1. Image: Young man operating machinery

    Electricity

    Although amateur scientists had tinkered with it, electricity was not put to public use in South Australia until the arrival in 1855 of Charles Todd, who pioneered electrical telegraphic communications and introduced the notion of using electricity for street lighting.

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

  2. Image: view of Adelaide in 1860

    Emigration Square

    Care for migrants, the unemployed and the destitute was evident from South Australia’s foundation days.

    Historical Place | By Kate Walsh | Northwest corner | 1830s, 1840s

  3. Image: Young man operating machinery

    Employment

    The South Australian government involved itself in the labour market from the outset. Edward Gibbon Wakefield’s plan aimed to secure an optimal balance of capital and labour, while assisted migrants who could not find private sector jobs were promised public employment.

    Historical Subject | By Tom Sheridan

  4. Image: Black and white photograph of two paddlesteamers on a river. Each paddlesteamer has three levels and people are visible standing and sitting on each one. The foremost paddlesteamer is flying the Union Jack flag.

    Engineers

    To convert the vision of Colonel William Light into the infrastructure of today has taken the expertise and ingenuity of many engineers whose names are often not well-known and whose only monument is their work.

    Historical Subject | By Gwenyth Moxham

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    English in South Australia

    Since 1836 the majority of immigrants to South Australia have come from England.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

  6. Image: A large building with a domed roof is lit up by hundreds of small globes running along its key architectural features, such as around windows and along roof lines.

    Exhibition Building and Grounds

    Now lost, the Exhibition Building once dominated North Terrace

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

  7. Image: Front view of a historic building with a small garden and trees at the front

    Exhibitions

    Exhibitions have been major occasions in the lives of many South Australians. 

    Historical Subject | By Stephanie Schrapel | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  8. Image: R.T. Maurice’s expedition party. Three Aboriginal men standing, two white men sitting, one dog on the floor. All the men wear suits.

    Exploration

    The early heroic phase of South Australia’s exploration by Europeans was plagued by difficulties.

    Historical Subject | By Philip Jones | early nineteenth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

  9. Image: Group of elderly women sitting in a room wearing hats

    Feminism

    Feminism is a politics concerned with advocating rights and opportunities for women; especially any extension of women’s social, economic and geographical spheres of activity, and with celebrating women’s achievements, humour and creativity. As a social and political movement in Australia, feminism emerged in the late nineteenth century in what was termed the ‘Woman Movement.’ Its central concern was the achievement of votes for women.

    Historical Subject | By Susan Magarey | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

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    Fijians in South Australia

    A Fijian presence in Australia has been evident since the late nineteenth century.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

  11. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Filipinos in South Australia

    Small numbers of Filipinos began arriving in South Australia after the Second World War but during the 1970s the number of Filipino arrivals increased substantially.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

  12. Image: A group of Caucasian men with film equipment observe a conversation between two other men, one of whom is elderly and dressed in Afghan attire

    Film

    In October 1896, within one year of the Lumière brothers’ first public screening of film in Paris, the first public film screening in South Australia occurred at the Theatre Royal in Hindley Street

    Historical Subject | By Dylan Walker | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

  13. Image: a round bordered illustration of a church with a single spire on it's right hand side

    Flinders Street

    From ‘City of Churches’ to the ‘City of Cars’, Flinders Street reflects changes in Adelaide

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1840s, 1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, early twenty–first century

  14. Image: A tall gum tree stands near the bank of a river, which is visible in the distant background. The trunk of the tree is adorned with several small signs showing the year in which a major flood occurred and its water level height

    Floods

    Paradoxically, the only parts of South Australia to experience occasional serious disruption of by flooding are the far distant sparsely populated deserts around Lake Eyre

    Historical Subject | By CR Twidale, University of Adelaide | River Torrens | 1840s, 1860s, 1870s, 1890s, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1970s, 2010s

  15. Image: man stands next to building made of logs

    Forestry

    With few areas of high rainfall, South Australia lacks abundant native forests. 

