Adelaide, South Australia: Travel guide and things to do

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This was published 9 years ago

Adelaide, South Australia: Travel guide and things to do

Rundle Mall, Adelaide.

Rundle Mall, Adelaide.

Adelaide is so neat and regular. Spread out on either side of the Torrens River on the flat coastal plain between Gulf St Vincent and the Mount Lofty Ranges it lies, an overgrown country town, laid out in a series of neat, easy to follow, grids. Of course it was planned - even before it was settled.

In 1829 Edward Gibbon Wakefield proposed a scheme for careful and systematic colonisation. The plan was to sell lots of Crown Land and to use the money to pay for the emigration of labourers. After two abortive attempts to activate the proposal it finally became a reality in 1834 when the South Australian Association was formed. It was soon after this that Wakefield quit the organisation arguing that the price of land was too low. At this stage things were looking rather unpromising for the new colony.

Still, in spite of these problems, a fleet of eight ships captained by John Hindmarsh left England and arrived at Holdfast Bay (now Glenelg) on 28 December 1836.

The settlers were forced to camp at Holdfast Bay while Colonel William Light, the colony's first Surveyor-General, chose a suitable site for the future settlement.

Light and Hindmarsh disagreed over the location of the site. Light was accused of building the city away from the sea (to the maritime-minded British this was an unforgivable error) on an alluvial mud plain which was dusty in summer and muddy in winter.

He also designed the city along a clearly defined grid pattern with the two major centres - Adelaide Central and North Adelaide - surrounded by parklands. The effect was to be a city which looked like a square figure eight. The result, still evident today, is that Adelaide is carefully planned and neatly geometric.

He later replied to his critics: 'The reasons that led me to fix Adelaide where it is I do not expect to be generally understood or calmly judged of at the present. My enemies, however, by disputing their validity in every particular, have done me the good service of fixing the whole of the responsibility upon me. I am perfectly willing to bear it; and I leave it to posterity, and not to them, to decide whether I am entitled to praise or to blame.'

Today few would dispute the verdict that Light is 'entitled to praise'. However some have seen Light's sharp-edged street plan as a symbol of the kinds of people who live in Adelaide. Randolph Bedford, a politician and regular contributor to The Bulletin, wrote in 1905: 'Adelaide is...rectangular in its streets, and therefore precise in its ways; its conduct a peculiar mixture of democratic progress and Cornish religiousness - its austerity modified by the climate.

The next fifteen months saw the colony degenerate into near-chaos. The land near the site of modern-day Adelaide had been surveyed and sold by March 1837 but surveys of country areas were delayed and simple supply and demand meant that property speculation became the colony's main industry. Speculation meant that little land was used for agricultural purposes and so a black market in imported food and supplies flourished.

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By 1840, only three years after first settlement, the colony had a population of 14 000 free settlers but was totally bankrupt. It was in this year that the South Australia Company, determined that the city would succeed, developed the wharves and warehouses at Port Adelaide, and built a road between the port and the emerging city.

Fortunately the city was saved from economic ruin in 1842 when huge copper deposits were found at Kapunda. Three years later more copper was discovered at Burra.

Today there is no city in Australia quite like Adelaide. There are images of Adelaide with the slow-flowing River Torrens, the beautiful parks and, inevitably, the churches. Dubbed 'the city of churches' it is more the serenity of the city than the actual number of churches which conjures up this notion of religious commitment.

It has a country town friendliness with an urbanity which gives it a distinctively European feel. It is a city which can still be traversed, from north to south and through the 'main street', King William Road, without having to contend with traffic jams. Even at peak hour it is possible to drive into the city with a minimum of delay and anxiety.

With a population of nearly a million people Adelaide is Australia's fourth largest city. It is one of Australia's few planned cities and its broad streets give it a sense of openness and cleanliness which is missing from the more haphazardous developments of Sydney and Melbourne.

It is a typical Mediterranean-style city. Not only does it enjoy a typical Mediterranean climate with an average rainfall of 560 mm and a temperature range from 15C (July) to 29C (February) - it typically experiences at least 18 days above 35C in the summer months - but it is designed for outdoor living. Its malls, parks, and the Torrens River flowing through its centre are all conducive to leisurely walks, picnics and 'promenading'.

In the last half century, like all Australian cities, Adelaide has sprawled. Its suburbs now spread for nearly 40 km to the south reaching almost to the McLaren Vale wine growing area. To the east they nestle into the Adelaide Hills and, to the north, they spill into the industrialised sprawl of Elizabeth (named after the reigning monarch and developed in the mid-1950s) and Salisbury.

Adelaide was originally a 'farinaceous village' meaning that it originally was the centre of a successful wheat growing area. By the 1850s its economic base had expanded and the hinterland was producing wool, fruit and wines which were being shipped out through the port.

