1. Adelaide Festival of the Arts

    This festival is widely recognised as one of the great international arts festivals, while its accompanying Writers’ Week is the largest literary event of its kind.

     

    Historical Event | By Lance Campbell | 1960s, 1970s, 1990s, 2000-2010

  2. Adelaide Hospital Row

    A long-running dispute over a senior nursing appointment culminated with a medical officers’ strike and the temporary loss of medical teaching at the Adelaide Hospital

    Historical Subject | By Donald Simpson | 1890s, 1900-1910

  3. Algerians in South Australia

    African and Asian Algerians have immigrated to Australia since 1973.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  4. 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

  5. Argentinians in South Australia

    Argentinian immigration to South Australia began in the 1970s, and may be attributed to the decline of Argentina’s economy and standard of living. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  6. Bangladeshis in South Australia

    The first Bengali immigrants came to South Australia to escape the 1971 civil war between West and East Pakistan.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  7. 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

  8. Colonial Laws Validity Act

    The powers of colonial legislatures to create courts, alter local constitutions and authenticate laws were confirmed by the British statute.

    Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1860s, 1930s

  9. Duncan Case

    George Ian Ogilvie Duncan, a lecturer in law at the University of Adelaide, drowned on 10 May after being thrown into the River Torrens. Rumours spread that officers from the vice squad engaged in ‘poofter bashing’ had killed Duncan.

    Historical Event | By Tim Reeves | River Torrens | 1970s, 1980s, 1990s

  10. Elder Family

    Elder Family of Scots merchants and ship owners saw the infant South Australia as an opportunity to expand their business interests. Alexander Lang Elder (1815–1885), the pioneer, arrived in 1839 and established a trading business. 

    Historical Subject | By Carol Fort | North Terrace | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. 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

  14. 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

  15. 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

  16. Improved sewerage system for Adelaide

    In 1881 Adelaide became the first Australian capital city to be connected to a water-borne sewerage system. 

    Historical Subject | By Corinne Ball, Migration Museum | 1870s, 1880s, 1890s

  17. Islamic Festivals in 1890s Adelaide

    The Adelaide Mosque, the oldest in Australia, has been the centre of Islamic festivals since the 1890s

    Historical Event | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Southwest corner | 1890s

  18. Koreans in South Australia

    Most Korean South Australians are from the Republic of Korea (known as South Korea). They first began arriving in South Australia in the early 1970s. 

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  19. Labour Settlements

    Labour settlements were created during the 1890s to trial collective ownership, new farming technology and the high unemployment created by the Depression.

    Historical Subject | By Brendan Moran | 1850s, 1890s

  20. Laotians in South Australia

    The first large scale arrival of Laotians in Australia was in 1976. Only a few made their way to South Australia. The numbers increased steadily until the 1980s, and are only in the hundreds even in the twenty-first century.

    Historical Subject | By Migration Museum | 1970s, late twentieth century

  21. 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

  22. Proud Parade

    Adelaide’s very first Gay Pride March took place on Saturday 15 September 1973. 

    Historical Event | By Will Sergeant | Central Market, River Torrens, Rundle Mall, Rundle Street east | 1970s

  23. 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

  24. 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

  25. Suffrage 125

    The History Trust of South Australia is coordinating a series of programs and events to mark the 125th anniversary of womens suffrage in South Autralia. In December 1894, after decades of activism, women in South Australia were awarded the right to vote and stand for parliament. In 2019 we will celebrate the victory of the early suffragists such as Mary Lee, Augusta Zadow, Catherine Helen Spence and those who joined the fight. The Suffrage 125 initiative will explore issues of gender equality over the past 125 years.

    Historical Subject | By The History Trust of South Australia | 1890s

  26. The Great Stuart Demonstration

    'A red letter day in the calendar of South Australia': welcoming home heroes

    Historical Event | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | 1860s

  27. Torrens Title

    The Torrens title system for land ownership was inaugurated in South Australia  has led the world in the computerisation of real property title information.

    Historical Subject | By Peter Moore | 1830s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s

  28. 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