Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-most populous city in Australia. It is located on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the Mount Lofty Ranges. The city was founded in 1836 and named after Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, the wife of King William IV. It was planned carefully with wide streets and public parks, a design created by Colonel William Light.

Today, Adelaide is known for its festivals, sports events, and beautiful surroundings. It hosts many visitors each year and is famous for its food, wine, and automotive history. The city is also a center for government and business and has strong connections to the rest of the world. Adelaide is often praised for being a comfortable and attractive place to live.

History

Main articles: History of Adelaide and Timeline of Adelaide history

Before European settlement

People have lived around the area of modern-day Adelaide for tens of thousands of years. The Kaurna people were the traditional owners of this land. They called the city area Tarndanya, meaning 'male red kangaroo rock', after a rock formation that no longer exists.

The land was open grassland with patches of trees, managed by the Kaurna people over many generations. They lived in small groups, moving around the area, and had a rich culture with strong traditions.

19th century

Adelaide was founded in 1836 as a planned colony for free settlers. Unlike other Australian cities, it was not a place where criminals were sent. It was named after Queen Adelaide. The city was carefully planned with wide streets and parks.

In the early years, Adelaide faced challenges with leadership and money. However, it gradually grew, with farms producing wool and wheat. Important buildings were constructed, including a hospital and a prison. By the mid-1800s, Adelaide was exporting meat, wool, and wine.

20th century

During the early 1900s, Adelaide became Australia’s third largest city. Electric streetlights and trams were introduced. Many men from Adelaide served in World War I.

After the war, Adelaide experienced growth but also faced tough times during droughts and the Great Depression of the 1930s. The city developed industries, and during World War II, it became an important manufacturing center. New universities and hospitals were established.

21st century

In recent years, Adelaide has seen major improvements in its buildings and public spaces. New developments include a upgraded sports stadium, a new hospital, and expanded tram lines. The city has also become a cultural hub with festivals and events held every year.

Geography

Adelaide is located north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, sitting on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the Mount Lofty Ranges. Mount Lofty, the highest point in the area, stands at 710 metres above sea level. The city stretches 20 kilometres from the coast to the foothills and 90 kilometres from Gawler in the north to Sellicks Beach in the south. The Adelaide Metropolitan Region covers 870 square kilometres, while the larger "Greater Adelaide" area spans 3,259.8 square kilometres. The city sits at an average height of 50 metres above sea level.

Much of Adelaide was once covered in bushland, with sandhills, swamps, and marshlands near the coast. Efforts have been made to restore some of these areas. The city has several parks and nature reserves, such as Cleland National Park and Belair National Park, where some original vegetation remains. Creeks and rivers, like the Torrens and Onkaparinga, flow through the region. Adelaide gets its water from reservoirs, with the Happy Valley Reservoir and Mount Bold Reservoir being important sources.

Geology

Adelaide is one of the most active earthquake areas in Australia. The largest earthquake recorded there happened on 1 March 1954, measuring 5.6 in strength. Smaller quakes have occurred in later years as well.

The Adelaide Hills, part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, have rocks like siltstone, dolomite, and quartzite from very old times. Most of Adelaide sits in low-lying areas with layers of sand, limestone, and other materials from long ago.

Urban layout

Further information: William Light

Adelaide was carefully planned by Colonel William Light, who arranged the city in a grid with five squares in the centre and a ring of parks around it. This design includes wide roads and easy-to-follow directions. There are two main rings of roads: one close to the parklands and another that goes around the city.

Suburbs have grown beyond the original plan, and new roads like the South Eastern Freeway and Southern Expressway were built to help with traffic. Public transport, including the O-Bahn Busway, was developed to serve growing areas.

Housing

Main article: Australian residential architectural styles

Traditionally, Adelaide homes were single-storey houses on large blocks of land. Early houses were often made of stone because timber was scarce. Over time, different styles and materials became popular, including red brick, cream brick, and various roof types. Many houses were built with brick exteriors and concrete foundations to handle the local soil.

Climate

Main article: Climate of Adelaide

Adelaide has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate, with hot, dry summers and cool, wet winters. Rain is most common in winter, while summer can be very dry but sometimes has heavy storms. Frosts are rare, and snow only occasionally falls in the nearby hills. Summer temperatures can reach very high levels, and the city is often windy, especially in winter.

Liveability

Adelaide has often been listed among the world's most comfortable cities to live in. It was named the third most liveable city globally in 2021 and the twelfth in 2023. In 2021, it also became the world's second National Park City. It has regularly been ranked very highly in Australia for quality of life.

