Adelaide city centre

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This article is about the central locality of Adelaide. For the greater metropolitan area, see Adelaide. For the local government area, see City of Adelaide .

Adelaide Adelaide,  South Australia, Australia
Adelaide city centre over the Torrens Lake
Population:	15,115 (2016 census) 10,229 (2006 census)
Established:	1837
Postcode:	5000
Area:	10.5 km² (4.1 sq mi)
Location:	5 km (3 mi) E of Adelaide Airport 12 km (7 mi) SE of Port Adelaide 9 km (6 mi) NE of Glenelg
LGA:	City of Adelaide
State District:	Adelaide
Federal Division:	Adelaide
Suburbs around Adelaide: Hindmarsh North Adelaide Gilberton Hackney Thebarton Mile End Adelaide Kent Town Rose Park Dulwich Keswick Wayville Unley Parkside Eastwood Glenside

North Terrace, Adelaide

Adelaide city centre, North Adelaide and the Park Lands

The Adelaide city centre is the innermost locality of Greater Adelaide, known by locals simply as "The City" or "Town". The locality is split into two key geographical distinctions: the city "square mile", bordered by North, East, South and West Terraces; and that part of the Adelaide Parklands south of the River Torrens which separate the built up part of the city from the surrounding suburbs. The locality is home to the parliament of the state of South Australia and many key state government offices. Due to the construction of many new apartments in the city, the population has grown from 10,229 (2006 census) to 15,115 (2016).

History

Prior to the European settlement of South Australia, the Adelaide Plains, on which Adelaide was built, was home to the Kaurna group of Indigenous Australians.

The colony of South Australia was established in 1836 at Glenelg, and the city itself established in 1837. The location and layout of the city is accredited to Colonel William Light (1786-1839) in a plan known as Light's Vision.

Built environment

Adelaide is separated from its greater metropolitan area by a ring of public parklands on all sides. The square mile within the parklands 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, known as Light's Vision, features a 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.

Between North Terrace and South Terrace, all east-west roads change their names as they cross King William Street. Also, travelling north-south, the cross-streets alternate between being wide (up to 4-lanes wide) and narrow (2-lanes wide), with the exception that Grote Street and Wakefield Street are up to 6-lanes wide. Note that in the south half of the city, in several places the Adelaide City Council has increased the widths of footpaths and changed the road markings so that traffic is restricted to use a lesser number of lanes than the full width of the road.

Travelling south from North Terrace, the street pairs are:

