Adelaide

Adelaide Tarntanya( Kaurna) South Australia
Adelaide city centre SAHMRIbuilding University of South Australia Adelaide Town Hall St Peter's Cathedral General Post Office Elder Parkand Adelaide Oval Adelaide Entertainment Centre Victoria Square
Map of Adelaide, Australia, printable and editable
Adelaide
Coordinates	34°55′39″S138°36′00″E / 34.92750°S 138.60000°E /-34.92750; 138.60000
Population	1,418,455 (2022)[1](5th)
• Density	426/km2(1,100/sq mi)
Established	28 December 1836(1836-12-28)
Area	3,259.8 km2(1,258.6 sq mi)[2]
Time zone	ACST(UTC+9:30)
• Summer (DST)	ACDT(UTC+10:30)
Location	654 km (406 mi) NW ofMelbourne[3] 958 km (595 mi) West ofCanberra[4] 1,161 km (721 mi) West ofSydney[5] 1,600 km (994 mi) SW ofBrisbane[6] 2,130 km (1,324 mi) East ofPerth[7]
LGA(s)	19 municipalities across Metropolitan Adelaide
State electorate(s)	Various(34)
Federal division(s)	Spence,Makin,Hindmarsh,Adelaide,Sturt,Boothby,Kingston
Mean max temp Mean min temp Annual rainfall 22.6 °C 73 °F 12.4 °C 54 °F 536.5 mm 21.1 in

Adelaide(/ˈædɪleɪd/^ⓘAD-il-ayd,^[8][9]locally[ˈædəlæɪd];Kaurna:Tarntanya,pronounced[ˈd̪̥aɳɖaɲa]) is thecapitaland most populous city ofSouth Australia,^[10]and thefifth-most populous city in Australia. "Adelaide" may refer to eitherGreater Adelaide(including theAdelaide Hills) or theAdelaide city centre. ThedemonymAdelaideanis used to denote the city and the residents of Adelaide. Thetraditional ownersof the Adelaide region are theKaurna.^[11][12][13]The area of the city centre and surroundingPark Landsis calledTarndanyain theKaurna language.^[14]

Adelaide is situated on theAdelaide Plainsnorth of theFleurieu Peninsula, between theGulf St Vincentin the west and theMount Lofty Rangesin the east. Its metropolitan area extends 20 km (12 mi) from the coast to thefoothillsof the Mount Lofty Ranges, and stretches 96 km (60 mi) fromGawlerin the north toSellicks Beachin the south.

Named in honour ofQueen Adelaide of Saxe-Meiningen, wife ofKing William IV, the city was founded in 1836 as theplanned capitalfor the only freely-settled British province in Australia.^[15]Colonel William Light, one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city centre and chose its location close to theRiver Torrens. Light's design, nowlisted as national heritage, set out the city centre in agrid layoutknown as "Light's Vision", interspaced by wide boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by park lands.

Early colonial Adelaide was shaped by the diversity and wealth of its free settlers, in contrast to the convict history of other Australian cities. It was Australia's third most populated city until thepost-warera. It has been noted for its leading examples of religious freedom and progressive political reforms, and became known as the "City of Churches" due to its diversity of faiths. The city has also been renowned for itsautomotive industry, as well as being the original host of theAustralian Grand Prixin theFIA Formula One World Championshipfrom 1985 to 1995. Today, Adelaide is known byits many festivalsand sporting events, itsfood and wine,^[16]its coastline and hills, its large defence and manufacturing sectors, and its emerging space sector, including theAustralian Space Agencybeing headquartered here. Adelaide'squality of lifehas ranked consistently highly in various measures through the 21st century, at one stage being named Australia's most liveable city, third in the world.^[17]Its aesthetic appeal has also been recognised byArchitectural Digest, which ranked Adelaide as the most beautiful city in the world in 2024.^[18]

As South Australia's government and commercial centre, Adelaide is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of these are concentrated in thecity centrealong the cultural boulevards ofNorth TerraceandKing William Street.

The area around modern-day Adelaide was originally inhabited by the IndigenousKaurnapeople, one of manyAboriginaltribes in South Australia. The city andparklandsarea was known as Tarntanya,^[19]Tandanya, now the short name ofTandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute, Tarndanya,^[20]orTarndanyangga, now the dual name for Victoria Square, in theKaurna language.^[21]The name means 'male red kangaroo rock', referring to a rock formation on the site that has now been destroyed.^[22]

The surrounding area was an open grassy plain with patches of trees and shrubs which had been managed by hundreds of generations. Kaurna country encompassed the plains which stretched north and south of Tarntanya as well as the wooded foothills of theMt Lofty Ranges. The River Torrens was known as the Karrawirra Pari (Red Gum forest river). About 300 Kaurna populated the Adelaide area, and were referred to by the settlers as the Cowandilla.^[23]

There were more than 20 local clans across the plain who lived semi-nomadic lives, with extensivemound settlementswhere huts were built repeatedly over centuries and a complex social structure including a class of sorcerers separated from regular society.^[24]

Within a few decades of European settlement of South Australia, Kaurna culture was almost completely destroyed. The last speaker ofKaurna languagedied in 1929.^[25]Extensive documentation by early missionaries and other researchers has enabled a modern revival of both,^[26]which has included a commitment by local and state governments to rename or include Kaurna names for many local places.^[27][28]

