mid nineteenth century

Pannikin

Pannikin used by William Keckwick on expedition with John McDouall Stuart.

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a young man wearing a late-Victorian era suit and sporting a dark, handlebar moustache

Nesbit, Mr. Edward

Barrister, intellectual and proud hedonist, Paris Nesbit was an early starter who allegedly read Milton at three and translated Goethe at ten.

Historical Person | By Peter Moore | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s

Parliament House

The scene of pomp and ceremony, debates and demonstrations

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1930s, 1950s

Penfolds

From medicinal benefits to international stature, some of Dr Penfold’s wines have acquired legendary status.

Historical Organisation | By Anne Burrows | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of an elderly Caucasian man wearing an early twentieth-century suit and wire-rimmed spectacles. He is balding, but has a full beard and bushy moustache

Waite, Mr. Peter

A pastoralist who built an empire on sheep and cattle runs, Peter Waite was also a major philanthropist.

Historical Person | By Yvonne Routledge | North Terrace | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s

Philanthropy

‘South Australia’, wrote the early twentieth-century author of The Cyclopedia of South Australia, ‘owes its existence to a movement which had its origins in philanthropy’.

Historical Subject | By Rob Linn | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: box of sepia toned blocks showing pictures of little girls

Picture Puzzle Blocks

Picture blocks were a forerunner of the jigsaw puzzle.

Collection Item | late nineteenth century

Pilgrim Uniting Church

The Church is a beautiful example of Revival Gothic, quite rare in South Australia. Features include the largest church pipe organ in the state and many magnificent stained glass windows

Historical Place | By Open House Adelaide | 1860s

Image: a corrugated iron workshop with a gable roof and a central doorway flanked by a single window on either side. Next door is a small cottage with a verandah and central chimney.

Pirie Street

Pirie Street has been home to cottages, churches, commerce and clubs

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: men and women in dark coloured clothing pose in two rows for a formal photograph.

Pirie Street Methodist Church

Pirie Street Methodist Church was the ‘cathedral church’ of Methodism in Adelaide.

Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | late nineteenth century

Image: Black and white portrait photograph of the upper body of a man dressed in formal attire

A Baptist minister and Waterloo veteran with a dragoon’s pension, South Australia’s first Thomas Playford arrived in 1844 to claim an inherited original town acre. Thomas’s eldest son, Thomas Playford (1837–1915), was a successful orchardist at Drysdale, Norton Summit, in the Adelaide Hills. Thomas’s grandson, Tom Playford (1896–1981), also went into parliament, becoming Australia’s longest-serving premier.

Historical Subject | By Carol Fort | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Black and white photograph of an Aboriginal man

Booboorowie, Mr. Poltpalingada

From the 1880s Tommy Walker, or Poltpalingada Booboorowie, was a leading figure among the community of Aboriginal people who lived on the fringes of white Adelaide society.

Historical Person | By Robert Foster | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Image: group of people standing together on steps

Population

South Australia’s demography is in many ways the most distinctive of all Australia’s states, but the wealth of historical population data available for both the colony and state remains under-analysed.

Historical Subject | By Graeme Hugo | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church has a long history in South Australia, owing much to the early Scotish community.

Historical Organisation | By John Love | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: A two-storey octagonal stone tower set within a high wall with a crenellated parapet.

Prisons

Although South Australia was proclaimed a free settlement, colonial officials soon found they needed a gaol to house lawbreakers.

Historical Subject | By Patricia Sumerling | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Head and shoulder shot of bald man wearing suit

Bragg, Prof. William

Professor William Bragg had an extraordinarily active scientific career in Adelaide.

Historical Person | By John Patterson | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

Image: two smiling caucasian women writing at a main desk in library

Public Libraries

South Australia was unique among the Australian colonies in that the South Australian Literary and Scientific Association assembled a subscription library before the settlers left Britain.

Historical Place | By Carl Bridge and Michael Talbot | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: men standing in front of building

Pubs

JM Freeland characterises Australian pubs as among ‘the most socially significant, historically valuable, architecturally interesting and colourful features of Australian society’ (Freeland 1977, p. 1). South Australia’s pubs are no exception.

Historical Subject | By Patricia Sumerling | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Refugees

In general refugees have enriched and diversified South Australia’s religions, universities and schools, food, the arts, newspapers, clubs and sports.

Historical Subject | By Kate Walsh | 1830s, 1840s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: crowds of people, dressed fairly formally, in front of shop awnings

Retail Trade

In the early years of European settlement the distinction between retail trade, wholesale trade and importing in South Australia was unclear, with many businesses combining all three functions.

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

Image: A photographic portrait of an elderly Caucasian man with a white goatee. He is wearing a Stetson hat and a dark-coloured overcoat

Smith, Mr. Richard

Richard Bowyer Smith and his brother Clarence could both rightfully claim distinction as the inventors of the stump-jump plough.

Historical Person | By Ros Paterson | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

Image: Black and white photographic portrait of a man with small round glasses and a large beard

Hanson, Sir Richard

Sir Richard Davies Hanson was a lawyer, politician, theologian and author who helped write in significant aspects of South Australia's Constitution

Historical Person | By Carol Fort | mid nineteenth century

Image: A painted portrait of a middle-aged Caucasian man wearing a mid-19th century coat and bowtie. Three medals are pinned to the left breast of his coat

Schomburgk, Dr. Richard

A botanist, horticulturist and the director of the Adelaide Botanic Garden, Richard Schomburgk was honoured locally as 'the people’s pet'.

Historical Person | By Dr Pauline Payne | North Terrace, Parklands | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

Image: A map depicting morphological features of the City of Adelaide and its surrounding landscape, with particular emphasis placed on the River Torrens and its associated features

River Torrens

The River Torrens has dominated the development of Adelaide and its metropolis, often in subtle or little recognised ways

Historical Place | By CR Twidale, University of Adelaide | River Torrens | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

Image: An elderly man with a cane sits in a chair within a garden

Smith, Robert

Robert Barr Smith had a genius for business. He was also a generous philanthropist, though his modesty dictated that much of the funding was dispensed anonymously.

Historical Person | By Pamela Oborn | North Terrace | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century