Discover the Rich History of South Australia
A Journey Through Time
South Australia boasts a rich tapestry of history and an extraordinary landscape filled with wildlife.
Burra Creek Gorge is at Worlds End, named for its remote location.
Fascinating Facts
Opportunities for Free Enterprise
South Australia as a colony was designed as a housing development of the 1830s. Investors bought tracts of land from the British Crown, subdivided, and sold to immigrants who created vibrant communities. William Light founded Port Adelaide, located the city of Adelaide and surveyed one-acre plots along the Torrens River.
Some of the early European settlers came to South Australia for religious freedom, but most came for economic opportunities and the promise of a stable future.
Heritage
The oldest continuous civilisation of humankind, First Nations people carried forth a rich culture that was drastically modified by European immigration.
Wakefield the Convict
Edward Wakefield, the man who proposed the convict-free colony of South Australia was himself a convict, at the time incarcerated in Newgate Prison.
Vineyards From the Beginning
The Barossa Valley was one of the key destinations for the first Prussian immigrants.
Strange Encounter at Encounter Bay
In 1802 Matthew Flinders, travelling east on behalf of the British Empire, and Nicholas Baudin, travelling west on behalf of Napoleon Bonaparte, met at the aptly named Encounter Bay, on the coast of South Australia.
Mosquito Fleet
Numerous small and large boats continually ran along South Australia’s coastlines, bringing essential goods. They were named the Mosquito Fleet for their ability to buzz in and buzz out of rough piers and landings.
Natural Wonders But Also Daunting
Stunning landscapes open to wide vistas and mountain ranges, edged by wide beaches. Plague locusts can frequent Australia as often as every ten years. The last infestation was in 2010. We’re overdo for the next one.
Copper at Kapunda and Burra
The discovery of copper at Kapunda saved the fledgling colony of South Australia.
Explore South Australia's Heritage
Historical Image Gallery
Key Events in South Australia's History
Pivotal moments shaped South Australia, from its early days to modern times.
1836
Founding of South Australia
Governor Hindmarsh arrogantly proclaimed South Australia as a British province on December 28, 1836, at The Old Gum Tree in Glenelg. Ships anchored off the shore and used smaller vessels to land at Holdfast Bay until the Port River was deepened for navigation.
1860
Emilie Leditschke arrives as an infant
With her parents, Emilie immigrated so the family could have opportunties in the future. South Australia had become a destination for thousands of settlers, many from Emilie’s native Prussia.
1872
Completion of the Overland Telegraph
In its day, the telegraph was the newest, most wanted technology. In 1872, a telegraph line connected Darwin to Port Augusta, using 30,000 iron poles, 36,000 porcelain insulators and spanned 3,200 kilometres. It was built in two years.
The Overland Telegraph Line connected Adelaide to Darwin, linking Australia to the rest of the world. South Australians forged the line from Port Augusta to Darwin, admidst phenomenal challenges.
1894
Women's Suffrage
South Australia became the first Australian colony to grant women the right to vote and stand for parliament.