1. Image: bronze sculpture of man and woman in uniform

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial

    Australia’s first memorial to recognise the service of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples was unveiled in Adelaide on 10 November 2013.

    Historical Thing | By Mandy Paul, History Trust of South Australia | River Torrens | early twenty–first century

  2. Image: a large metal arched door with a sign reading: "H.M. Gaol Adelaide"

    Adelaide Gaol

    One of South Australia's earliest buildings and home to over 300 000 people from 1841 to 1988, Adelaide Gaol is one of Australia's longest operating prisons.

    Historical Place | By Rhiannon Agutter, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1840s, 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s

  3. Image: Black and white photograph of young man with a moustache

    Pelzer, August

    The person responsible for the greening of Adelaide in the first decades of the twentieth century.

    Historical Person | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s

  4. Image: woman driving horse and buggy in park

    Botanic Park

    Botanic Park has blossomed as a place for informal family gatherings and a venue for public events

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1850s, 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2010s, 2020s, Aboriginal Country pre-contact

  5. Image: Two women in white dresses hand cigarettes to a group of five men in military uniforms and helmets

    Cheer-Up Hut

    It started in a tent and grew – meals, clothes, accommodation and recreation for servicemen on the move.

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s

  6. Image: stone cross in park land

    Dardanelles Memorial

    The first Anzac memorial was once an obelisk in a grove of wattles

    Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, 2000-2010, 2010s, First World War

  7. Image: Elderly man with mustache poses in three quarter profile in front of artwork

    Dowie, Dr. John

    Works by the renowned and unpretentious artist John Dowie enhance many public places

    Historical Person | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | North Terrace, Parklands, Rundle Mall | 1910s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

  8. 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

  9. Image: A crowd of people in early twentieth century attire sit on the grass around a rotunda where a band plays

    Elder Park.

    From dumping ground to pleasure gardens

    Historical Place | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1860s, 1870s, 1880s, 1890s, 1900-1910, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010, 2020s

  10. Image: Bronze statue of a mans upper body

    Farnese Hercules

    One of three statues given to Adelaide by WA Horn, Hercules was unveiled in October 1892 in Victoria Square. 

    Historical Thing | By Madeleine Ryan and Pat Stretton, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1890s, early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  11. 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

  12. 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

  13. Image: a long, narrow tourist boat with a canvas roof is moored at a concrete dock with a metal railing.

    Popeye

    'Popeye the Sailor' was a popular cartoon at the cinema in the 1930s when Gordon Watts introduced a tourist pleasure craft on the River Torrens

    Historical Thing | By Jude Elton, History Trust of South Australia | River Torrens | 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000-2010

  14. Image: men and women in 1970s era clothes march down a city street with pink and black balloons and signs reading "gay pride" and "homosexual liberation"

    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

  15. 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

  16. Image: sculpture of man on donkey carrying another man

    Simpson and his Donkey

    The iconic figure of of 'Simpson and his Donkey' looks over War Memorial Drive from the Angas Garden.

    Historical Thing | By Catherine Manning, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 2010s

  17. Image: bronze statue of a young naked boy in running pose

    The Athlete

    Once dubbed 'Adelaide's most active statue' the Athlete is now safely installed in the Lord Mayor's Courtyard. 

    Historical Thing | By Pat Stretton | Central Market, River Torrens, Southwest corner | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late twentieth century, mid twentieth century

  18. 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

  19. Victor Richardson Gates, Adelaide Oval, South Australia

    Victor Richardson Gates

    An outstanding all-round sportsman was provided with the rare honour of being memorialised during his lifetime

    Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | River Torrens | 1920s, 1930s, 1960s, early twenty–first century

  20. Image: carved grey granite horse trough memorial situated in the East parklands

    War Horse Memorial

    Remembering the role of horses in war.

    Historical Thing | By Jude Elton & Bernard O'Neil, History Trust of South Australia | Parklands | 1910s, 1920s, 1960s, early twenty–first century

  21. Image: Two boys sit in a ‘rocking boat’ at a playground. A swings-set is positioned immediately behind the boys

    Wirraninthi/Park 23

    Wirrarninthi/Park 23 is the site of a Kaurna food and medicine trail, a playground for children, and sporting facilities.

    Historical Place | By Tennille Anderson, Linnell Hopkins, April Mears and Caitlin Videon, Australian Environmental History Course, Flinders University of South Australia and Jude Elton, History SA | Parklands, Southwest corner, West Terrace | early twentieth century, early twenty–first century, late nineteenth century, late twentieth century, mid nineteenth century, mid twentieth century