1. Image: Archaeological excavation, Queen’s Theatre

    Archaeology

    Although originating with scientists and untrained laymen, archaeology has a distinguished record in South Australia. 

    Historical Subject | By DJ Mulvaney | 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

  2. Image: crowds in front of Parliament House

    Armistice Day 1918

    Huge crowds gathered on the streets of Adelaide on 11 November 1918 to celebrate the armistice of the First World War.

    Historical Event | By Corinne Ball, Migration Museum | North Terrace | 1910s

  3. Image: crowds on jetty

    Beaches

    With their carnivals and regattas, bathing-beauty competitions, amusements, sea and sand, beaches were one of the key gathering places for South Australians from the 1870s to the 1950s. 

    Historical Subject | By Marie Boland | 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

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

    Belarusians in South Australia

    The first significant wave of Belarusians arrived in South Australia as Displaced Persons (DPs) when Belarus anti-communist fighters, members of Belarusian Youth Union, military Belarusian (anti-Russian) units, pro-German Belarusian government organizations and others were in conflict with the Soviet Red Army.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, mid twentieth century

  5. 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

  6. Image: World War One recruitment tour

    First World War

    The tragedy of war was compounded by disturbance on the homefront in wartime and post-war reconstruction activities.

    Historical Event | By Wilfrid Prest, Kerrie Round & Carol Fort | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s

  7. 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

  8. Women arranging flowers on the ground with buildings in the background

    Flower Day

    Every year between 1938 and 1975 Adelaidians showed pride in their city by beautifying it with mass displays of flowers on National Flower Day.

    Historical Event | By John Davis | North Terrace | 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s

  9. Image: row boat decorated with flowers

    Henley-on-Torrens Regatta

    In 1910 thousands of people lined the Torrens to see the carnival of lavishly decorated boats in the first Henley-on-Torrens Regatta

    Historical Event | By Corinne Ball, Migration Museum | Parklands, River Torrens | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s

  10. Korean War

    Over 400 South Australians served in the Korean War (1950–53) alongside other Commonwealth and United States forces

    Historical Subject | By Brendan Moran | 1950s

  11. 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

  12. Image: protesters on King William Street

    Radicalism

    Radicalism has been inherent in South Australian history from its founding as a free settlement.  Based upon the English radical liberal thought of its founders, the State's reputation grew as a progressive colony and the first to entirely separate church from state.

    Historical Subject | By Brendan Moran | 1830s, 1840s, 1850s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1930s, 1940s, 1960s, 1970s

  13. Image: two bumper stickers

    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

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

    Serbians in South Australia

    Serbians migrated to South Australia from the 1940s - 1990s to escape various forms of prosecution and have since established a wide community. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1990s, early twentieth century, Second World War

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

    Slovenians in South Australia

    The first Slovenians arrived in South Australia in 1946. They emigrated as Displaced Persons from camps in Italy, Austria and Germany after Marshal Tito established a communist government in Yugoslavia in 1945.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1940s, early twenty–first century, mid twentieth century

  16. Image: two women looking at bombs

    The Second World War

    This major international conflict officially began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 3 September 1939. It lasted for six years, gradually increasing in scope and intensity as it blazed through Europe into Africa and Asia and on into Pacific Asia and the Americas.

    Historical Subject | By Carol Fort | 1930s, 1940s

  17. Image: People walking and others fishing with hand rods from a wooden jetty

    Tourism

    The South Australian Tourism Commission, established in 1993, focuses on marketing South Australia as a tourist destination to interstate and overseas markets.

    Historical Subject | By Lyn Leader-Elliot | North Terrace, Parklands | 1880s, 1900-1910, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

  18. Image: small circular badge with violets, cross and crown pictures

    Violet Day

    Before the poppy became the recognised flower for war memorials the violet, in South Australia, was the 'symbol of perpetual remembrance'.

    Historical Event | By Catherine Manning, History Trust of South Australia | 1910s, 1920s

  19. Image: A small circular badge with painted wattle flowers with text above them which says for our own

    Wattle Day

    1 September in Australia is Wattle Day, though not widely known, some have argued it should replace Australia Day.

    Historical Event | By Catherine Manning, History Trust of South Australia | 1830s, 1900-1910, 1910s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century