Adelaide

Adelaide
Country	Australia
State	South Australia
Region	Adelaide
Settled	1836
Population	1,203,873
Area (sq mi)	705.4
Population density (/sq mi)	1,706.8
Current mayor	Martin Haese
Demonym	Adelaidean
Co-ordinates	34.9° S., 138.5° E.[1]

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia. The layout of the city was designed by Colonel William Light, the colony's original surveyor. Adelaide's central district is surrounded by a ring of park lands and is divided by the Torrens River. It was named after the Queen consort of the British king, William IV. It is the only state capital to have been founded using free settlers - there were no convicts.

The city has a population of over a million people, two-thirds of the state population. It is situated on the plains between Gulf Saint Vincent on the west and the Adelaide Hills, part of the Mount Lofty Ranges, on the east. The result is an urban area that is barely 20 km wide, but almost 100 km from Gawler in the north to Sellicks Beach in the south.

Adelaide was the first colonial settlement in the new colony of South Australia in 1836. Before that, the area was occupied by the Kaurna Aborigines. The major sights in the city include the Everidge Centre of Aboriginal Arts and Crafts, the Museum of Contemporary Art and the Wilkinson Maritime Park. The Adelaide Cricket Ground is renowned as one of the most beautiful in the world, it is currently being redevloped however, and may lose some of its charm.^[2]

Adelaide is known as the City of Light and the City of Churches. It is also known as the Festival City, and holds the largest Fringe Festival in the Southern Hemisphere. The Adelaide Fringe Festival was started to contrast the Adelaide Festival of Arts, but has grown to become much more popular.^[3]

The city of Adelaide also contains a variety of higher education institutions, including the University of Adelaide, established in 1874.^[4]

Bushfires are a relatively common occurrence in the regions surrounding Adelaide, with large bush fires generally occurring every 3 to 5 years.

See also[edit]

• South Australia

Further reading[edit]

• Adelaide & South Australia by Susannah Farfor et al. (2005)
• Marsden, Susan. Heritage of the City of Adelaide: An Illustrated Guide (1990)
• Worsnop, Thomas. History of the city of Adelaide: from the foundation of the province of South Australia in 1836, to the end of the municipal year 1877 (1878) 457 pages; online edition

References[edit]

1. ↑ (1922) World Almanac and Book of Facts for 1923, series: World Almanac and Book of Facts (in English). New York: Press Pub Co. (The New York World), 63.  Rounded down toward zero.
2. ↑ Adelaide Oval redevlopement
3. ↑ http://www.southaustralia.com/9001056.aspx
4. ↑ University of Adelaide - History

External links[edit]

• Adelaide City Council website