Adelaide city centre explained

Type:	suburb
Adelaide City Centre
City:	Adelaide
State:	sa
Local Map:	yes
Zoom:	11
Postcode:	5000
Area:	10.5
Location1:	Adelaide Airport
Dir1:	E
Dist1:	5
Location2:	Port Adelaide
Dir2:	SE
Dist2:	12
Dir3:	NE
Dist3:	9
Est:	1837
Region:	Eastern Adelaide^[1]
Stategov:	Adelaide
Fedgov:	Adelaide
Near-W:	Thebarton Mile End
Near-Nw:	Hindmarsh
Near-N:	North Adelaide
Near-Ne:	Gilberton Hackney
Near-E:	Kent Town Rose Park Dulwich
Near-Se:	Eastwood Glenside
Near-S:	Unley Parkside
Near-Sw:	Keswick Wayville
Native Name:	Tarndanya
Native Name Lang:	zku

Adelaide city centre (Tarndanya)^[2] is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Adelaide local government area (which also includes North Adelaide and from the Park Lands around the whole city centre). The population was 15,115 in the .

Adelaide city centre was planned in 1837 on a greenfield site following a grid layout, with streets running at right angles to each other. It covers an area of 4.33km2 and is surrounded by 6.68km2 of park lands.^{[3] [4]} Within the city are five parks: Victoria Square in the exact centre and four other, smaller parks.

Names for elements of the city centre are as follows:

• The "city square mile" (in reality 1.67 square miles or 4.33 square kilometres) is the constructed area bordered by North, East, South and West Terraces.
• The "central business district" (CBD) is an alternative term, but more accurately describes the intensively developed northern half of the city, which contains a multitude of commercial, cultural and entertainment premises, restaurants and high-rise apartments. The southern, lower-density half mainly contains small businesses, restaurants and, residentially, a mix of mansions, houses and conserved 19th century cottages, and (fewer) high-rise apartments.
• Precincts such as the West End and the East End have distinctive characters. CBD shopping precincts include Rundle Mall and Adelaide Central Market.
• In what is often described as the "North Terrace cultural precinct", many educational, cultural, entertainment and medical institutions lie between the northern side of North Terrace and the River Torrens – notably university campuses, the Adelaide Festival Centre, and the Parliament of South Australia. Adelaide railway station is also located there.

History

See main article: History of Adelaide.

Before the British colonisation of South Australia, the Adelaide Plains, on which Adelaide was built, were home to the Kaurna group of Aboriginal Australians. The colony of South Australia was established in 1836 at Glenelg, and the city itself established in 1837. The location and characteristic grid layout of the city and North Adelaide, as well as the surrounding parklands, were the result of the work of Colonel William Light (1786–1839), who was the first Surveyor General of South Australia. The area where the Adelaide city centre now exists was once known as "Tarndanya",^[5] the Kaurna word for as "male red kangaroo rock", which was the name used for an area along the south bank of what is now known as the River Torrens (Karrawiri Pari), which flows through Adelaide.

Adelaide was not as badly affected by the 1860s economic depression in Australia as other gold rush cities like Sydney and Melbourne, allowing it to prosper. Historian F.W. Crowley noted that the city was full of elite upper-class citizens which provided a stark contrast to the grinding poverty of the labour areas and slums outside the inner city ring. Due to its historic wealth during the 20th century, the city retains a notable portion of Victorian architecture.

Town planning

Adelaide is separated from its greater metropolitan area by a ring of public parklands on all sides. The so-called "square mile" within the park lands is defined by a small area of high rise office and apartment buildings in the centre north, around King William Street, which runs north-to-south through the centre. Surrounding this central business district are a large number of medium to low density apartments, townhouses and detached houses which make up the residential portion of the city centre.

Layout

The layout of Adelaide, sometimes referred to as "Light's Vision", features a cardinal direction grid pattern of wide streets and terraces and five large public squares: Victoria Square in the centre of the city, and Hindmarsh, Light, Hurtle and Whitmore Squares in the centres of each of the four quadrants of the Adelaide city centre. These squares occupy 32 of the 700 numbered town acre allotments on Light's plan.