Based on the ideas ofEdward Gibbon Wakefieldabout colonial reform,Robert Gougerpetitioned the British government to create a new colony in Australia, resulting in the passage of theSouth Australia Act 1834. Physical establishment of the colony began with the arrival of the first British colonisers in February 1836. The firstgovernorproclaimed the commencement of colonial government in South Australia on 28 December 1836, nearThe Old Gum Treein what is now the suburb ofGlenelg North. The event is commemorated in South Australia asProclamation Day.^[29]The site of the colony's capital was surveyed and laid out by ColonelWilliam Light, the first surveyor-general of South Australia, with his own original, unique, topographically sensitive design. The city was named afterQueen Adelaide.^[30]

Adelaide was established as a planned colony of free immigrants, promising civil liberties and freedom from religious persecution, based upon the ideas ofEdward Gibbon Wakefield. Wakefield had read accounts of Australian settlement while in prison in London for attempting to abduct an heiress,^[31]and realised that the eastern colonies suffered from a lack of available labour, due to the practice of giving land grants to all arrivals.^[32]Wakefield's idea was for the Government to survey and sell the land at a rate that would maintain land values high enough to be unaffordable for labourers and journeymen.^[33]Funds raised from the sale of land were to be used to bring out working-class emigrants, who would have to work hard for the monied settlers to ever afford their own land.^[34]As a result of this policy, Adelaide does not sharethe convict settlement historyof other Australian cities like Sydney,BrisbaneandHobart.

As it was believed that in a colony of free settlers there would be little crime, no provision was made for agaolin Colonel Light's 1837 plan. But by mid-1837 theSouth Australian Registerwas warning of escaped convicts from New South Wales and tenders for a temporary gaol were sought. Following a burglary, a murder, and two attempted murders in Adelaide during March 1838, Governor Hindmarsh created the South Australian Police Force (now theSouth Australia Police) in April 1838 under 21-year-oldHenry Inman.^[35]The first sheriff, Samuel Smart, was wounded during a robbery, and on 2 May 1838 one of the offenders, Michael Magee, became the first person to be hanged in South Australia.^[36]William Baker Ashton was appointed governor of the temporary gaol in 1839, and in 1840 George Strickland Kingston was commissioned to design Adelaide's new gaol.^[37]Construction ofAdelaide Gaolcommenced in 1841.^[38]

Adelaide's early history was marked by economic uncertainty and questionable leadership.^{[dubious–discuss]}The first governor of South Australia,John Hindmarsh, clashed frequently with others, in particular the Resident Commissioner,James Hurtle Fisher. The rural area surrounding Adelaide was surveyed by Light in preparation to sell a total of over 405 km²(156 sq mi) of land. Adelaide's early economy started to get on its feet in 1838 with the arrival of livestock fromVictoria,New South WalesandTasmania. Wool production provided an early basis for the South Australian economy. By 1860, wheat farms had been established fromEncounter Bayin the south toClarein the north.

George Gawlertook over from Hindmarsh in late 1838 and, despite being under orders from theSelect Committee on South Australiain Britain not to undertake any public works, promptly oversaw construction of a governor's house, theAdelaide Gaol, police barracks, a hospital, a customs house and a wharf atPort Adelaide. Gawler was recalled and replaced byGeorge Edward Greyin 1841. Grey slashed public expenditure against heavy opposition, although its impact was negligible at this point: silver was discovered inGlen Osmondthat year, agriculture was well underway, and other mines sprung up all over the state, aiding Adelaide's commercial development. The city exported meat, wool, wine, fruit and wheat by the time Grey left in 1845, contrasting with a low point in 1842 when one-third of Adelaide houses were abandoned.

Trade links with the rest of the Australian states were established after theMurray Riverwas successfully navigated in 1853 byFrancis Cadell, an Adelaide resident. South Australia became aself-governing colonyin 1856 with the ratification of a new constitution by the British parliament.Secret ballotswere introduced, and abicameralparliament was elected on 9 March 1857, by which time 109,917 people lived in the province.^[39]

In 1860, theThorndon Park reservoirwas opened, providing an alternative water source to the now turbid River Torrens. Gas street lighting was implemented in 1867, theUniversity of Adelaidewas founded in 1874, theSouth Australian Art Galleryopened in 1881 and theHappy Valley Reservoiropened in 1896. In the 1890s Australia was affected by a severe economic depression, ending a hectic era of land booms and tumultuous expansionism. Financial institutions in Melbourne and banks in Sydney closed. The national fertility rate fell and immigration was reduced to a trickle.^[40]

The value of South Australia's exports nearly halved. Drought and poor harvests from 1884 compounded the problems, with some families leaving for Western Australia.^[40]Adelaide was not as badly hit as the larger gold-rush cities of Sydney and Melbourne, and silver and lead discoveries atBroken Hillprovided some relief. Only one year of deficit was recorded, but the price paid was retrenchments and lean public spending. Wine and copper were the only industries not to suffer a downturn.^[41]

Adelaide was Australia's third largest city for most of the 20th century.^[42][43][44]Electric street lighting was introduced in 1900 and electric trams were transporting passengers in 1909. 28,000 men were sent to fight in World War I. Historian F. W. Crowley examined the reports of visitors in the early 20th century, noting that "many visitors to Adelaide admired theforesighted planningof its founders", as well as pondering the riches of the young city.^[45]

Adelaide enjoyed a postwar boom, entering a time of relative prosperity. Its population grew, and it became the third most populous metropolitan area in the country, after Sydney and Melbourne. Its prosperity was short-lived, with the return of droughts and theGreat Depressionof the 1930s. It later returned to fortune under strong government leadership.Secondary industrieshelped reduce the state's dependence onprimary industries. World War II brought industrial stimulus and diversification to Adelaide under thePlayfordGovernment, which advocated Adelaide as a safe place for manufacturing due to its less vulnerable location.^[46]Shipbuilding was expanded at the nearby port ofWhyalla.