Governance

Main article: Government of South Australia

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia, where the state’s government is based. South Australia has a two-part parliament: a lower house called the House of Assembly and an upper house called the Legislative Council. General elections happen every four years, with the last one in 2022.

Because Adelaide is the biggest city in South Australia, the state government works closely with the City of Adelaide. In 2006, a special group was created to help the state government work with the Adelaide City Council and the Lord Mayor to make Adelaide a better place. The state parliament also has a committee that helps plan how Adelaide grows.

South Australia is a state where most decisions are made in the capital. Adelaide has most of the seats in the House of Assembly. Out of 47 seats, 34 are in Adelaide, and two more include parts of Adelaide.

Local governments

Further information: Local government areas of South Australia

The area around Adelaide is split into nineteen local government areas. In the middle of this area is the City of Adelaide, which takes care of the city centre, North Adelaide, and the parklands around the city. This city government is the oldest in Australia, starting in 1840. Since 1919, the city has been led by a Lord Mayor, and the current Lord Mayor is The Right Honourable Jane Lomax-Smith.

Demography

Adelaide's inhabitants are called Adelaideans.

Adelaide is growing at a similar rate to other big Australian cities like Sydney. In 2024, about 1.5 million people lived in the Adelaide area, making it Australia's fifth-largest city. Most people in South Australia live in or around Adelaide.

Many new people have moved to outer suburbs like Mawson Lakes. Adelaide has many homes, with people living in houses, townhouses, and apartments.

Ancestry and immigration

At the 2021 census, the most common ancestries were:

• English (35.7%)
• Australian (29.2%)
• Scottish (7.9%)
• Irish (7.5%)
• Italian (7.1%)
• German (6.3%)
• Chinese (4.5%)
• Indian (3.3%)
• Greek (2.9%)
• Vietnamese (1.7%)
• Australian Aboriginal (1.6%)
• Dutch (1.6%)
• Filipino (1.4%)
• Polish (1.3%)

Many people in Adelaide were born in other countries. The largest groups come from England, India, Mainland China, Vietnam, and Italy.

Different communities live in different parts of Adelaide. For example, Greek and Italian people live in suburbs like Newton, Payneham, and Campbelltown. Vietnamese people live in areas like Woodville and Kilkenny. People from India and Sri Lanka live in inner northern and southern suburbs. Afghan communities are in suburbs like Para Hills and Salisbury. Chinese migrants often live in eastern and north-eastern suburbs. Mawson Lakes has many international students because it is close to the University of South Australia.

At the 2021 census, 1.7% of Adelaide's population identified as Indigenous — Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islanders.

Language

At the 2016 census, 75.4% of people spoke English at home. Other common languages spoken at home included Italian, Standard Mandarin, Greek, Vietnamese, and Cantonese. The Kaurna language, once spoken by the traditional owners of the area, had no living speakers by the middle of the last century. But since the 1990s, people have been working to bring the language back to life.

Religion

Adelaide was started with an idea of welcoming people of all religions. About 28% of people in Adelaide said they did not follow any religion in the 2011 Census. In 2021, 39.8% of people identified as Christian. The largest Christian groups were Catholic (16.4%), Anglican (7.0%), Uniting Church (3.9%), and Greek Orthodox (2.4%). Other religions represented include Islam (2.8%), Hinduism (2.7%), and Buddhism (2.3%).

The Jewish community in Adelaide began in 1840. A synagogue was built in 1871. Jewish people have been involved in Adelaide's city councils, with three being elected as city mayor. The Jewish community had about 1,200 members in 1968, and grew to over 1,000 by 2011. There is an Orthodox synagogue, Adelaide Hebrew Congregation, and a Reform synagogue called Beit Shalom. There is also a virtual Jewish museum and Massada College, a Jewish school that opened in 1976 and closed in 2011. The Adelaide Holocaust Museum and Andrew Steiner Education Centre opened in 2020.

The “Afghan” community in Australia began in the 1860s when camels and their handlers were used to help open up the dry interior of the country. Camels were important for moving heavy goods until trains and cars took over. The Central Adelaide Mosque is considered Australia's oldest permanent mosque. An earlier mosque at Marree from the 1860s has been rebuilt.

Economy

Health care and helping people in need are now the biggest jobs in South Australia, even bigger than making things. In 2009–10, making things gave work to 83,700 people, but helping people gave work to 103,300. Helping people is about 13% of all the jobs in the state.