All east–west roads change their names as they cross King William Street, except for North and South terraces.^[6] They also alternate between being wide and narrow, 99and, except for the central Grote and Wakefield which are extra-wide,,^[7] along with the surrounding four terraces.^[8] In the south half of the city, in several places the Adelaide City Council has constructed wide footpaths and road markings to restrict traffic to a lesser number of lanes than the full width of the road could support.

The street pairs, design widths, and town acres in Light's Vision are illustrated in this diagram:

W e s t T e r r a c e	North Terrace	E a s t T c e	132 ft
1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	M o r	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	K i n g	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	P u l	25	26	27	28	29	30	31
62	61	60	59	58	57	56	55	54	53	52	51	50	49	48	47	46	45	44	43	42	41	40	39	38	37	36	35	34	33	32
Hindley	Street	Rundle	Street	66 ft
63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70	71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78	79	80	81	82	83	84	85	86	87	88	89	90	91	92	93
124	123	122	121	120	119	118	Light Square	115	114	113	112	111	110	109	108	107	106	105	104	103	102	Hind- marsh Square	99	98	97	96	95	94
Currie	Street	Grenfell	Street	99 ft
125	126	127	128	129	130	131	134	135	136	137	138	139	140	141	142	143	144	145	146	147	150	151	152	153	154	155
186	185	184	183	182	181	180	177	176	175	174	173	172	171	170	169	168	167	166	165	164	161	160	159	158	157	156
Waymouth	p h e t t	Street	Pirie	t e n e y	Street	<	-- -->	<	-- -->	66 ft
187	188	189	190	191	192	193	194	195	196	197	198	199	200	201	202	203	204	205	206	207	208	209	210	211	212	213	214	215	216	217	218	H u t t S t r e e t	219
252	251	250	249	248	247	246	245	244	243	242	241	240	239	238	237	236	235	234	233	232	231	230	229	228	227	226	225	224	223	222	221	220
Franklin	Street	Flinders	Street		<	--  -->	99 ft
253	254	255	256	257	258	259	260	261	262	263	264	265	266	267	Victoria Square	270	271	272	273	274	275	276	277	278	279	280	281	282	283	284	285	286
320	319	318	317	316	315	314	313	312	311	310	309	308	307	306	303	302	301	300	299	298	297	296	295	294	293	292	291	290	289	288	287
Grote Street	Wakefield Street			132 ft
321	322	323	324	325	326	327	328	B r o w n	329	330	331	332	333	334	335	338	339	340	341	342	343	344	H a n s o n	345	346	347	348	349	350	351	352	353	354	355	356
392	391	390	389	388	387	386	385	384	383	382	381	380	379	378	375	374	373	372	371	370	369	368	367	366	365	364	363	362	361	360	359	358	357
Gouger	Street	W i l l i a m S t	Angas	Street		E a s t	99 ft
393	394	395	396	397	398	399	400	401	402	403	404	405	406	407	408	409	410	411	412	413	414	415	416	417	418	419	420	421	422	423	424	425	426	427	428	429	430
468	467	466	465	464	463	462	461	460	459	458	457	456	455	454	453	452	451	450	449	448	447	446	445	444	443	442	441	440	439	438	437	436	435	434	433	432	431
Wright	Street	Carrington	Street		66 ft
469	470	471	472	473	474	475	Whit- more Square	478	479	480	481	482	483	484	485	486	487	488	489	490	491	Hurtle Square	494	495	496	497	498	499	500	501	502	503	504	505	506
544	543	542	541	540	539	538	535	534	533	532	531	530	529	528	527	526	525	524	523	522	519	518	517	516	515	514	513	512	511	510	509	508	507
Sturt	Street	Halifax	Street		T c e	99 ft
545	546	547	548	549	550	551	554	555	556	557	558	559	560	561	562	563	564	565	566	567	570	571	572	573	574	575	576	577	578	579	580	581	582	583
622	621	620	619	618	617	616	615	S t	614	613	612	611	610	609	608	607	606	605	604	603	602	601	600	599	S t	598	597	596	595	594	593	592	591	590	589	588	587	586	585	584
Gilbert	Street	Gilles	Street		66 ft
623	624	625	626	627	628	629	630	631	632	633	634	635	636	637	638	639	640	641	642	643	644	645	646	647	648	649	650	651	652	653	654	655	656	657	658	659	660	661
700	699	698	697	696	695	694	693	692	691	690	689	688	687	686	685	684	683	682	681	680	679	678	677	676	675	674	673	672	671	670	669	668	667	666	665	664	663	662
South Terrace	132 ft
	132 ft									99 ft									132 ft									99 ft									132 ft								132 ft		(width)

