In the 19th Century, the southwest corner of Adelaide was a working class area. It was mainly residential, but essential trades such as blacksmith shops also thrived. Pubs and social clubs for men, as well as various places of worship served a…

The Art Deco movement dominated the period between the two world wars. It first appeared in France in the 1920s and spread internationally until the Second World War. The style expressed a time of rapid industrialisation and technological…

Adelaide has often been described as a city of churches. In reality, the city has always had just as many places to buy alcohol as places of worship. In the colonial period, hotels - often known as "pubs" after the British "public house" - dotted…

Explore Adelaide’s political, cultural, and educational institutions, as well as grand residences, established in this classic nineteenth century boulevard. Start with Adelaide's first church and finish up at Ayers House, Adelaide's finest…

Sometimes the smallest details offer clues to the most engaging stories from the past. Explore some of the most intriguing elements of the city's buildings.

From the first controversial installation of a public artwork in Adelaide in 1892 to those that caused people to ask “What is art?” more than 100 years later, this trail visits the monuments, murals and sculptures gracing our city spaces.

Stroll along this beautiful North Adelaide Street and discover the architectural gems of Pennington Terrace and nearby Montefiore Hill. From the landmark St Peters Cathedral that greets those entering North Adelaide, to the humble meeting house of…

Stella Bowen is a celebrated Australian landscape and portrait painter. Born in Adelaide on 16 May 1893, Esther (Stella) Bowen left the city to pursue her passion for painting, abandoning the sleepy middle class streets of her youth for the artistic…

East Terrace forms the eastern boundary of Colonel Light’s plan for the city area. Unlike the other boundary terraces, East Terrace runs not in a straight line but north to south in a series of five right-angled steps. The steps trace the slope of…

Mary Helen MacKillop was born in Melbourne on 15 January 1842. The eldest of eight children of Scottish migrants, Mary worked from an early age to help support her family. At the age of 18, Mary moved to Penola, South Australia to become a governess.…

Adelaide’s European settlers planted a large range of specimen and street trees in the city area from the mid nineteenth century. The Adelaide Botanic Garden, established in 1854, includes many fine examples of specimen trees brought from around the…

On the morning of December 1st 1948, a deceased man was found on Somerton Beach, south west of the city. The discovery of the body barely made the local press in the days that followed. Such things, though not particularly pleasant, had happened…

Whilst representing our past, heritage buildings also serve an active role in our present and our future. The built, environmental and cultural heritage of our city provides us with an understanding of where we have come from, and where as a society…

From the first public musical performance in the young colony in 1839, to live entertainment in the city’s West End in the early 20th Century, Beatlemania that swept the city in 1964, and the rise of many legendary rock 'n' roll acts in the…

The East End precinct was originally a self-contained village existing for the East End fruit and vegetable markets and the people who worked in them from the 1860s. Although the majority of traders were involved in the production and selling of…

Adelaide's stained glass windows are among the most diverse and interesting in Australia. The city's first stained glass window arrived in 1836 aboard the HMS Buffalo, one of the first ships sent to established the new British colony. It…

Adelaide is the best planned nineteenth century city in the world. It was the first city in Australia to be planned before settlement began. The City Layout and surrounding belt of Park Lands devised by Colonel William Light in 1837 anticipates a…

Experience Victorian-era Adelaide through the life of one of its most prominent public figures, businessman and seven-time Premier Henry Ayers. From the stately luxury of Ayers House to the home of nineteenth century political power at Old…

The Park Lands are divided up into 30 named and numbered Parks and 6 named squares. The Park numbers are based on the old 'land section' numbers. Karrawirra (Park 12) usually refers to the area north of Victoria Drive but historically,…

Known also by its European name, Rundle Park, or simply Park 13, Kadlitpina is bound by East Terrace, Rundle Road, Dequetteville Terrrace and Botanic Road. This 6.5 hectare park exists today in much the same shape and form as when Colonel Light…

The largest single park of the Adelaide Park Lands, Victoria Park (also known as Pakapakanthi or simply Park 16) historically has had a strong connection with horse racing, and motor racing among other sporting and recreational activities. The…

This small wedge of Park Land is only 5.7 hectares which means it comprises less than one per cent of the total area of the Adelaide Park Lands. Nevertheless it is a very popular area for local residents of North Adelaide and the suburbs immediately…

For 125 years Adelaide's public artworks have enriched and enlived our streetscape. But as is often the case with art, many of these pieces inspired fierce debate over their merits and morals when first installed. From the first controversial…

A walking guide through Veale Park / Walyu Yarta (Park 21) in Adelaide's southern Park Lands

Rundle Mall was previously an extension of Rundle Street, which was the heart of Adelaide’s retail centre from the 1880s, before being officially opened on 1 September 1976 by Premier Don Dunston as we know it now. This walk highlights some of the…

This trail takes in three of the smaller Parks on the northern fringes of the Adelaide Park Lands. The three parks are: • Yam Daisy Park / Kantarilla (Park 3) • Reservoir Park / Kangatilla (Park 4) and • Bragg Park / Ngampa Yarta,…

This Park is best known as a venue for soccer and cricket. But it has some hidden remnants of rare native vegetation, and is a key part of the Park Lands trail. One of the main features of this trail is discovering what USED to be here and is now…

A trail through the Brougham Gardens and Palmer Gardens, featuring not only the gardens but also the heritage buildings that surround them. The trail commences at the north-eastern corner of King William Rd and Brougham Place and takes about 90…

A Trail Guide of approximately 1.6 kilometres (60-90 minutes walk) around one of the lesser-known Parks within the eastern part of the Adelaide Park Lands

Join Grieve Gillett Andersen Architects for a unique, self-guided tour of the architecture of the historic Botanical Gardens Precinct; a beloved Adelaide institution enjoyed by generations of South Australians. Encounter tales of the Precinct’s…