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Bushrangers

No bushrangers to threaten the utopian dream, but criminal activity led to Australia’s first police force

Historical Subject | By Robert Clyne | 1830s
Cambodians in South Australia

Between 1975 and 1979 thousands of Cambodians fled to neighbouring Thailand to seek refuge from Pol Pot’s regime. These numbers increased in 1979 following invasion by Vietnamese forces.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Canadians in South Australia

The first significant group of Canadians arrived in Australia after the 1837 rebellions in Canada and approximately 150 Canadians were transported to Australia as convicts, however, almost all of these men returned to Canada after serving their sentences.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Childhood

The history of childhood in South Australia has been characterised by the assimilation policies practised by the state and the Christian churches throughout the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and also changes in infant mortality, and the introduction of compulsory schooling.

Historical Subject | By Ian Davey | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century
Chileans in South Australia

From 1853 until 1857 Chilean muleteers were employed by the English and Australian Copper Company to transport copper ore and coal between Burra and Port Wakefield.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Chinese

A small presence for much of the time, but growing in number and contribution to the community

Historical Subject | By Yen Ching-hwang | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century
Chinese in South Australia

The first Chinese settler to arrive in South Australia is believed to be Tim Sang. Mr Sang arrived sometime between 1836 and 1840.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Climate

Climate was and still is an important factor in how and where South Australia first settled.

Historical Subject | By Peter Schwerdtfeger | 1800-1810, 1830s
Closer Settlement

Settlers believed that using land intensively maximised its value and civilised its occupants, and that holdings should be small to allow people to hold land

Historical Subject | By Bill Gammage | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century
Coast Disease

An unconventional character with an unconventional career

Historical Subject | By Roger Cross | 1930s
Colonial Laws Validity Act

The powers of colonial legislatures to create courts, alter local constitutions and authenticate laws were confirmed by the British statute.

Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1860s, 1930s
Conscription

Universal military training, including ‘boy conscription’ for those as young as 12, was introduced via the Commonwealth Defence Act in 1911.

Historical Subject | By Jenny Tilby Stock | early twentieth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century
Constitution

South Australia’s constitutional history reflects innovation and compromise with a significant bearing on the development of the nation

Historical Subject | By John Williams
Copper Industry

Copper brought unexpected wealth to the new colony and was an economic mainstay for 70 years, with a resurgence since the 1980s at Olympic Dam

Historical Subject | By Peter Bell | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century
Cornish

South Australian mineral discoveries of the 1840s (especially at Kapunda and Burra in the Mid North) and extension of the farming frontier, were a magnet to the Cornish.

Historical Subject | By Mel Davies | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century
Cornish in South Australian

Cornish immigration to South Australia has long been associated with mining, but early Cornish settlers arrived before the first discovery of mineral deposits at Glen Osmond in 1841.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Cricket

Cricket’s mass appeal throughout South Australia reflects society’s development perhaps more than the state’s sporting prowess and its place in the national psyche

Historical Subject | By Bernard Whimpress
Croatians in South Australia

A group of Croatians came to South Australia as a result of economic depression in the Medjumurje and Dalmacija regions between 1910 and 1913, and following political unrest in Croatia during 1922, however the most significant wave of Croatian immigrants arrived in South Australia after the Second World War.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Customs Houses of Port Adelaide

From its earliest days, the South Australian government applied customs duty (charges levied on all foreign and domestic imported goods) as a means of raising money to keep the colony financially s

Historical Subject | By James Hunter, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s
Cypriots in South Australia

In the period between 1916 and 1929 a significant group of Cypriots arrived in South Australia

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Czechs in South Australia

The first known Czechs to come to South Australia were Roman Catholic missionaries from both Bohemia and Moravia. The first significant wave of Czech migrants came to Australia in the aftermath of the Second World War.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Danish in South Australia

It is thought that Danes were among the Scandinavians working in South Australian ports in the 1840s.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum
Defence Science and Industry

South Australia has been closely involved in the nation’s defence science and industry work for almost a century and continues to seek such opportunities

Historical Subject | By Peter Bell | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century