Street and square names

The streets and squares were named by a committee of a number of prominent settlers after themselves, after early directors of the South Australian Company, after Colonisation Commissioners of South Australia (appointed by the British government to oversee implementation of the acts that established the colony), and after various notables involved in the establishment of the colony.

The Street Naming Committee comprised:^[9]

Governor Hindmarsh Judge Jeffcott James Hurtle Fisher (Resident Commissioner) Robert Gouger (Colonial Secretary) Colonel Light (Surveyor General) John Brown (Emigration officer)

Osmond Gilles (Treasurer) Thomas Gilbert (Colonial Storekeeper)^[10] John Morphett John Barton Hack Edward Stephens (Cashier and Accountant of the South Australian Company) Thomas Bewes Strangways

All members of the committee (except Stephens) had one or more of the streets and squares in the Adelaide city centre and North Adelaide named after themselves. Brown Street, named for John Brown, was subsequently subsumed as a continuation of Morphett Street in 1967. In the same year, Hanson Street, named for Richard Hanson, was subsumed as a continuation of Pulteney Street.

The squares were named after:

• Victoria – the regent, Princess Victoria, later Queen Victoria
  • Hindmarsh – Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh, first Governor of South Australia Hurtle – Sir James Hurtle Fisher, first Resident Commissioner
  • Light – Colonel William Light, Surveor General Whitmore – William Wolryche-Whitmore MP, a Colonial Commissioner in London

The east–west streets named on 22 December 1836 were:^[11]

• Rundle – John Rundle MP, Director of the South Australian Company
• Hindley – Charles Hindley MP, Director of South Australian Company
• Grenfell – Pascoe St Leger Grenfell MP, presented town acre for Holy Trinity Church and other country lands
• Currie – Raikes Currie MP, Director of South Australian Company
• Pirie – Sir John Pirie, alderman and later Lord Mayor of London, Director of South Australian Company
• Waymouth – Henry Waymouth, Director South Australian Company
• Flinders – Matthew Flinders, explorer
• Franklin – Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin, midshipman under Flinders
• Wakefield – Daniel Bell Wakefield, barrister who drafted the South Australia Act^[12]
• Grote – George Grote MP, treasurer of the South Australia Association
• Angas – George Fife Angas, a Colonial Commissioner and founding Chairman of Directors of the South Australian Company
• Gouger – Robert Gouger, first Colonial Secretary

Most of these people did not reside in or visit South Australia.

The naming of the streets was completed on 23 May 1837^[9] and gazetted on 3 June.^[13]

East–west streets:

• Carrington – John Abel Smith (Lord Carrington)
• Wright – John Wright, Colonial Commissioner and financier^[14]
• Halifax – Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Sturt – Charles Sturt, explorer
• Gilles – Osmond Gilles, early treasurer of the colony
• Gilbert – Thomas Gilbert, storekeeper and postmaster^[14]

North–south streets:

• Morphett – John Morphett, member of the South Australian parliament
• Pulteney – Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, British naval officer
• Hutt – William Hutt MP, a Colonial Commissioner