Wine made in the Adelaide Hills is very important for South Australia and for Australia. In 2014, people crushed red grapes worth about A$8 million and white grapes worth about A$15 million.

Selling things in shops is the second biggest job giver in South Australia. In 2009–10, this gave more than 91,900 jobs, which is about 12% of all jobs.

Making cars, working with new technology, and selling things to other countries all help South Australia’s economy. Almost half of all cars made in Australia were made in Adelaide at the Holden Elizabeth Plant in Elizabeth, but it stopped working in November 2017.

The big company News Corporation started in Adelaide, and even though it moved, the city is still very important to the company. Other big companies like Santos, Coopers, and Harris Scarfe also started in Adelaide.

In 2018, Adelaide was chosen to be the home of the new Australian Space Agency. It opened in 2020 and is working to grow the space industry and create many new jobs by 2030.

Defence industry

Adelaide has many jobs that help protect Australia. These jobs add more than A$1 billion to South Australia’s money. Important places for this work are north of Salisbury and west of Elizabeth, in an area called “Edinburgh Parks”, close to RAAF Base Edinburgh.

Other companies work in or near Technology Park. ASC Pty Ltd is in the industrial area of Osborne and is also part of Technology Park. South Australia helped build Australia’s special submarines and is also building new ships for the navy.

Employment statistics

As of November 2015, the jobless rate in Greater Adelaide was 7.4%, and for young people it was 15%.

In 2006, the average weekly pay for a person aged 15 or older was $447, which was a bit less than the national average. The average weekly pay for a family was $1,137, also a bit less than the national average. Living and housing in Adelaide costs less than in other big Australian cities. For example, the price of a house in Adelaide is about half the price of a house in Sydney.

House prices

From March 2001 to March 2010, the price of houses in Adelaide went up by about three times. From March 2007 to March 2012, prices went up by about 27%, and from March 2012 to March 2017, they went up by about 19%.

Education and research

Main article: Education in South Australia

Education is very important in Adelaide, and the city wants to become a top place for learning in Australia. Many students from other countries study here. Adelaide is where three important scientists, who won the highest science award in the world, grew up. They went to school and university in Adelaide.

There are two types of schools in Adelaide: public schools run by the government and private schools. All schools follow the same learning plan for students from reception to Year 10. In Years 10 to 12, students work towards a certificate and can also choose special courses or flexible learning options. Some schools offer special programs from around the world.

Adelaide has two big public universities, one private university, and colleges from other countries. The universities are very well known around the world. There are also many places for adult learning and training, including art schools and technical colleges.

Adelaide is also a place for important research with many institutes studying health, plants, wine, and more. These research centers are spread out across the city.

Cultural life

See also: South Australia § Cultural life, Department of the Premier and Cabinet (South Australia) § Arts and culture, and List of festivals in Australia § South Australia

Adelaide started as a British settlement but welcomed people from many parts of Europe, including Germany. In 1838, German families arrived and brought grapevines that helped start the famous wineries in the Barossa Valley.

The Royal Adelaide Show is a big yearly event that began in 1839. It's a fun fair and agricultural show held at the Adelaide Showground.

Adelaide's arts grew strongly in the 1960s and 1970s. The Adelaide Festival of Arts began in 1960, and soon after, the Adelaide Fringe started. Many other festivals joined over time, like the Adelaide Film Festival and Taste Australia. Early March is a busy time with many events, nicknamed "Mad March."

In 2014, the Adelaide Language Festival was started.

Adelaide has many cultural events, like the German Schützenfest and Greek Glendi. Every year, it hosts a big Christmas parade, one of the largest in the world.

North Terrace institutions

Adelaide has many important cultural places, especially along North Terrace. The Art Gallery of South Australia has about 35,000 artworks, making it Australia's second-largest state art collection. Nearby are the South Australian Museum and the State Library of South Australia. Other places nearby include the Adelaide Botanic Garden, National Wine Centre, and Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute. The Migration Museum, which shows Australia's history of welcoming people from other countries, is also there.

Performing arts venues

The Adelaide Festival Centre is a key place for cultural events, with theatres like the Dunstan Playhouse and Festival Theatre. Other venues for music and theatre include the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, Adelaide Oval, and Thebarton Theatre.

Music

Further information: Music of Adelaide

Adelaide is known for its live music. In 2015, it was called "Australia's live music city" and a "City of Music." Many famous music groups and singers come from Adelaide, like the rock band Cold Chisel, pop singer Sia, and the Australian Pink Floyd Show.