	W e s t T e r r a c e	North Terrace																																		E a s t T c e											132 ft
		1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	M o r	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	K i n g	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	P u l	25	26	27	28	29	30	31
		62	61	60	59	58	57	56	55		54	53	52	51	50	49	48	47		46	45	44	43	42	41	40	39		38	37	36	35	34	33	32
		Hindley									Street									Rundle									Street																		66 ft
		63	64	65	66	67	68	69	70		71	72	73	74	75	76	77	78		79	80	81	82	83	84	85	86		87	88	89	90	91	92	93
		124	123	122	121	120	119	118	Light Square			115	114	113	112	111	110	109		108	107	106	105	104	103	102	Hind- marsh Square			99	98	97	96	95	94
		Currie										Street								Grenfell										Street																	99 ft
		125	126	127	128	129	130	131				134	135	136	137	138	139	140		141	142	143	144	145	146	147				150	151	152	153	154	155
		186	185	184	183	182	181	180				177	176	175	174	173	172	171		170	169	168	167	166	165	164				161	160	159	158	157	156
		Waymouth								p h e t t	Street									Pirie								t e n e y	Street																		66 ft
		187	188	189	190	191	192	193	194		195	196	197	198	199	200	201	202		203	204	205	206	207	208	209	210		211	212	213	214	215	216	217	218	H u t t S t r e e t	219
		252	251	250	249	248	247	246	245		244	243	242	241	240	239	238	237		236	235	234	233	232	231	230	229		228	227	226	225	224	223	222	221		220
		Franklin									Street									Flinders									Street																		99 ft
		253	254	255	256	257	258	259	260		261	262	263	264	265	266	267	Victoria Square			270	271	272	273	274	275	276		277	278	279	280	281	282	283	284		285	286
		320	319	318	317	316	315	314	313		312	311	310	309	308	307	306				303	302	301	300	299	298	297		296	295	294	293	292	291	290	289		288	287
		Grote Street																			Wakefield Street																										132 ft
		321	322	323	324	325	326	327	328	B r o w n	329	330	331	332	333	334	335				338	339	340	341	342	343	344	H a n s o n	345	346	347	348	349	350	351	352		353	354	355	356
		392	391	390	389	388	387	386	385		384	383	382	381	380	379	378				375	374	373	372	371	370	369		368	367	366	365	364	363	362	361		360	359	358	357
		Gouger									Street								W i l l i a m S t	Angas									Street															E a s t			99 ft
		393	394	395	396	397	398	399	400		401	402	403	404	405	406	407	408		409	410	411	412	413	414	415	416		417	418	419	420	421	422	423	424		425	426	427	428	429	430
		468	467	466	465	464	463	462	461		460	459	458	457	456	455	454	453		452	451	450	449	448	447	446	445		444	443	442	441	440	439	438	437		436	435	434	433	432	431
		Wright									Street									Carrington									Street																		66 ft
		469	470	471	472	473	474	475	Whit- more Square			478	479	480	481	482	483	484		485	486	487	488	489	490	491	Hurtle Square			494	495	496	497	498	499	500		501	502	503	504	505	506
		544	543	542	541	540	539	538				535	534	533	532	531	530	529		528	527	526	525	524	523	522				519	518	517	516	515	514	513		512	511	510	509	508	507
		Sturt										Street								Halifax										Street															T c e		99 ft
		545	546	547	548	549	550	551				554	555	556	557	558	559	560		561	562	563	564	565	566	567				570	571	572	573	574	575	576		577	578	579	580	581	582	583
		622	621	620	619	618	617	616	615	S t	614	613	612	611	610	609	608	607		606	605	604	603	602	601	600	599	S t	598	597	596	595	594	593	592	591		590	589	588	587	586	585	584
		Gilbert									Street									Gilles									Street																		66 ft
		623	624	625	626	627	628	629	630		631	632	633	634	635	636	637	638		639	640	641	642	643	644	645	646		647	648	649	650	651	652	653	654		655	656	657	658	659	660	661
		700	699	698	697	696	695	694	693		692	691	690	689	688	687	686	685		684	683	682	681	680	679	678	677		676	675	674	673	672	671	670	669		668	667	666	665	664	663	662
		South Terrace																																											132 ft
	132 ft									99 ft									132 ft									99 ft									132 ft								132 ft		(width)

Street names

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 Commissioners 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:

Governor Hindmarsh Judge Jeffcott James Hurtle Fisher (Resident Commissioner) Robert Gouger (Colonial Secretary) Colonel Light (Surveyor General) John Brown (emigration officer)

Osmond Gilles (Treasurer) Thomas Gilbert (storekeeper) John Morphett John Barton Hack Edward Stephens (cashier and accountant of the South Australian Company) Thomas Bewes Strangways

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:

• Victoria - the regent, later the monarch Queen Victoria
• Hindmarsh - Rear Admiral Sir John Hindmarsh, first Governor
• Hurtle - Sir James Hurtle Fisher, first Resident Commissioner
• Light - Colonel William Light, Surveyor General
• Whitmore - William Wolryche-Whitmore MP, a Colonial Commissioner in London

The east-west streets named on 22 December 1836 were:

