Adelaide city centre

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Adelaide City Centre
Tarndanya
Adelaide,  South Australia
Adelaide city centre view.jpg
Adelaide City Centre with Adelaide Oval and the Adelaide Festival Centre in view (2015)
Adelaide city centre
Population18,202 (SAL 2021) [1]
Established1837
Postcode(s) 5000
Area10.5 km2 (4.1 sq mi)
Location
Region Eastern Adelaide [2]
State electorate(s) Adelaide
Federal division(s) Adelaide
Suburbs around Adelaide City Centre:
Hindmarsh North Adelaide Gilberton
Hackney
Thebarton
Mile End
Adelaide City Centre Kent Town
Rose Park
Dulwich
Keswick
Wayville
Unley
Parkside
Eastwood
Glenside

Adelaide city centre (Kaurna : Tarndanya) [3] 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 2016 census.

Contents

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 4.33 square kilometres (1.67 square miles) and is surrounded by 6.68 square kilometres (2.58 square miles) of park lands. [4] [note 1] 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:

History

Currie Street looking east, c. 1925 Currie Street, Adelaide, 1925.jpg
Currie Street looking east, c.1925

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.

This view shows about 60 per cent of the city centre, and the south-eastern suburbs and Adelaide Hills in 1935 Aerial view of Adelaide, 1935 (adjusted).jpg
This view shows about 60 per cent of the city centre, and the south-eastern suburbs and Adelaide Hills in 1935

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.[ citation needed ]

Town planning

Adelaide city centre, North Adelaide and the Park Lands Streetmap of Adelaide and North Adelaide.png
Adelaide city centre, North Adelaide and the Park Lands

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.[ citation needed ]

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, 99 and 66 feet (30 and 20 m), except for the central Grote and Wakefield which are extra-wide, 132 feet (40 m), [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.[ citation needed ]

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
12345678 M
o
r
910111213141516 K
i
n
g

 
1718192021222324 P
u
l
25262728293031
62616059585756555453525150494847464544434241403938373635343332
Hindley Street Rundle Street 66 ft
63646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293
124123122121120119118 Light

Square
115114113112111110109108107106105104103102 Hind-
marsh
Square
999897969594
Currie Street Grenfell Street 99 ft
125126127128129130131134135136137138139140141142143144145146147150151152153154155
186185184183182181180177176175174173172171170169168167166165164161160159158157156
Waymouth p
h
e
t
t

 
Street Pirie t
e
n
e
y

 
Street 66 ft
187188189190191192193194195196197198199200201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218 H
u
t
t

S
t
r
e
e
t
219
252251250249248247246245244243242241240239238237236235234233232231230229228227226225224223222221220
Franklin Street Flinders Street 99 ft
253254255256257258259260261262263264265266267 Victoria

Square
270271272273274275276277278279280281282283284285286
320319318317316315314313312311310309308307306303302301300299298297296295294293292291290289288287
Grote Street Wakefield Street 132 ft
321322323324325326327328 B
r
o
w
n
329330331332333334335338339340341342343344 H
a
n
s
o
n
345346347348349350351352353354355356
392391390389388387386385384383382381380379378375374373372371370369368367366365364363362361360359358357
Gouger Street W
i
l
l
i
a
m

S
t
Angas Street
E
a
s
t
99 ft
393394395396397398399400401402403404405406407408409410411412413414415416417418419420421422423424425426427428429430
468467466465464463462461460459458457456455454453452451450449448447446445444443442441440439438437436435434433432431
Wright Street Carrington Street 66 ft
469470471472473474475 Whit-
more
Square
478479480481482483484485486487488489490491 Hurtle

Square
494495496497498499500501502503504505506
544543542541540539538535534533532531530529528527526525524523522519518517516515514513512511510509508507
Sturt Street Halifax Street T
c
e

 
99 ft
545546547548549550551554555556557558559560561562563564565566567570571572573574575576577578579580581582583
622621620619618617616615 S
t
614613612611610609608607606605604603602601600599 S
t
598597596595594593592591590589588587586585584
Gilbert Street Gilles Street 66 ft
623624625626627628629630631632633634635636637638639640641642643644645646647648649650651652653654655656657658659660661
700699698697696695694693692691690689688687686685684683682681680679678677676675674673672671670669668667666665664663662
South Terrace 132 ft

 
                132 ft 99 ft 132 ft 99 ft 132 ft 132 ft                 (width)

Street and square names

Architectural detail of the former Adelaide General Post Office on King William Street Adelaide Post Office architectural detail.jpg
Architectural detail of the former Adelaide General Post Office on King William Street

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]

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:

The east–west streets named on 22 December 1836 were: [12]

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. [14]

East–west streets:

North–south streets:

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. [16] The naming process, which assigned an extra name in the Kaurna language to each place, was mostly completed in 2003, [17] and the renaming of 39 sites finalised and endorsed by the council in 2012. [18]

20th–21st century precincts

The Lion Arts Centre, an iconic live music and performance venue in Adelaide's West End. Lion Arts Centre at night.jpg
The Lion Arts Centre, an iconic live music and performance venue in Adelaide's West End.
The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, part of the BioMed City precinct at the West End of North Terrace Adelaide SA 5000, Australia - panoramio (26).jpg
The South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, part of the BioMed City precinct at the West End of North Terrace

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

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 [22]