The South Australian Government in this period built on former wartime manufacturing industries but neglected cultural facilities which meant South Australia's economy lagged behind.^[42]International manufacturers likeHoldenandChrysler^[47]made use of these factories around the Adelaide area in suburbs likeElizabeth, completing its transformation from an agricultural service centre to a 20th-century motor city. TheMannum–Adelaide pipelinebroughtRiver Murraywater to Adelaide in 1955 andan airportopened atWest Beachin 1955.Flinders Universityand theFlinders Medical Centrewere established in the 1960s at Bedford Park, south of the city. Today, Flinders Medical Centre is one of the largest teaching hospitals in South Australia. In the post-war years around the early 1960s, Adelaide was surpassed by Brisbane as Australia's third largest city.^[42]

TheDunstan Governmentsof the 1970s saw something of an Adelaide 'cultural revival',^[48]establishing a wide array of social reforms. The city became noted for its progressivism as South Australia became the first Australian state or territory todecriminalise homosexualitybetween consenting adults in 1975.^[49]Adelaide became a centre for the arts, building upon the biennial "Adelaide Festival of Arts" that commenced in 1960. TheState Bankcollapsed in 1991 during an economic recession. The effects lasted until 2004, whenStandard & Poor'sreinstated South Australia's AAA credit rating.^[50]Adelaide's tallest building, completed in 2020, is called the Adelaidean and is located at 11 Frome Street.^[51]

In the early years of the 21st century, a significant increase in the state government's spending on Adelaide's infrastructure occurred. TheRann governmentinvested A$535 million in a major upgrade of the Adelaide Oval to enableAustralian Football Leagueto be played in the city centre^[52]and more than A$2billionto build a newRoyal Adelaide Hospitalon land adjacent to the Adelaide Railway Station.^[53]The Glenelg tramline was extended through the city to Hindmarsh^[54]down to East Terrace^[55]and the suburban railway line extended south to Seaford.^[56]

Following a period of stagnation in the 1990s and 2000s, Adelaide began several major developments and redevelopments. The Adelaide Convention Centre was redeveloped and expanded at a cost of A$350 million beginning in 2012.^[57]Three historic buildings were adapted for modern use: theTorrens Buildingin Victoria Square as the Adelaide campus for Carnegie Mellon University, University College London, and Torrens University;^[58]the Stock Exchange building as the Science Exchange of the Royal Institution Australia; and the Glenside Psychiatric Hospital as the Adelaide Studios of theSA Film Corporation. The government invested more than A$2 billion to builda desalination plant, powered by renewable energy, as an 'insurance policy' against droughts affecting Adelaide'swater supply.^[59]TheAdelaide Festival,Fringe, andWomadelaidebecame annual events.^[60]

Adelaide is north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, on the Adelaide Plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty Ranges. The city stretches 20 km (12 mi) from the coast to the foothills, and 90 km (56 mi) fromGawlerat its northern extent toSellicks Beachin the south. According to the Regional Development Australia, an Australian government planning initiative, the "Adelaide Metropolitan Region" has a total land area of 870 km²(340 sq mi), while a more expansive definition by the Australian Bureau of Statistics defines a "Greater Adelaide" statistical area totalling 3,259.8 km²(1,258.6 sq mi).^[2]The city sits at an average elevation of 50 metres (160 ft) above sea level.Mount Lofty, east of the Adelaide metropolitan region in the Adelaide Hills at an elevation of 727 metres (2,385 ft), is the tallest point of the city and in the state south ofBurra. The city borders theTemperate Grassland of South Australiain the east, an endangered vegetation community.^[61]

Much of Adelaide was bushland before British settlement, with some variation – sandhills, swamps and marshlands were prevalent around the coast. The loss of the sandhills to urban development had a particularly destructive effect on the coastline due to erosion.^[62]Where practical, the government has implemented programs to rebuild and vegetate sandhills at several of Adelaide's beachside suburbs.Tennyson Dunesis the largest contiguous, tertiary dune system contained entirely within Metropolitan Adelaide, providing refuge for a variety of remnant species formerly found along the entire coastline.^[63]Much of the original vegetation has been cleared with what is left to be found in reserves such as theCleland National ParkandBelair National Park. A number of creeks and rivers flow through the Adelaide region. The largest are the Torrens andOnkaparingacatchments. Adelaide relies on its many reservoirs for water supply with theHappy Valley Reservoirsupplying around 40% and the much largerMount Bold Reservoir10% of Adelaide's domestic requirements respectively.