Dual naming of squares and parklands

The Adelaide City Council began the process of dual naming all of the city squares, each of the parks making up the parklands which surround the city centre and North Adelaide, and other sites of significance to the Kaurna people in 1997.^[15] The naming process, which assigned an extra name in the Kaurna language to each place, was mostly completed in 2003,^[16] and the renaming of 39 sites finalised and endorsed by the council in 2012.^[17]

• Victoria Square – Tarntanyangga ('red kangaroo dreaming')
• Hindmarsh Square – Mukata
• Hurtle Square – Tangkaira
• Light Square – Wauwi
• Whitmore Square – Iparrityi

20th–21st century precincts

The City of Adelaide Council has defined a number of neighbourhood precincts in the city centre, each with a character of their own:

• The East End, centering on Rundle Street known for its restaurants, bars, high-end fashion shops, the Palace Nova Cinema;^[18]
• The West End, from the western end of North Terrace and encompassing several blocks southward, which includes the University of South Australia 'CityWest' campus, the Samstag Museum of Art, JamFactory, Lion Arts Centre, Mercury Cinema, numerous bars, clubs and restaurants, and "BioMed City";^[19]
• The South East of the city, largely residential, but including many cafés, restaurants, pubs, etc.;^[20] and
• The South West is very diverse; largely residential and including the Adelaide Central Market^[20]

In addition to these, the north-eastern side of North Terrace is often referred to as the "North Terrace cultural precinct" or "cultural boulevard", and includes the Art Gallery of South Australia, the State Library of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, the Migration Museum, the Adelaide Botanic Garden, the University of Adelaide and the "CityEast" campus of the UniSA^[21]

Demographics

The population was 15,115 in the 2016 census in the Adelaide city centre, 38.8 percent born in Australia. The next most common countries of birth were China 17.5%, Malaysia 4.4%, England 3.4%, Hong Kong 2.8% and India 1.9%. 44.6% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home included Mandarin 19.6%, Cantonese 4.9%, Arabic 1.9%, Korean 1.9% and Vietnamese 1.1%. The most common response for religion in Adelaide was 'No Religion' at 47.7% of the population.

Politics

At federal level, Adelaide is within the Division of Adelaide, a marginal seat which historically has alternated between the Liberal and Labor parties. It has been held since 2019 by Steve Georganas of the Labor party.^[22]

In the South Australian House of Assembly, Adelaide is within the Electoral district of Adelaide. Since the March 2022 state election, the seat has been held by Lucy Hood of the Labor party.

Culture

See main article: article. Adelaide's cultural and entertainment precincts/venues are generally concentrated in the city centre. They include the Convention Centre, Entertainment Centre and the redeveloped Adelaide Oval. Additionally, most of the events relating to the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe are held within Adelaide's city centre during February and March. This time is known as "Mad March", due to the large number of other cultural festivities at the same time, including the Adelaide 500 and WOMADelaide. North Terrace is considered Adelaide's "cultural boulevard" because of its tight concentration of galleries and museums.

See also

• Adelaide (Greater Adelaide metropolis)
• City of Adelaide (local government area)
• North Adelaide
• Street art in Adelaide
• Grid layout

Select bibliography

• Book: Ever yours, C.H. Spence: Catherine Helen Spence's An autobiography (1825-1910), Diary (1894) and Some correspondence (1894-1910) . Catherine Helen . Spence . Maryan . Beams . Susan Magarey . Barbara Wall . Maryan Beams . Mary Lyons . 978-1-86254-656-1 . Wakefield Press . 2006.