Demographics

The population was 15,115 in the 2016 census in the Adelaide city centre, 38.8 percent born in Australia. [23] 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. [23]

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. [24]

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

The interior of the Mortlock Chamber at the State Library of South Australia Mortlock Wing, State Library of South Australia.jpg
The interior of the Mortlock Chamber at the State Library of South Australia

Adelaide's cultural and entertainment precincts/venues are generally concentrated in the city centre, including the Convention Centre; the Adelaide Oval is just north of the Torrens within the parklands and easily accessible from the city. Most of the events relating to the Adelaide Festival and Adelaide Fringe are held within Adelaide's city centre and surrounding parklands 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 it is home to the State Library of South Australia, the South Australian Museum, the Migration Museum, the Art Gallery of South Australia, the University of Adelaide, the city campus of University of South Australia, and several smaller galleries.

Lonely Planet labelled Adelaide "Australia's live music city", [25] and the city was recognised as a "City of Music" by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015. [26] Although there were many pubs hosting live music in the CBD in past, the number has slowly diminished. Two remain very popular with musicians and patrons alike:

Pictures of Adelaide city centre skyline
From the north
From the east
From the south (west east)
From the west

See also

Notes

  1. 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.

Related Research Articles

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References

  1. Australian Bureau of Statistics (28 June 2022). "Adelaide (suburb and locality)". Australian Census 2021 QuickStats. Retrieved 28 June 2022.  OOjs UI icon edit-ltr-progressive.svg
  2. "Eastern Adelaide SA Government region" (PDF). The Government of South Australia. Archived (PDF) from the original on 27 March 2019. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
  3. "Kaurna Place Names". kaurnaplacenames.com. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  4. Data from Google Earth.
  5. "Tarndanya" Archived 3 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine , KauranaPlaceNames.com. Retrieved 2009-09-09.
  6. Royal Automobile Association. "Adelaide CBD & North Adelaide" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2017. Retrieved 7 December 2014. This map, showing the Adelaide city centre, North Adelaide and the Adelaide Parklands, was published on the website "soul underground". Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 3 January 2009.
  7. Elgar, Frederic (1863). Handbook to the Colony of South Australia. London: "Australian and New Zealand Gazette" Office. p. 3. Retrieved 8 December 2014. ... 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. Margaret Anderson (31 December 2013). "Light's Plan of Adelaide 1837". adelaidia.sa.gov.au. History SA. Archived from the original on 18 August 2017. Retrieved 5 May 2018.
    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. 1 2 "The Street Naming Committee". HistorySouthAustralia.net. 30 September 2001. Archived from the original on 29 September 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  10. The Colonial Storekeeper, like the Colonial Secretary, was an official position.
  11. "Stephens, Edward (1811-1861)". Australian Dictionary of Biography . Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. 1967. ISBN   978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN   1833-7538. OCLC   70677943 . Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  12. "City Streets named 22 December 1836". SAHistorians.org.au. Archived from the original on 2 April 2011. Retrieved 19 September 2011.
  13. Daniel Bell Wakefield is not to be confused with his uncle, Daniel Wakefield. Note that the street is named after him, not after his better known brother Edward Gibbon Wakefield - Refer Wakefield Street Archived 23 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine in "Streets Named on 23 May 1837", HistorySouthAustralia.net.
  14. City of Adelaide municipal year book. Adelaide: Adelaide City Council. 1972. pp. 57, 70.
  15. 1 2 Spence & Beams (2006) p. 33
  16. Adelaide City Council. "Adelaide City Council Placenaming Initiatives". Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi. University of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  17. Adelaide City Council. "Kaurna Placename Meanings within the City of Adelaide". Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi. University of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 28 November 2019. Retrieved 28 November 2019.
  18. "Kaurna place naming: Recognising Kaurna heritage through physical features of the city". City of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 14 December 2019. Retrieved 29 November 2019.
  19. "East End". City of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  20. "West End". City of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  21. 1 2 "City neighbourhoods". City of Adelaide. Archived from the original on 19 July 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  22. "North Terrace cultural precinct". Adelaidia. 15 October 2015. Archived from the original on 30 July 2019. Retrieved 30 July 2019.
  23. 1 2
  24. Antony Green (6 June 2019). "Adelaide Inner City - Australia Votes". ABC News Online - Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 March 2021. Retrieved 31 March 2021.
  25. "South Australian Live Music Venues Open for Business". Music SA. Archived from the original on 5 March 2019. Retrieved 24 August 2019.
  26. "Adelaide". Creative Cities Network. UNESCO. Archived from the original on 2 December 2023.
  27. Davies, Nathan (4 March 2017). "Fame for pub which retains its Grace". AdelaideNow . Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  28. Marsh, Walter (23 March 2024). "'We've had one fight in 15 years': is the Grace Emily hotel Australia's best music venue?". The Guardian . Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  29. Marsh, Walter (16 January 2019). "This must be The Grace: 20 years of the Grace Emily Hotel – The Adelaide Review". The Adelaide Review . Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  30. "Grace Emily Hotel". ADELAIDE GIGS. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 13 September 2024.
  31. Simmons, David (11 September 2024). "Pop-up venue hunt continues as Save the Cranker laws pass". InDaily . Retrieved 13 September 2024.

Select bibliography

Further reading

34°55′43″S138°36′00″E / 34.92861°S 138.60000°E / -34.92861; 138.60000