Adelaide and its surrounding area is one of the most seismically active regions in Australia. On 1 March 1954 at 3:40 am Adelaide experienced its largest recorded earthquake to date, with the epicentre 12 km from the city centre atDarlington, and a reported magnitude of 5.6.^[64][65]There have been smaller earthquakes in 2010,^[66]2011,^[67]2014,^[68]2017,^[69]2018^[70]and 2022.^[71]

The uplands of theAdelaide Hills, part of the southernMount Lofty Rangesto the east of Adelaide, are defined on their western side by a number of arcuate faults (the Para, Eden, Clarendon and Willunga Faults), and consist of rocks such assiltstone,dolomiteandquartzite, dating from theNeoproterozoicto the middleCambrian, laid down in the Adelaide Rift Complex, the oldest part of theAdelaide Superbasin.^[72]

Most of the Adelaide metropolitan area lies in the downthrown St Vincent Basin and its embayments, including theAdelaide PlainsSub-basin, and the Golden Grove, Noarlunga and Willunga Embayments. These basins contain deposits ofTertiarymarine and non-marine sands and limestones, which form important aquifers.^[73]These deposits are overlain byQuaternaryalluvial fansandpiedmontslope deposits, derived from erosion of the uplands, consisting of sands, clays and gravels,^[74]interfingering to the west withtransgressivePleistocenetoHolocenemarine sands and coastal sediments of the shoreline of Gulf St Vincent.^[75]

Adelaide is a planned city, designed by the first Surveyor-General of South Australia, ColonelWilliam Light. His plan, sometimes referred to as "Light's Vision" (also the name of a statue of him onMontefiore Hill), arranged Adelaide in agrid, withfive squaresin theAdelaide city centreand a ring of parks, known as theAdelaide Parklands, surrounding it. Light's selection of the location for the city was initially unpopular with the early settlers, as well as South Australia's first governor, John Hindmarsh, due to its distance from the harbour at Port Adelaide, and the lack of fresh water there.^[76]

Light successfully persisted with his choice of location against this initial opposition. Recent evidence suggests that Light worked closely with George Kingston as well as a team of men to set out Adelaide, using various templates for city plans going back toAncient Greece, includingItalian Renaissancedesigns and the similar layouts of the American citiesPhiladelphiaandSavannah–which, like Adelaide, follow the same layout of a central city square, four complementing city squares surrounding it and a parklands area that surrounds the city centre.^[77]

The benefits of Light's design are numerous: Adelaide has had wide multi-lane roads from its beginning, an easily navigablecardinal directiongrid layout and an expansive green ring around the city centre. There are two sets ofring roadsin Adelaide that have resulted from the original design. Theinner ring route(A21) borders the parklands, and the outer route (A3/A13/A16/A17) completely bypasses the inner city via (in clockwise order)Grand Junction Road, Hampstead Road, Ascot Avenue,Portrush Road,Cross RoadandSouth Road.^[78]

Suburban expansion has to some extent outgrown Light's original plan. Numerous former outlying villages and "country towns", as well as the satellite city ofElizabeth, have been enveloped by itssuburban sprawl. Expanding developments in the Adelaide Hills region led to the construction of theSouth Eastern Freewayto cope with growth, which has subsequently led to new developments and further improvements to that transport corridor. Similarly, the booming development in Adelaide'sSouthled to the construction of theSouthern Expressway.

New roads are not the only transport infrastructure developed to cope with the urban growth. TheO-Bahn Buswayis an example of a unique solution toTea Tree Gully'stransport woes in the 1980s.^[79]The development of the nearby suburb ofGolden Grovein the late 1980s is an example of well-thought-out urban planning.

In the 1960s, aMetropolitan Adelaide Transport StudyPlan was proposed to cater for the future growth of the city. The plan involved the construction of freeways,expresswaysand the upgrade of certain aspects of the public transport system. The then premierSteele Hallapproved many parts of the plan and the government went as far as purchasing land for the project. The laterLaborgovernment elected underDon Dunstanshelved the plan, but allowed the purchased land to remain vacant, should the future need for freeways arise. In 1980, theLiberal partywon government and premierDavid Tonkincommitted his government to selling off the land acquired for the MATS plan, ensuring that even when needs changed, the construction of most MATS-proposed freeways would be impractical. Some parts of this land have been used for transport, (e.g. the O-Bahn Busway and Southern Expressway), while most has been progressively subdivided for residential use.

In 2008, theSA Governmentannounced plans for a network oftransport-oriented developmentsacross the Adelaide metropolitan area and purchased a10 hectare industrial siteatBowdenfor $52.5 million as the first of these developments.^[80][81]

Historically, Adelaide's suburban residential areas have been characterised by single-storey detached houses built on1,000-square-metre (1⁄4-acre) blocks. A relative lack of suitable, locally-available timber for construction purposes led to the early development of a brick-making industry, as well as the use of stone, for houses and other buildings. By 1891, 68% of houses were built of stone, 15% of timber, and 10% of brick, with brick also being widely used in stone houses for quoins, door and window surrounds, and chimneys and fireplaces.^[82]

There is a wide variety in the styles of these houses. Until the 1960s, most of the more substantial houses were built of red brick, though many front walls were of ornamental stone. Then cream bricks became fashionable, and in the 1970s, deep red and brown bricks became popular.^{[citation needed]}Until the 1970s, roofs tended to be clad with (painted)corrugated ironor cement or clay tiles, usually red "terracotta". Since then,Colorbondcorrugated steel has dominated. Most roofs are pitched. Flat roofs are not common.^[83]

Up to the 1970s, most houses were of "double brick" construction on concrete footings, with timber floors laid on joists supported by "dwarf walls". Later houses have mainly been of "brick veneer" construction – structuraltimberor, more recently,lightweight steelframe on aconcrete slabfoundation, lined withGyprock, and with an outer skin of brickwork,^[83]to cope with Adelaide'sreactive soils, particularly Keswick Clay, black earth and some red-brown earth soils.^[84]The use of precast concrete panels for floor and wall construction has also increased.^[83]In addition to this, a significant factor in Adelaide's suburban history is the role of theSouth Australian Housing Trust.^[why?]