Further reading

• Web site: Nomenclature of the Streets of Adelaide and North Adelaide . State Library of South Australia . taken from The City of Adelaide Year Book, 1939-1940.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Eastern Adelaide SA Government region . The Government of South Australia . 17 April 2017 . 27 March 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190327054742/https://www.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/20385/Eastern_Adelaide_SA_Government_region.pdf . live .
2. Web site: Kaurna Place Names . 2022-09-15 . kaurnaplacenames.com.
3. Data from Google Earth.
4. The area of the park lands quoted is based, in the absence of an official boundary between the City and North Adelaide, on an east–west line past the front entrance of Adelaide Oval.
5. http://kaurnaplacenames.com/primary.php?id=4625 "Tarndanya"
6. Web site: Royal Automobile Association. Royal Automobile Association. Adelaide CBD & North Adelaide. 7 December 2014. 25 March 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20170325140742/http://www.soulunderground.com.au/national_files/CBDMAP.pdf. dead. This map, showing the Adelaide city centre, North Adelaide and the Adelaide Parklands, was published on the website Web site: soul underground . 3 January 2009 . 8 December 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20081208183532/http://www.soulunderground.com.au/ . live .
7. Book: Handbook to the Colony of South Australia . 3 . Elgar, Frederic . 1863 . 8 December 2014 . London . "Australian and New Zealand Gazette" Office . ... principal north and south streets (from 99 to 132 feet wide) being nearly one mile in length, and the east and west streets (from 66 to 132 feet wide) from a mile and a quarter to a mile and three-quarters..
8. Web site: Light's Plan of Adelaide 1837 . 31 December 2013 . Margaret Anderson . History SA . 5 May 2018 . adelaidia.sa.gov.au . 18 August 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170818180157/http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/panoramas/lights-plan-of-adelaide-1837 . live .
   The page contains a copy of one of the two surviving original plans drawn in 1837. Quote: "It is a watercolour and ink plan, drawn by 16-year-old draughtsman Robert George Thomas to instructions from Light. ... The streets were named by a Street Naming Committee that met on 23 May 1837, indicating that this plan must have been completed after that date."
9. Web site: The Street Naming Committee . HistorySouthAustralia.net . 30 September 2001 . 22 September 2011 . 29 September 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110929224315/http://www.historysouthaustralia.net/STlist.htm . live .
10. The Colonial Storekeeper, like the Colonial Secretary, was an official position.
11. Web site: City Streets named 22 December 1836 . SAHistorians.org.au . 19 September 2011 . 2 April 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110402155718/http://www.sahistorians.org.au/175/chronology/december/22-december-1836-city-street-names.shtml . live .
12. [Daniel Bell Wakefield]
13. City of Adelaide municipal year book . 1972 . 57, 70 . Adelaide City Council . Adelaide.
14. Spence & Beams (2006) p. 33
15. Web site: Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi . University of Adelaide . Adelaide City Council . Adelaide City Council Placenaming Initiatives . 28 November 2019 . 27 April 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190427083521/https://www.adelaide.edu.au/kwp/placenames/council/ . live .
16. Web site: Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi . University of Adelaide . Adelaide City Council . Kaurna Placename Meanings within the City of Adelaide . 28 November 2019 . 28 November 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191128042104/https://www.adelaide.edu.au/kwp/placenames/meaning/?template=print . live .
17. Web site: City of Adelaide . Kaurna place naming: Recognising Kaurna heritage through physical features of the city . 29 November 2019 . 14 December 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191214094018/https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/community/reconciliation/kaurna-place-naming/ . live .
18. Web site: City of Adelaide . East End . 30 July 2019 . 19 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190719181354/https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/resident/life-in-adelaide/city-neighbourhoods/east-end/ . live .
19. Web site: City of Adelaide . West End . 30 July 2019 . 30 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730065847/https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/resident/life-in-adelaide/city-neighbourhoods/west-end// . live .
20. Web site: City of Adelaide . City neighbourhoods . 8 August 2019 . 19 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190719140727/https://www.cityofadelaide.com.au/resident/life-in-adelaide/city-neighbourhoods/ . live .
21. Web site: Adelaidia . North Terrace cultural precinct . 15 October 2015 . 30 July 2019 . 30 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190730062853/http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/tours/north-terrace-cultural-precinct . live .
22. Web site: Adelaide Inner City - Australia Votes . 31 March 2021 . 6 June 2019 . Australian Broadcasting Corporation . ABC News Online - Elections . Antony Green . Antony Green . 8 March 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20210308232730/https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/federal/2019/guide/adel . live .