The twentieth century has seen this city, named after King William IV's wife Queen Adelaide, become a typical multi-purpose modern city. It boasts a strong manufacturing base - chemicals, electrical goods, textiles, motor vehicles, steel tubes; has its own oil refinery at Port Stanvac thirty km to the south; is the state's administrative and cultural centre; and is an ideal location for sport, recreation and tourism.

But all this misses the heart of Adelaide which is its urbanity and sophistication. Often the brunt of jokes - Max Gillies used to portray the typical Adelaide dweller a chap with a rather plummy accent wearing a pink shirt and cravat and speaking of 'things cultural' in a restaurant while sipping from a glass of white wine - Adelaide really has managed to capture the cultural high ground in recent years. Its Festival Centre, on the banks of the River Torrens, boasts three theatres and an outdoor amphitheatre. The Adelaide Festival of Arts has attracted major artists from all over the world. And Adelaide, for its population, has more restaurants than any other Australian city.

Its attractiveness seems to have been perfectly captured by the little known novelist Doris Egerton Jones who wrote: 'Adelaide is just a beautiful place; we drove through its nice broad streets and past the Parklands. I think the big stretches of green bordered with trees look so cool and countrified within three minutes of the heart of the city. And then the little gardens of scarlet and purple dotted amongst the close-kept lawns and the bank of colour on the Torrens side, and the low riot of gold and green in the shade of the plane-trees before the Oval.'

Things to see

Adelaide's Main Attractions
Any visit to Adelaide is really a three-pronged exercise. There are the historic buildings, the parks and malls, and the interesting outlying suburbs.

Art Gallery
Located in North Terrace the Art Gallery of South Australia is open from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 a.m. daily. Admission is free. It is known particularly for its wide range of early prints and drawings. It also has excellent displays of south-east Asian ceramics.

Ayers House
Situated at 288 North Terrace, Ayers House is an elegant Regency building which was built in 1846 for William Paxton. In 1855 the building was acquired by Sir Henry Ayers, the prominent South Australian businessman and politician (he was State premier), who carried out substantial extensions to the original structure. In 1858 he added a library and built a number of bedrooms at the back and in 1859 he added the large eastern drawing room (used sometimes as a ballroom) and the two bow windows at the front. The extensions were finally completed in 1874 when the western wing was added. Ayers continued to live in the house until his death in 1897. During that time Ayers House was used as a residence where he entertained large numbers of prominent dignitaries. Today the house, which has been restored by the South Australian Government, is open for inspection. It houses the National Trust of South Australia.

Botanic Gardens
One of the most delightful botanic gardens in Australia, this historic garden was established in 1855. Open from 7.00 am until a variable closing time it is a cool escape beside the Torrens River. Among the most impressive displays is the Museum of Economic Botany, a new glasshouse (reputedly the largest in the southern hemisphere it offers a display of tropical rainforest complete with a permanently dripping roof), a magnificent wisteria arbour and an avenue of Moreton Bay figs which were originally planted in 1866. Of equal interest is the State Herbarium, an institute for research which boasts a collection of more than half a million dried plants from all over the world. The collection of South Australian orchids and mushrooms is considered to be of national importance. The Herbarium is located in the south-east corner of the Botanic Garden. For further information contact the Adelaide Botanic Garden on (08) 8228 9311.

Festival Centre
An impressive arts complex on the banks of the Torrens River, the Festival Centre comprises a drama theatre, a lyric theatre, an open air amphitheatre, an experimental theatre and a multipurpose concert hall. The centre of the Adelaide Arts Festival the complex offers a range of interesting cultural activities throughout the year. Tours of the complex are offered. Contact (08) 8216 8713.

Adelaide Gaol
Located off Port Road which runs west from North Terrace, the old Adelaide Gaol is open to visitors for self-guided tours Sunday through to Friday between 11.00 a.m. and 3.30 p.m. Guided tours are available on Sundays at 11.00 a.m., midday and 1.00 p.m. The brochure available on the gaol offers a succinct history: 'Adelaide Gaol is more than 147 years old. It was one of the public buildings constructed by Governor George Gawler which marked the transformation of early Adelaide into a permanent settlement.

'The first stage of the building was opened in 1841, with the remainder of the half decagon design completed in 1847 ... Both remand and sentenced prisoners were accommodated at the Adelaide Gaol. Female prisoners were housed in the gaol until 1969 ... Adelaide Gaol was used for the confinement of prisoners as recently as February, 1988. Their graffiti adorns the walls and their magazines are still scattered in the cells.' 45 hangings took place at the gaol, at four separate locations. Notable in the gaol is the original bell which dates from 1837 (it was made in 1837 and arrived in Adelaide in 1841), the graves area where all inmates hanged at the gaol are buried, and the unusual carved faces at the entrance.