• 
  Carclew House
• 
  Two-storey house in North Adelaide. Much of Adelaide's early housing was built with bluestone.
• 
  Heritage-listed bluestone19th-century house in the city centre
• 
  Tudor Revivalhouse in Unley Park
• 
  House in Lockleyswith two distinguishing features that characterise Adelaide houses: a brush fence and red brick veneer.

Adelaide has a hot-summerMediterranean climate(Csa) under theKöppen climate classification.^[85]The city has hot, dry summers and cool winters with moderate rainfall. Mostprecipitationfalls in the winter months, leading to the suggestion that the climate be classified as a "cold monsoon".^[86]Rainfall is unreliable, light and infrequent throughout summer, although heavy falls can occur. The winter has fairly reliable rainfall with June being the wettest month of the year, averaging around 80 mm.Frostsare occasional, with the most notable occurrences in 1908 and 1982. Hail is common in winter.

Adelaide is a windy city with significantwind chillin winter, which makes the temperatureseem colder than it actually is. Snowfall in the metropolitan area is extremely rare, although light and sporadic falls in the nearby hills and atMount Loftyoccur during winter. Dewpoints in the summer typically range from 8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F). There are usually several days in summer where the temperature reaches 40.0 °C (104.0 °F) or above; the frequency of these temperatures has beenincreasing in recent years.^[87]Temperature extremes range from −0.4 °C (31.4 °F), 8 June 1982 to 47.7 °C (117.9 °F), 24 January 2019. The city features 90.6 clear days annually.

The average sea temperature ranges from 13.7 °C (56.7 °F) in August to 21.2 °C (70.2 °F) in February.^[88]

Adelaide was consistently ranked in the world's 10most liveable citiesthrough the 2010s byThe Economist Intelligence Unit.^{[93][94][95][96]}In June 2021,The Economistranked Adelaide the third most liveable city in the world, behindAucklandandOsaka.^[97]In June 2023, Adelaide was ranked the twelfth most liveable city in the world by the Economist Intelligence Unit.^[98]

In December 2021, Adelaide was named the world's second National Park City, after the state government had lobbied for this title.^[99][100]

It was ranked themost liveable cityin Australia by theProperty Council of Australia, based on surveys of residents' views of their own city, between 2010 and 2013,^{[101][102][103]}dropping to second place in 2014.^[104]

Adelaide, as the capital of South Australia, is the seat of theGovernment of South Australia. ThebicameralParliament of South Australiaconsists of thelower houseknown as theHouse of Assemblyand theupper houseknown as theLegislative Council.General electionsare held every four years, the last being the2022 South Australian state election.

As Adelaide is South Australia's capital and most populous city, theState Governmentco-operates extensively with theCity of Adelaide. In 2006, the Ministry for the City of Adelaide was created to facilitate the State Government's collaboration with theAdelaide City Counciland the Lord Mayor to improve Adelaide's image. The State Parliament's Capital City Committee is also involved in the governance of the City of Adelaide, being primarily concerned with the planning of Adelaide's urban development and growth.^[105]

Reflecting South Australia's status as Australia's most centralised state, Adelaide elects a substantial majority of the South Australian House of Assembly. Of the 47 seats in the chamber, 34 seats (three-quarters of the legislature) are based in Adelaide, and two rural seats include Adelaide suburbs.

The Adelaide metropolitan area is divided between nineteenlocal government areas. At its centre, theCity of Adelaideadministers theAdelaide city centre,North Adelaide, and the surroundingAdelaide Parklands. It is the oldest municipal authority in Australia and was established in 1840, when Adelaide and Australia's first mayor,James Hurtle Fisher, was elected. From 1919 onwards, the city has had aLord Mayor, the current being Lord MayorThe Right HonourableJane Lomax-Smith.

Adelaide's inhabitants are known as Adelaideans.^[106][107]

Compared with Australia's other state capitals, Adelaide is growing at a rate similar to Sydney and Hobart (seeList of cities in Australia by population). In 2020, it had a metropolitan population (including suburbs) of more than 1,376,601,^[108]making it Australia's fifth-largest city. 77%^[109]of the population of South Australia are residents of the Adelaide metropolitan area, making South Australia one of the most centralised states.

Major areas of population growth in recent years have been in outer suburbs such asMawson Lakesand Golden Grove. Adelaide's inhabitants occupy 366,912 houses, 57,695 semi-detached, row terrace or town houses and 49,413 flats, units or apartments.^[110]

About one sixth (17.1%) of the population had university qualifications. The number of Adelaideans with vocational qualifications (such as tradespersons) fell from 62.1% of the labour force in the 1991 census to 52.4% in the 2001 census.