• Rundle – John Rundle MP, Director of the South Australian Company
• Hindley – Charles Hindley MP, Director of South Australian Company
• Grenfell – Pascoe St Leger Grenfell MP, presented town acre for Holy Trinity Church and other country lands
• Currie – Raikes Currie MP, Director of South Australian Company
• Pirie – Sir John Pirie, alderman and later Lord Mayor of London, Director of South Australian Company
• Waymouth – Henry Waymouth, Director South Australian Company
• Flinders – Matthew Flinders, explorer
• Franklin – Rear Admiral Sir John Franklin, midshipman under Flinders
• Wakefield – Daniel Bell Wakefield, barrister who drafted the South Australia Act
• Grote – George Grote MP, treasurer of the South Australia Association
• Angas – George Fife Angas, a Colonial Commissioner and founding Chairman of Directors of the South Australian Company
• Gouger – Robert Gouger, first Colonial Secretary

Most of these people did not reside in or visit South Australia.

The naming of the streets was completed on 23 May 1837 and gazetted on 3 June.

East-west streets:

• Carrington - John Abel Smith (Lord Carrington)
• Wright - John Wright, Colonial Commissioner and financier
• Halifax - Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax, Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Sturt - Charles Sturt, explorer
• Gilles - Osmond Gilles, early treasurer of the colony
• Gilbert - Thomas Gilbert, storekeeper and postmaster

North-south streets:

• Morphett - John Morphett, member of the South Australian parliament
• Pulteney - Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, British naval officer
• Hutt - William Hutt MP, a Colonial Commissioner

Politics

Since the mid 1990s, Adelaide has consistently favoured the centre-left Australian Labor Party (Labor) at both federal and state elections, although the centre-right Liberal Party of Australia (Liberal) have on occasion obtained a primary vote majority within the suburb's boundaries, and in the 1993 state election, an absolute majority. Under the preferential system in Australia, however, the 15% or more of the vote which typically goes to the Australian Democrats and the Greens consistently favours Labor.

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 2004 by Kate Ellis of the Labor party.

In the South Australian House of Assembly, Adelaide is within the Electoral district of Adelaide. The seat has mostly been held by Labor, but from 1989 until 2002 was held by Dr Michael Armitage for the Liberals. From 2002 to 2010, it was held by Labor's Jane Lomax-Smith. Since the March 2010 state election, it has been held by Rachel Sanderson for the Liberal party.

Polling place statistics are presented below combining the votes from the five Adelaide booths (Adelaide, Hospital, East, South and West):

2007 Federal Election Source: AEC   Labor 46.5%   Liberal 34.7%   Greens 15.3%   Democrats 2.02%   Family First 1.47%	2004 Federal Election Source: AEC   Labor 42.5%   Liberal 39.8%   Greens 13.0%   Democrats 2.24%   Independent 1.41%	2001 Federal Election Source: AEC   Liberal 39.6%   Labor 34.7%   Democrats 14.9%   Greens 10.5%   One Nation 1.33%	1998 Federal Election Source: AEC   Liberal 39.7%   Labor 38.8%   Democrats 11.0%   Greens 5.31%   One Nation 3.77%
2006 State Election Source: SAEC   Labor 50.2%   Liberal 27.8%   Greens 12.9%   Democrats 3.41%   Family First 2.21%	2002 State Election Source: SAEC   Labor 44.6%   Liberal 34.6%   Greens 8.04%   Democrats 6.30%   No Hoo-Haa 3.17%	1997 State Election Source: SAEC   Labor 36.6%   Liberal 36.4%   Democrats 19.7%   Greens 7.2%	1993 State Election Source: SAEC   Liberal 51.7%   Labor 30.9%   Democrats 10.1%   Dem. Soc. 3.57%   NLP 3.09%

See also

• Adelaide (Greater Adelaide metropolis)
• City of Adelaide (local government area)

References

1. Spence, Catherine Helen; Beams, Maryan (2006). Susan Magarey, Barbara Wall, Maryan Beams, Mary Lyons. ed. Ever yours, C.H. Spence: Catherine Helen Spence's An autobiography (1825-1910), Diary (1894) and Some correspondence (1894-1910). Wakefield Press. ISBN 9781862546561.