Holy Trinity Church
Located at 87 North Terrace this Anglican church is known as 'The pioneer church of South Australia'. The foundation stone was laid by Governor Hindmarsh in 1838. It was rebuilt and enlarged in 1844 and again in 1888. The church clock was made by Vulliamy, the clockmaker to King William IV and Queen Adelaide. More information about the church is available by contacting (08) 8212 2311

Migration Museum
Located at 82 Kintore Avenue off North Terrace and open from 10.00-5.00 (Monday and Friday) and 1.00 p.m. -5.00 p.m. (weekends), the Migration Museum is 'a social history of South Australian immigration and settlement'. A combination of photographs, computerised information, recreated hostel rooms, and audio visual displays it offers a rare and interesting overview of Australia's migration programs since the early nineteenth century. The only museum of its kind in Australia it was opened in 1986. Entry is free.

South Australian Museum
One of the substantial nineteenth century buildings on the northern side of North Terrace, the South Australian Museum contains five floors of natural and cultural history with particular emphasis on the fossils, animals and minerals of South Australia. It also has impressive collections of Aboriginal and Pacific Island artifacts ranging from a Trobriand Island Trading vessel to a special Aboriginal Dreaming exhibition.

Parliament House
The Old Parliament House is located on North Terrace just west of King William Street. Open from 10.00 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. Monday - Friday and 12.00 - 5.00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, this award winning museum with its sophisticated audio visual displays, its 'South Australia Story' show and shop and restaurant offers an excellent over view of the political and social history of South Australia. The building itself, nestled between the current Parliament House and the Adelaide Railway Station was built in 1855 and is a fine example of one of Adelaide's early public buildings.

St Francis Xavier's Cathedral
Located in Wakefield Street, this impressive building is the centre for Roman Catholic worship in Adelaide. It was built progressively between 1856 and 1926. Like St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney it has never been completed. The absence of the spire is notable. For more information about times of mass contact (08) 8231 3551

Tandanya
Tandanya is the home of the National Aboriginal Cultural Institute and is located in the East End Precinct of the city. The brochure explains that it 'provides a unique opportunity in Australia for visitors to experience living Aboriginal culture in its historic context. Visitors may observe the production of artifacts, enjoy traditional and contemporary music, theatre and dance, and purchase Aboriginal art and craft of integrity - all on the one site.' Managed and controlled by local Aborigines Tandanya is an excellent opportunity to explore the culture of South Australian Aborigines while remaining within the Adelaide city limits. The name 'Tandanya' means 'place of the kangaroo', the original name for the Adelaide city area used by the Kaurna people, the original land owners of the region.

Telecommunications Museum
A genuinely fascinating and unusual museum conveniently located in the city centre at 131 King William Street (tel: (08) 8230 6601) it has separated sections devoted to Wireless Telegraphy, Beyond 2000, Early Home Receivers, Telephony, External Plant, Radio Transmission, Optical Fibre, Telegraphy and Machine Telegraphy. Given South Australia's importance in the history of Australian telecommunications (particularly the connection of the Overland Telegraph Line with Europe) it is appropriate that this museum, which is open from 10.30 a.m. - 3.30 p.m. (admission free) should be housed in Adelaide.

Adelaide Zoo
Located close to the city centre on the banks of the Torrens River and surrounded by the city's superb Botanic Park, the Zoo is over 100 years old. Inevitably this means that its 1500 exotic and native mammals, birds and reptiles are housed in a setting characterised by its Victorian elegance. Its popular attractions include an Australian Wetlands Exhibit, a walk-through Australian Rainforest Exhibit and a recreation of Seal Bay on Kangaroo Island. The zoo prides itself in its collection of endangered species which include the Golden-lion Tamarin, Red Panda, Scimitar-horned Oryx and Persian leopard. It is open from 9.30 a.m. - 5.00 p.m. every day of the year.

This is, inevitably, a brief list of the city centre's highlights. Beyond these are literally dozens of interesting buildings and the visitor will certain want to explore the Rundle Mall and perhaps experience Hindley Street at night, Adelaide's answer to Kings Cross. Further information can most readily be obtained from the city's Information Centre on the corner of King William Street and North Terrace, directly opposite the South Australian Parliament.

Suburban Adelaide
Fort Glanville
Located 14 km north-west of the city Fort Glanville is an extraordinary collection of buildings which serve as a reminder of our colonial commitment to Britain. Throughout the nineteenth century the Australian colonies had always been eager to involve themselves in Britain's military adventures. It was this eagerness which resulted in the joint decision by the Governor of South Australia, Sir William Jervois (a military engineer and expert on coastal defence) and Lieutenant-Colonel Peter Scratchley, to build a number of defensive forts along the coast of Gulf St Vincent.