Adelaide is ageing more rapidly than other Australian capital cities. More than a quarter (27.5%) of Adelaide's population is aged 55 years or older, in comparison to the national average of 25.6%. Adelaide has the lowest number of children (under-15-year-olds), who comprised 17.7% of the population, compared to the national average of 19.3%.^[110]

Country of Birth (2021) ^[111]

Birthplace[note 1]	Population
Australia	953,200
England	78,486
India	42,933
Mainland China	24,921
Vietnam	16,564
Italy	15,667
Philippines	12,826
New Zealand	10,238
Scotland	9,381
Malaysia	8,509
Afghanistan	7,909
Germany	7,680
Greece	7,590
Nepal	7,055
South Africa	6,983
Pakistan	5,432
Iran	5,147

At the 2021 census, the most commonly nominated ancestries were:^[111]

Overseas-born Adelaideans composed 31.3% of the total population at the 2021 census. The five largest groups of overseas-born were from England (5.7%), India (3.1%),Mainland China(1.8%), Vietnam (1.2%) and Italy (1.1%).^[113]

Suburbs includingNewton,PaynehamandCampbelltownin the east andTorrensville,West LakesandFulhamto the west, have largeGreekandItaliancommunities. The Italian consulate is located in the western suburb ofHindmarsh.^[114]LargeVietnamesepopulations are settled in the north-western suburbs ofWoodville,Kilkenny,Pennington,Mansfield ParkandAthol Parkand alsoParafield GardensandPoorakain Adelaide's north. Migrants fromIndiaandSri Lankahave settled into inner suburban areas of Adelaide including the inner northern suburbs ofBlair Athol,KilburnandEnfieldand the inner southern suburbs ofPlympton,Park HolmeandKurralta Park.^{[citation needed]}

Suburbs such asPara Hills,Salisbury,Ingle FarmandBlair Atholin the north andFindon,West CroydonandSeatonand other Western suburbs have sizeableAfghancommunities.Chinese migrantsfavour settling in the eastern and north eastern suburbs includingKensington Gardens,Greenacres,ModburyandGolden Grove.Mawson Lakeshas a large international student population, due to its proximity to theUniversity of South Australiacampus.^[115]

At the 2021 census, 1.7% of Adelaide's population identified as beingIndigenous—Aboriginal AustraliansandTorres Strait Islanders.^{[N 2][113]}

At the 2016 census, 75.4% of the population spokeEnglishat home. The other languages most commonly spoken at home were Italian (2.1%),Standard Mandarin(2.1%), Greek (1.7%) Vietnamese (1.4%), andCantonese(0.7%).^[116]TheKaurna language, spoken by the area's original inhabitants, had no living speakers in the middle of the 20th century, but since the 1990s there has been a sustained revival effort from academics and Kaurna elders.^[117]

Adelaide was founded on a vision of religious tolerance that attracted a wide variety of religious practitioners. This led to it being known asThe City of Churches.^{[119][120][121]}But approximately 28% of the population expressed no religious affiliation in the 2011 Census, compared with the national average of 22.3%, making Adelaide one of Australia's least religious cities.^[122]According to 2021 census, 39.8% population of Adelaide identifies as Christian, with the largest denominations beingCatholic(16.4%),Anglican(7.0%),Uniting Church(3.9%) andGreek Orthodox(2.4%). Non-Christian faith communities representing 9.5% from Adelaide's population, includesIslam(2.8%),Hinduism(2.7%) andBuddhism(2.3%).^[123]

The Jewish community of the city dates back to 1840. Eight years later, 58 Jews lived in the city.^[124]A synagogue was built in 1871, when 435 Jews lived in the city. Many took part in the city councils, such asJudah Moss Solomon(1852–66). Three Jews have been elected to the position ofcity mayor.^[125]In 1968, the Jewish population of Adelaide numbered about 1,200;^[126]in 2001, according to the Australian census, 979 persons declared themselves to be Jewish by religion.^[124]In 2011, over 1,000 Jews were living in the city, operating anOrthodoxand aReformsynagogue, in addition to a virtual Jewish museum. Massada College, a Jewish primary school opened in the city in 1975 and closed in 2011.^[127][128]

The "Afghan" community in Australia first became established in the 1860s when camels and their Pathan, Punjabi, Baluchi and Sindhi handlers began to be used to open up settlement in the continent's arid interior.^[129]Until eventually superseded by the advent of the railways and motor vehicles, camels played an invaluable economic and social role in transporting heavy loads of goods to and from isolated settlements and mines. This is acknowledged by the name ofThe Ghan, the passenger train operating between Adelaide, Alice Springs, and Darwin. TheCentral Adelaide Mosqueis regarded as Australia's oldest permanent mosque; an earliermosque at Marreein northern South Australia, dating from 1861 to 1862 and subsequently abandoned or demolished, has now been rebuilt.

