The most prominent early member of Adelaide's Jewish community was Emanuel Solomon. Solomon was an ex-convict who arrived from Sydney in 1838 and, with his brother Vaiben, established a profitable auctioneering business. In 1841 he opened what is now the state's oldest theatre - the Queen's Theatre in Gilles Arcade.

Travelling daguerreotype photographer, J. B. Goodman took up a 40 day residency at the rear of Solomon's home in January 1846, creating 50 daguerreotype images for Adelaide patrons (Register 21 January 1846).

In 1848 Solomon arranged a meeting at his Temple Tavern which saw the establishment of the Adelaide Hebrew Congregation. A year later the first synagogue was built, in 'Egyptian style,' in Rundle Street. He was a generous philanthropist, providing support to Mary MacKillop and her community, as well as to the Anglican Orphan Home.

In 1871 Solomon gave a dinner for 500 'old colonists' at the Town Hall, following which the men and women were photographed individually for posterity. (Register 29 December 1871, pp. 4, 6) Solomon entered South Australian Parliament in 1862, and resigned in 1871 due to ill health. He died in 1873.

Queen's Theatre, Gilles Arcade, Adelaide, 1842

Queen's Theatre program, Adelaide, 1841

Gill, S.T. (Samuel Thomas), 1818-1880

Solomon, Emanuel, 1800-1873

Adelaide Hebrew Congregation

Hyams, Bernard. 'Establishing a congregation: the Jewish community of South Australia 1836-1870' Journal of the Historical Society of South Australia, no. 22 (1994), pp. 32-48

'Mr Emanuel Solomon', South Australian register, 9 October 1873, p. 15

Munz, Hirsch Jews in South Australia 1836-1936: an historical outline, Adelaide: Thornquest Press, 1936

Cato, Jack The story of the camera in Australia Melbourne: Georgian House, 1955, p.5

Solomon, Emanuel Letterbook, 1840-1846, D 7922 (L)

Solomon family Personal papers, 1865-1979, PRG 1431

Adelaide Jewish Museum

State Library of South Australia, General Information Factsheets Online: Religion in South Australia

Australian Dictionary of Biography Online Edition: Search for Emanuel Solomon