Subjects

League of Loyal Women

The League of Loyal Women was formed in South Australia on the 20 July 1915 and was primarily designed to utilise the domestic skills of women to provide men fighting overseas with homely comforts.

Historical Organisation | By Jack Evans, History Trust of South Australia | 1900-1910, 1910s, First World War

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

The League of Women Voters (so named from 1939), earlier entitled the Women’s Non-Party Political Association, was established in South Australia in 1909 by Lucy Morice. Its main object was the removal of legal, economic and civil inequalities between men and women.

Historical Organisation | By Dr Helen Jones | 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

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

Lebanese in South Australia

Lebanese immigrants began arriving in Australia in the late nineteenth century. They emigrated from what was then the province of Syria in the Ottoman Empire for a variety of reasons.

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

Image: Seven bewigged and robed supreme court judges, seated and posing for photograph, 1915

Legal Profession

The evolving profession in South Australia retained some centuries-old practices.

Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1980s

Image: Old document in browning ink with large wax seal attached at bottom

Letters Patent

South Australia's founding document is once again the source of intense political and legal debate.

Historical Subject | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Light Horse Memorial

Remembering South Australian Light Horsemen who served in Egypt and Palestine and at Gallipoli

Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, Boer War, early twenty–first century

Image: Crowd watching unveiling of monument

Light Square/ Wauwi

Originally intended as a recreational garden oasis from the surrounding city, Light Square, however, developed a reputation for prostitution, drinking and violence.

Historical Place | By Owen Hems | Northwest corner | 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 head-and-shoulders portrait of a young Caucasian woman dressed in early twentieth century attire. She has dark hair and eyes and is wearing a pearl necklace and light cardigan sweater

de Lissa, Ms. Lillian

Hard working, widely read and exceptionally charming, exotically-named intellectual Lillian Daphne de Lissa was a kindergarten pioneer.

Historical Person | By Dr Helen Jones | North Terrace | 1900-1910, 1910s

Lithuanians in South Australia

Lithuanian migrants came to South Australia as early as the 1840s, numbers expanded significantly following the Second World War.

Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1840s, 1930s, mid twentieth century

Logic (Pinba)

Logic (Pinba), a convicted murderer, was described in the Advertiser of 12 December 1885 as ‘one of the most popular men in the colony’.

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

Image: A photographic portrait of a moustachioed middle-aged Caucasian man wearing wire-rimmed spectacles and a mid-20th century suit and tie

Scammell, Mr. Luther

Manufacturing chemist Luther Scammell prepared compounds, saved a struggling business, and coined the name ‘Solyptol’.

Historical Person | By Peter Donovan | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

Magazines

The first South Australian magazine to focus on local content was the South Australian Magazine, first published in 1841. Other magazines published during the nineteenth century include: Illustrated Adelaide Post, Pictorial Australian, Observer Miscellany, Adelaide Punch, Lantern, and Quiz.South Australian magazines published in the twentieth century include: Pheonix, Chapbook, and Angry Penguins. ‘Street press’, free newsprint magazines, began appearing in the last decades of the twentieth century with such titles as dB and Rip It Up .

Historical Subject | By Anthony Laube | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century

Image: black and white photo of man in suit wearing white turban

Allum, Mahomet

Mahomet Allum was described in glowing testimonials as 'the wonder man' and by his adversaries as a 'quack'.

Historical Person | By Vedrana Budimir & Catherine Manning, History Trust of South Australia | Central Market | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Image: A young Caucasian woman in a full-length Edwardian-era dress paints a still life on an easel. The painting features a couple of vases holding flowers

Preston, Mrs. Margaret

A highly influential painter and printmaker, Margaret Preston was once described as 'a natural enemy of the dull'.

Historical Person | By Jane Hylton | North Terrace | 1870s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s

Marriage and divorce

Marriage and divorce rates have fluctuated according to social mores and legislative imposts.

Historical Subject | By Margaret Allen | early nineteenth century, early twentieth century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Warnes, Mrs. Mary

Deeply affected by the isolation and loneliness of her early married life, Mary Jane Warnes strived to improve conditions for her fellow countrywomen by founding the South Australian Country Women’s Association.

Historical Person | By Nancy Robinson Flannery | North Terrace | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s

Image: A portrait of a young woman wearing a nun’s habit. She is holding a bible and a crucifix

MacKillop, Mary

An educationist and co-founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph, Mary MacKillop is now famous as Australia’s only Catholic saint.

Historical Person | By Sister Marie Foale | Central Market, North Terrace | 1900-1910, late nineteenth century, mid nineteenth century

Moorhouse, Dr. Matthew

Matthew Moorhouse, a medical practitioner, arrived in South Australia from Staffordshire, England, in June 1839 to take up appointment as the colony’s first permanent protector of Aboriginals.

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

Mills, Ms. May

Educationist and sports administrator May Mills believed 'the wholesome development of a nation' depended on sport.

Historical Person | By Dr Helen Jones | North Terrace | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

Anderson, M.C.

MC ‘Thistle’ Anderson was a Scottish born actress turned writer. Best known for her pamphlet Arcadian Adelaide; she also published poems and short stories.

Historical Person | By Anthony Laube | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s

Medical Profession

Better training and higher professional standards were key factors in ongoing improvements to medical services for South Australians

Historical Subject | By Donald Simpson

Methodist Church

Several of the brands of Methodism introduced to colonial South Australia merged in 1977 to become the Uniting Church.

Historical Organisation | By Arnold D Hunt | Hindley Street | 1830s, 1840s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century

Image: group of men in front of tin huts

Migrant Hostels and Work Camps

Tens of thousands of people went through work camps and migrant hostels in South Australia.

Historical Subject | By Dr Karen Agutter, the University of Adelaide, & Catherine Manning, Migration Museum | late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

Image: Two women disembarking from a ship

Migration

Patterns of migration among the pre-European population of South Australia are not well known but the Aboriginal peoples were certainly mobile both seasonally and over historical time.

Historical Subject | By Eric Richards