South Australia's largest employment sectors are health care and social assistance,^[130][131]surpassing manufacturing in SA as the largest employer since 2006–07.^[130][131]In 2009–10, manufacturing in SA had average annual employment of 83,700 persons compared with 103,300 for health care and social assistance.^[130]Health care and social assistance represented nearly 13% of the state average annual employment.^[132]TheAdelaide Hills wine regionis an iconic and viable economic region for both the state and country in terms of wine production and sale. The 2014 vintage is reported as consisting of 5,836 t (5,744 long tons; 6,433 short tons) red grapes crushed valued at A$8,196,142 and 12,037 t (11,847 long tons; 13,269 short tons) white grapes crushed valued at $14,777,631.^[133]

The retail trade is the second largest employer in SA (2009–10), with 91,900 jobs, and 12 per cent of the state workforce.^[132]

Manufacturing, defence technology, high-tech electronic systems and research, commodity export and corresponding service industries all play a role in the SA economy. Almost half of all cars produced in Australia were made in Adelaide at theHolden Elizabeth PlantinElizabeth.^[134]The site ceased operating in November 2017.

Thecollapse of the State Bank in 1992resulted in large levels of state public debt (as much as A$4 billion). The collapse meant that successive governments enacted lean budgets, cutting spending, which was a setback to the further economic development of the city and state. The debt has more recently been reduced with the State Government once again receiving a AAA+ Credit Rating.^[135]

The global media conglomerateNews Corporationwas founded in, and until 2004 incorporated in, Adelaide and it is still considered its "spiritual" home by its founder,Rupert Murdoch.^[136]Australia's largest oil company,Santos, prominent South Australian brewery,Coopers, and national retailerHarris Scarfealso call Adelaide their home.

In 2018, at which time more than 80 organisations employed 800 people in the space sector in South Australia, Adelaide was chosen for the headquarters of a newAustralian Space Agency.^[137]The agency opened its in 2020. It is working to triple the size of the Australian space industry and create 20,000 new jobs by 2030.^[138]

Adelaide is home to a large proportion of Australia's defence industries, which contribute over A$1 billion to South Australia's Gross State Product.^[139]The principal government military research institution, theDefence Science and Technology Organisation, and other defence technology organisations such asBAE Systems Australiaand Lockheed Martin Australia, are north of Salisbury and west of Elizabeth in an area now called "Edinburgh Parks", adjacent toRAAF Base Edinburgh.

Others, such as Saab Systems and Raytheon, are in or nearTechnology Park.ASC Pty Ltd, is based in the industrial suburb ofOsborneand is also a part ofTechnology Park. South Australia was charged with constructing Australia'sCollins-class submarinesand more recently the A$6 billion contract to construct theRoyal Australian Navy's newair-warfare destroyers.^[140]

As of November 2015^[update], Greater Adelaide had an unemployment rate of 7.4% with a youth unemployment rate of 15%.^[141]

The median weekly individual income for people aged 15 years and over was $447 per week in 2006, compared with $466 nationally. The median family income was $1,137 per week, compared with $1,171 nationally.^[142]Adelaide's housing and living costs are substantially lower than that of other Australian cities, with housing being notably cheaper. The median Adelaide house price is half that of Sydney and two-thirds that of Melbourne. The three-month trend unemployment rate to March 2007 was 6.2%.^[143]The Northern suburbs' unemployment rate is disproportionately higher than the other regions of Adelaide at 8.3%, while the East and South are lower than the Adelaide average at 4.9% and 5.0% respectively.^[144]

Over the decade March 2001 – March 2010, Metropolitan Adelaide median house prices approximately tripled. (approx. 285% – approx. 11%p.a. compounding) In the five years March 2007 – March 2012, prices increased by approx. 27% – approx. 5%p.a. compounding. March 2012 – March 2017 saw a further increase of 19% – approx. 3.5%p.a. compounding.^{[145][146][147][148]}

In summary:

March	2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010
Median	$140,000	$170,000	$200,000	$250,000	$270,000	$280,000	$300,000	$360,000	$350,000	$400,000
% change		21%	18%	25%	8%	4%	7%	20%	−3%	14%
March	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Median	$400,000	$380,000	$393,000	$413,000	$425,000	$436,000	$452,000	$470,000	$478,500
% change	0%	−5%	3%	5%	3%	3%	4%
All numbers approximate and rounded. Since March 2012, the REISA[149]no longer release a median house price for the Adelaide Metropolitan area, so figures retrieved are from Dept of the Premier and Cabinet.[148]

Each quarter, The Alternative and Direct Investment Securities Association (ADISA) publishes a list of median house sale prices by suburb andLocal Government Area.^{[citation needed]}(Previously, this was done by REISA^[149]) Due to the small sizes of many of Adelaide's suburbs, the low volumes of sales in these suburbs, and (over time) the huge variations in the numbers of sales in a suburb in a quarter, statistical analysis of "the most expensive suburb" is unreliable; the suburbs appearing in the "top 10 most expensive suburbs this quarter" list is constantly varying. Quarterly Reports for the last two years can be found on the REISA website.^[150]

Education forms an increasingly important part of the city's economy, with theSouth Australian Governmentand educational institutions attempting to position Adelaide as "Australia's education hub" and marketing it as a "Learning City".^[151]The number of international students studying in Adelaide has increased rapidly in recent years to 30,726 in 2015, of which 1,824 were secondary school students.^[152]In addition to the city's existing institutions, foreign institutions have been attracted to set up campuses to increase its attractiveness as an education hub.^[153][154]Adelaide is the birthplace of three Nobel laureates,more than any other Australian city: physicistWilliam Lawrence Braggand pathologistsHoward FloreyandRobin Warren, all of whom completed secondary and tertiary education atSt Peter's Collegeand theUniversity of Adelaide.