Fort Glanville was designed by Scratchley, the contract for its construction was $15,893/12/7, and building commenced in 1878. By the end of 1880 the fort was completed and the guns had been mounted and fired. Its life was short. By 1900 it was being maintained by a caretaker.

The fort declined rapidly. It was used briefly during World War I, by the 1930s it was a campsite for Boy Scouts and, in 1937, most of the metal on the site was removed for scrap. It was sold to the State Government in 1951 and in 1981 was opened to the public. Today this interesting building with its barracks, stores, ramparts and guns, is a fascinating reminder of an interesting footnote in our colonial history. It is open the third Sunday of each month from 1.00 p.m. - 5.00 p.m. For more information contact (08) 8337 0077.

Burnside
6 km east of the city is the suburban district known as the City of Burnside. Located in the foothills of the Mount Lofty Ranges the area was first settled by Peter Anderson in 1839. Anderson took up a land grant at Second Creek and built a house which he called 'Burnside' (the Scottish word 'burn' means 'creek' or 'river'). In 1840 the settlement consisted of four houses. Things changed dramatically when, in 1849, the South Australian Company laid out the future township. The lots were auctioned on 6 September 1849 with the area being sold as 'A limpid stream meanders through it, producing luxuriant, diversified and perennial verdure. Amid the wattle and other native flower shrubs, appear the gorgeous rose, the clinging honeysuckle, the wayward strawberry, a forest of Cape gooseberries and even the weeping willow inclines its graceful form and extends its valedictory arms over the stream which has nurtured it since the foundation of the Colony.'

The city of Burnside has produced four excellent tour guides to Rose Park, Knightsbridge and Waterfall Gully. They are all available at the Burnside Library and cover, in excellent detail, the district's main historic features.

Marble Hill is now privately owned and there are plans for it to be rebuilt. There are several public open days each year, including the gourmet food and wine Picnic at Marble Hill in November. For more information please see the website, http://www.marblehill.com.au

Glenelg
No visit to Adelaide is complete without a 10 km trip down to Glenelg. Today it is a typical seaside resort, all-the-fun-of-the-fair, place for Adelaide people to visit. Historically it was where Adelaide really started. This was the place where, on 28 December 1836 Governor Hindmarsh proclaimed South Australia a British province. It was originally named Holdfast Bay (apparently because some ships successfully rode out a gale) but this was changed to Glenelg, after Lord Glenelg, the Secretary of State for Colonies, in 1837.

Early life at Glenelg (while Colonel Light decided on Adelaide as the major settlement) was impossibly hard. The settlers lived in mud huts and tents for nearly six months. It is hard to imagine this as you marvel at the ornateness of the Town Hall, walk along the jetty, play mini-golf in the huge Amusement Park, or watch the trams come and go along Jetty Road.

Of particular historic interest is the Old Gum Tree (now bent so that it forms an arch) where Governor Hindmarsh reputedly read the proclamation declaring South Australia a British colony.

A replica of the HMS Buffalo, the ship in which Governor Hindmarsh arrived, is located north of the centre of Glenelg. It is used as a restaurant Contact (08) 8294 7000 for bookings.

ACCOMMODATION
Detailed information on Adelaide's wide range of hotels, motels and private accommodation is available from the Tourism South Australia Travel Centre which is located in the centre of the city at 1 King William Street. Tel: (08) 8212 1505. It is important to remember that even such outlying suburbs as Glenelg and Port Adelaide are no more than 20 minutes from the city centre - even in peak hour. Therefore the visitor should not restrict their accommodation options to the city centre unless they need to be located there.

EATING
Many of Adelaide's hotels and motels have copies of Dining Adelaide a list of 'Forty of Adelaide's Most Popular Menus'. The emphasis is on 'menus' which are actually reproduced in the publication.

More information is available from Tourism South Australia Travel Centre which is located in the centre of the city at 1 King William Street. Tel: (08) 8212 1505. Their small booklet Your Guide to Adelaide & Attractions (which is provided free) has an extensive of city restaurants and eateries.

Tourist information

Glenelg Tourism & Promotion Centre
Moseley Square Glenelg
Adelaide SA 5000
Telephone: (08) 8294 5833
Facsimile: (08) 8376 1940

Rundle Mall Information Centre
Rundle Mall
Adelaide SA 5000
Telephone: (08) 8212 4070
Facsimile: (08) 9203 7508

The South Australia Travel Centre
1 King William St
Adelaide SA 5000
Telephone: (08) 8303 2033, 1300 366 770

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