|
ABOUT Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of
South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a
population of over 1.1 million.[1] It is a coastal city beside the Southern
Ocean, and is situated on the Adelaide Plains, north of the Fleurieu
Peninsula, between the Gulf St. Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty
Ranges. It is roughly a linear city: it is 20 km from the coast to the
foothills, but it stretches 90 km from Gawler at its northern extent to
Sellicks Beach in the south.
Named in honour of Queen Adelaide, the consort of King William IV, the city
was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only freely-settled
British province in Australia. Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide's
founding fathers, designed the city and chose its location close to the
River Torrens. Inspired by William Penn, Light's design set out Adelaide in
a grid layout, interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and
entirely surrounded by parkland. Early Adelaide was shaped by religious
freedom and a commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties,
which led to world-first reforms. Adelaidean society remained largely
puritan up until the 1970s, when a set of social reforms under the
premiership of Don Dunstan resulted in a cultural shift. Today Adelaide is
known for its many festivals as well as for its wine, arts and sports.
As South Australia's seat of government and commercial centre, Adelaide is
the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are
concentrated in the city centre along the cultural boulevard of North
Terrace, King William Street and in various districts of the metropolitan
area.
|
|