Places

The Foundation of South Australia 1852-1883 explores and illustrates the mining boom and exploration period in South Australia, and showcases the themes of People, Places, 1850s gold rush, Agricultural sector Growth, Commercial and social aspects, Exploration and expansion in the interior, Introduction to responsible government and the Mining industry development.

The notable Places in South Australia during this thirty-year period are associated with various developments especially exploration and development of businesses. The South Australian Company, who had a great influence in the development of South Australia between 1836-1851, continued to be influential in land holdings, as well as building development and maintained an important part in the commercial affairs of Adelaide and its surrounding regions for more than a century. The company's papers are held by the State Library and include many maps of areas it named, managed and owned.

Click on the items below to explore details and resources, including maps, photographs and daguerreotypes, first-hand accounts in diaries and letters, newspaper reports, artistic impressions of Adelaide and the expanding townships and archival records. These items display and illustrate the effects of the gold rush, exploration, mining developments, agriculture, commercial and social aspects... and more.

• Adelaide Arcade was built in 1885, and originally comprised of 50 shops, where the shops would retail from the ground floor and use the space on the first floor as a work or storage room. The thoroughfare between the shops was 24 feet wide and composed of Carrara marble and black and white tiles formed in "elegant designs".
• The City Baths were built in 1882 and were a popular recreation spot, particularly in their earlier years when Adelaide's population was concentrated in the city. They were situated on the western side of King William Street, behind Parliament House.
• Construction began on the Museum in 1879 and it was opened to the public in May 1881. The Museum of Economic Botany at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens is considered to be the first purpose-built museum building in South Australia.
• The General Post Office on the corner of King William and Franklin Streets, seen from a south-east position in Victoria Square. The foundation stone was laid in November 1867 by HRH Prince Alfred, the Duke of Edinburgh.The building was completed in May 1872, and the tower clock and bell were installed in 1876.
• In 1861 Mary MacKillop worked as a governess at Penola in the colony's South-East region, and witnessed first-hand the poverty and lack of adequate education of children in the district. With Roman Catholic priest Father Julian Tenison Woods, Mary founded 'The Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart' at Penola on 19 March 1866. Members of the Josephite Order took a vow of poverty and dedicated themselves to educating poor children.
• The Northern Territory Survey Expedition (1868-1870) included in its party William Webster Hoare, who illustrated the Darwin landscape including Fort Point, Port Darwin.
• William Christie Gosse led the South Australian Government funded expedition west from Alice Springs in 1873. Its purpose was to explore a possible route to Western Australia. With five men, three Afghan cameleers and an Aboriginal boy the expedition explored west until repelled by sand hills and spinifex. Gosse discovered and named Ayers Rock on 19 July 1873 and in addition the Musgrave Ranges and Mount Woodroffe, the highest point in South Australia (1435 metres), and mapped some 60,000 miles of new country.

Click on the items below to explore more places and details.

South Australiana: Sources a comprehensive list of websites, published and non-published sources for South Australiana materials.