    Historical Subject | By Rob Robinson and Peter Johnston | early twentieth century, Great Depression, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  16. Franchise

    The franchise has proved a lively issue in South Australia’s political history. Before representative government, wealthy men of property claimed that parliament should represent only those with a stake in the country, whereas many colonists sought popular representation. 

    Historical Subject | By Dr Helen Jones | early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

  17. Image: The body of a tug boat upside down in the process of being constructed, numerous people, ropes and ladders surround the boat

    Perry, Mr. Frank

    Frank Tennyson Perry (1887–1965) was born in Gawler and educated at Prince Alfred College before joining his uncle’s engineering business in 1903. 

    Historical Person | By Carol Fort | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

  18. Image: Photograph of farmers and horses pulling a harvester

    May, Mr. John

    Frederick May was an engineer and manufacturer, and the archetypal 'quiet achiever' who missed out on major fame and success.

    Historical Person | By Mark Boon | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

  19. Image: man in formal regalia

    Freemasonry

    The first South Australian Freemasons lodge formed in England, before the colony of South Australia was settled. 

    Historical Subject | By David Hilliard | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

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    French in South Australia

    The first French people came to Australia as convicts or as free settlers who had fled France in the wake of the 1789 Revolution.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum

  21. Image: A woman holding a book sits in a garden with several flowering and other plants

    Gardens

    Even if one does not have a ‘green thumb’, gardening has the benefits of growing one’s own produce or contributing to a healthy environment

    Historical Subject | By David S Jones

  22. Image: A photographic head-and-shoulders portrait of a balding, middle-aged man in profile. He is wearing a mid-twentieth century suit and reading a document

    Mayo, Mr. George

    George Elton Mayo was an extraordinarily versatile pioneer in human relations, management studies and psychoanalysis.

    Historical Person | By Dr Oliver Mayo | North Terrace | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s

  23. Image: A lithograph of a middle-aged man in Victorian attire seated at a table and holding a book

    Angas , George

    This merchant, banker, landowner and philanthropist was generous but shrewd, and often tagged with the phrase ‘philanthropy plus ten per cent’.

    Historical Person | By John Healey | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s

  24. Image: The German consul sitting surrounded by his welcoming party at the front of a house in Hahndorf

    Germans

    The German born community have left a strong cultural legacy in South Australia, evident in many areas today.

    Historical Subject | By Ian Harmstorf | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century

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    Germans in South Australia

    Germans have been arriving in South Australia since the beginnings of the new colony in 1836

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1860s, late nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

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    Ghanaian in South Australia

    African and Asian Ghanaians have immigrated to Australia since 1973, when the White Australia policy was abolished.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century

  27. Image: a large crowd swarms the pavement in front of a twin curved staircase which leads up to a stone building with columns.

    Government

    ‘Government’ in its modern sense denotes legitimate authority constitutionally exercised through permanent public institutions. Government in this sense arrived physically in South Australia with Governor John Hindmarsh in December 1836 though it was clearly shaped by prior decisions made in London.

    Historical Subject | By Andrew Parkin

  28. Image: Black and white photograph showing front of large, white two-storey building

    Government House

    One of Adelaide’s oldest buildings, Government House welcomes thousands of visitors each year

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 1980s, 2000-2010

  29. Blue background with yellow green and blue blow and dashed lines spiraling across the blue.

    Greeks in South Australia

    Greek arrivals in South Australia increased in the years after the First World War

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  30. Image: Hundreds of schools students in black uniforms pose in lines outside a large symmetrical stone building with decorative brickwork between floors, two huge arched windows on the front gable ends and smaller windows on the sides.

    Grote Street

    Her Majesty’s Theatre and the Central Market continue to attract people to Grote Street

    Historical Place | By Margaret Anderson and Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Central Market | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

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