About Adelaide South Australia

Adelaide, the capital of South Australia, was planned in 1836, by surveyor Colonel William Light. The city centre has a grid of wide streets and various squares all within 1 square mile. This centre is surrounded by a green belt of 930 hectares of parkland. The main street, King William Street, runs from north to south through Victoria Square at the heart of the city.

The Torrens River runs through the centre, separating Adelaide and North Adelaide. The city is surrounded by diverse landscapes, including the Mount Lofty Ranges (Adelaide Hills) and coastal beaches.

South Australia was one of the first places in the world to give women the vote in 1894, and was the first in the world to enable women to enter Parliament. See the Women & Politics in South Australia website produced by The State Library of South Australia for more.

Adelaide, is well known for its art and theatre, claiming one of the best arts festivals in the world.

The climate is Mediterranean – with hot, dry summers and cool, mild winters. The average winter temperature is around 15C; average for summer is 29C. See the weather page for more.

Adelaide is close to the sea, with Semaphore and Port Adelaide to the north, Henley Beach and West Beach to the east, Glenelg and Brighton to the south, and even further south Onkaparinga and the Fleurieu Peninsula. The beachfront in the heart of seaside Glenelg is only 20 minutes from the city centre and 10 minutes from the domestic and international airports.

Most of Australia’s wine is produced in South Australia. The Barossa Valley is 40 kilometres long and between 5-11 kilometres wide and is a popular tourist destination. The Barossa Vintage Festival is an annual event, attracting visitors from around the world. See the what’s on links at the bottom of these pages.

More About Adelaide

• Use the links on the left of each page to find more information on this site, or try the links below.
• Adelaide Public Transport Map – more on Adelaide Transport here
• Maps from ACTA
  • South Australia
  • Adelaide City
  • Adelaide and Suburbs
  • Adelaide Hills
  • Barossa
  • Clare Valley
  • Eyre Peninsula
  • Fleurieu Peninsula
  • Flinders Ranges and Outback
  • Kangaroo Island
  • Limestone Coast
  • Murraylands
  • Riverland
  • Yorke Peninsula
• Holdfast database – see this site for historical information
• Lonely Planet – Adelaide
• Women & Politics in South Australia
• Hotels in Adelaide and South Australia
• Adelaide – Capital City of South Australia State Government site
• Adelaide Convention Bureau
• Adelaide Hills Tourism
• CSU Guide to Australia
• South Australia Government
• South Australia Tourism Commission
• Whereis Street Directory

More South Australian Towns & Cities

• Regional South Australia – see our regional pages for hotels, tours, events, information about towns, cities and regions of South Australia