Television

Adelaide has many television channels, including ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine, and 10, each with several different programs. These channels broadcast both high-definition and standard-definition services. Adelaide's analogue television service stopped in 2013.

Radio

For a more comprehensive list, see List of radio stations in Australia § Adelaide.

Adelaide has many radio stations, with digital radio broadcasting since 2009. There are choices from commercial, community, and national stations.

Sport

Main article: Sport in South Australia

The main sports played professionally in Adelaide are Australian Rules football, soccer, cricket, netball, and basketball. Adelaide is the home of two Australian Football League teams: the Adelaide Football Club and Port Adelaide Football Club, and one A-League soccer team, Adelaide United. A local Australian rules football league, the South Australian National Football League (SANFL), is made up of 10 teams from around Adelaide. The SANFL has been in operation since 1877 when it began as the South Australian Football Association (SAFA) before changing its name to the SANFL in 1927. The SANFL is the oldest surviving football league of any code played in Australia.

Adelaide has two professional basketball teams, the men's team being the Adelaide 36ers which plays in the National Basketball League (NBL) and the women's team, the Adelaide Lightning which plays in the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL). The Adelaide 36ers play at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre while the Adelaide Lightning play at the Adelaide Arena. Adelaide has a professional netball team, the Adelaide Thunderbirds, which plays in the national netball competition, the Super Netball championship, with home games played at Netball SA Stadium.

Since 1999 Adelaide and its surrounding areas have hosted the Tour Down Under bicycle race. The Tour Down Under is the largest cycling event outside Europe and was the first event outside Europe to be granted UCI ProTour status.

The Australian Grand Prix for World Championship Formula One racing was hosted by Adelaide from 1985 to 1995 on the Adelaide Street Circuit. The Grand Prix became a source of pride, and losing the event to Melbourne in 1993 left a void that has since been filled with the Adelaide 500 for V8 Supercar racing.

Infrastructure

Transport

Main article: Transport in Adelaide

Adelaide is a key transport hub because of its central location on the Australian mainland. The city has a public transport system called the Adelaide Metro, which includes buses, 7 commuter rail lines, and trams that run between inner suburbs like Hindmarsh, the city centre, and seaside spots like Glenelg. Road travel in Adelaide has been easier than in many other Australian cities, with wide roads and a well-planned layout.

The city has one freeway and several expressways. These include the South Eastern Freeway, which connects to Murray Bridge and Tailem Bend, and the Southern Expressway, which links outer southern suburbs to the city centre.

Airports

Adelaide has two main airports: Adelaide Airport, which handles almost 9 million passengers a year, and Parafield Airport, used for smaller planes and training. There is also a military airport called RAAF Base Edinburgh in the northern suburbs.

Health

Adelaide has several large hospitals, including the Royal Adelaide Hospital and the Flinders Medical Centre. These hospitals provide important healthcare services and are linked with universities for training doctors. There are also many smaller public and private hospitals across the city.

Energy

Adelaide’s electricity comes from a mix of sources, including gas power stations, wind farms, and solar power. The city has wind farms that provide a big part of South Australia’s electricity. After some blackouts in 2016, a large battery was built to help keep the power on.

Water

Adelaide’s water mainly comes from reservoirs like Mount Bold and Happy Valley. When there is not enough rain, water is pumped from the River Murray. The city also has a large desalination plant that can provide extra water when needed.

Communications

Adelaide has free Wi-Fi in many parts of the city centre, which was launched in 2014 and improved in 2023 to work better and cover more areas.

City of Adelaide

Main article: City of Adelaide (1864)

The City of Adelaide was a famous ship that was saved from a shipwreck in Glasgow in 1991. After being renamed, the ship arrived in Port Adelaide in 2014 and was moved to its new home in 2024. It is now a special attraction in Port Adelaide’s inner harbour.

Sister cities

The City of Adelaide has worked with other cities around the world since 1972. As of 2023, it has special partnerships with five cities, called sister cities. These partnerships help share ideas in culture, learning, business, and technology. The sister cities are:

• Austin, Texas, United States, since 1983
• Christchurch, New Zealand, since 1972
• George Town, Penang, Malaysia, since 1973
• Himeji, Hyogo, Japan, since 1982
• Qingdao, Shandong, China, since 2013

Three other cities are friendship cities. These are informal partnerships to support friendly relationships:

• Dalian, Liaoning, China
• Chengdu, Sichuan, China