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His versatility as actor, dancer, producer and choreographer, coupled with flamboyance and wit, made Sir Robert Helpmann a household name.
Historical Thing | By History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1980s
Land titles reformer Sir Robert Richard Torrens reformed, amended and even radicalised the land trade system.
Sir Roland Jacobs was a shrewd businessman, but also a warm and generous philanthropist with no interest in personal wealth.
Davenport was a liberal-minded and literate parliamentarian and a promoter of industry, especially in the fields of horticulture and viniculture.
A Chief Justice of South Australia, Sir Samuel Way was polished, cultured and proud.
Abstemious but easy-going, Sir Sidney Kidman was a pastoralist and philanthropist who made friends easily.
A pastoralist, philanthropist and businessman, Elder supported numerous outback expeditions and Adelaide institutions.
Premier for 26 years, Sir Thomas Playford managed the industrialisation of South Australia while maintaining a conservative social agenda.
A true internationalist, Sir Walter Crocker was a diplomat and Australian ambassador to many countries, a writer, and a centenarian.
A pastoralist and mine-owner once accused of fraud, Hughes stated shortly before his death: ‘I have been a sinner all my life’.
Founder of the Congregational Church in South Australia, Thomas Stow was a strenuous minister and a dedicated opponent of state aid to religion.
A proverbial chip off the old block, Tom Elder Barr Smith was an astute businessman and generous philanthropist.
As the first Labor premier of South Australia, Tom Price established a minimum wage and electrified the tramways.
The term 'all-round sportsman' might have been coined for Victor York Richardson, who excelled at cricket, football, baseball, lacrosse, tennis and basketball.
A conscientious and gifted forestry administrator, Walter Gill was also an enthusiastic nature photographer.
Bagot was an architect whose work, including Bonython Hall and the Barr Smith Library, displays his preference for classical and traditional designs.
Surgeon William Anstey Giles came from pioneering stock, but was a pioneer himself in medical literature.
Soldier, engineer and Adelaide Town Clerk William Veale is celebrated for revitalising the city's parklands.
Short-lived explorer and surveyor William Christie Gosse was the first European to set eyes on Uluru.
Remembered as the founder of the City of Adelaide, Light was South Australia’s first surveyor-general.
William Muirden founded the Muirden College for Business Training, and was known for his well-balanced and harmonious nature.
William Randell was a pioneer of River Murray paddle-steamers, and was responsible for both designing and piloting them.
Lady Bonython grew from ‘Baby Mayoress’ into a community worker and supporter of numerous charities, especially those benefiting women and children.
An eclectic selection of significant contributors to South Australia to 1986
Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1830s, 1980s
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
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
'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
The spirit of Antarctic explorer and professor of geology, Sir Douglas Mawson, is captured in the bust by John Dowie
Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1880s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1980s
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
Discover the people who have shaped Adelaide
Explore the city's built environment and famous Parklands
Find the stories behind the city's public artworks, monuments and memorials
Browse some of the themes that contextualise the city's history
Learn about the organisations that have made the city tick
Find out what's drawn people into the city's streets
Explore some of the early maps, plans and panoramas that trace the development of the city
Discover the city's history through a rich collection of museum objects
Explore Adelaide by following a themed tour
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