Adelaide is also the hometown of mathematicianTerence Tao.

There are two systems of primary and secondary schools, a public system operated by the South Australian Government'sDepartment for Education, and a private system of independent and Catholic schools.^[155]South Australian schoolsprovide education under theAustralian Curriculumfor reception to Year 10 students. In Years 10 to 12, students study for theSouth Australian Certificate of Education(SACE). They have the option of incorporatingvocational education and training(VET) courses or a flexible learning option (FLO).^[156]South Australia also has 24 schools that useInternational Baccalaureateprograms as an alternative to the Australian Curriculum or SACE. These programs include theIB Primary Years Programme, theIB Middle Years Programme, and theIB Diploma Programme.^[157]

For South Australian students who cannot attend a traditional school, including students who live in rural or remote areas, the state government runs the Open Access College (OAC), which provides virtual teaching. The OAC has a campus inMardenwhich caters to students from reception to Year 12 and adults who haven't been able to complete their SACE.^[158][159]Guardians are also able to apply for their child to be educated from home as long as they provide an education program which meets the same requirements as the Australian Curriculum as well as opportunities for social interaction.^[160]

There are three public universities local to Adelaide, as well as one private university and three constituent colleges of foreign universities.Flinders University of South Australia, theUniversity of Adelaide, theUniversity of South AustraliaandTorrens University Australia—part of theLaureate International Universitiesare based in Adelaide. The University of Adelaide was ranked in the top 150 universities worldwide. Flinders ranked in the top 250 and Uni SA in the top 300. Torrens University Australia is part of an international network of over 70 higher education institutions in more than 30 countries worldwide. The historic Torrens Building inVictoria Square^[161]housesCarnegie Mellon University'sHeinz College Australia, andUniversity College London's School of Energy and Resources (Australia), and constitute the city's international university precinct.^[162]

TheUniversity of Adelaide, with 25,000 students,^[163]is Australia's third-oldest university and a member of the leading "Group of Eight". It has five campuses throughout the state, including two in the city-centre, and a campus in Singapore. TheUniversity of South Australia, with 37,000 students,^[164]has two North Terrace campuses, three other campuses in the metropolitan area and campuses in the regional cities ofWhyallaandMount Gambier. The University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia have had multiple proposals to merge into a single university. A proposal in 2018 failed due to uncertainty as to the new name and leadership of the merged university.^[165]In 2022, the universities announced a new merger proposal, with the name and leadership issues settled and support from the South Australian government.^[166]

Flinders University, with 25,184 students,^[167]is based in the southern suburb ofBedford Park, alongside theFlinders Medical Centre, with additional campuses in neighbouringTonsleyand in Victoria Square in the city centre.

TheAdelaide College of Divinityis atBrooklyn Park.

There are several South AustralianTAFE(Technical and Further Education) campuses in the metropolitan area that provide a range of vocational education and training. TheAdelaide College of the Arts, as a school of TAFE SA, provides nationally recognised training in visual and performing arts.

In addition to the universities, Adelaide is home to research institutes, including theRoyal Institution of Australia, established in 2009 as a counterpart to the two-hundred-year-oldRoyal Institutionof Great Britain.^[168]Many of the organisations involved in research tend to be geographically clustered throughout the Adelaide metropolitan area:

• The east end ofNorth Terrace:SA Pathology;^[169]Hanson Institute;^[170]National Wine Centre.
• The west end of North Terrace:South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute(SAHMRI), located next to theRoyal Adelaide Hospital.
• TheWaite Research Precinct:SARDIHead Office and Plant Research Centre;AWRI;^[171]ACPFG;^[172]CSIROresearch laboratories.^[173]SARDI also has establishments atGlenside^[174]andWest Beach.^[175]
• Edinburgh, South Australia:DSTO;BAE Systems(Australia);Lockheed MartinAustralia Electronic Systems.
• Technology Park(Mawson Lakes): BAE Systems;Optus;Raytheon;Topcon; Lockheed Martin Australia Electronic Systems.
• Research Park atThebarton: businesses involved in materials engineering, biotechnology, environmental services, information technology, industrial design, laser/optics technology, health products, engineering services, radar systems, telecommunications and petroleum services.
• Science Park (adjacent to Flinders University): Playford Capital.
• TheBasil HetzelInstitute for Translational Health Research^[176]inWoodvillethe research arm of theQueen Elizabeth Hospital, Adelaide
• TheJoanna Briggs Institute, a global research collaboration for evidence-based healthcare with its headquarters in North Adelaide.

• 
  Mitchell Building, University of Adelaide
• 
  The Hawke Building, part of UniSA's City West Campus
• 
  Flinders Universitybuildings from the campus hills
• 
  Torrens University
• 
  South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI)

While established as aBritish province, and very much English in terms of its culture, Adelaide attracted immigrants from other parts of Europe early on, including German and other European non-conformists escaping religious persecution. The firstGerman Lutherans arrived in 1838,^[177]bringing with them thevine cuttingsthat they used to found the acclaimed wineries of theBarossa Valley.

TheRoyal Adelaide Showis an annualagricultural showandstate fair, established in 1839 and now a huge event held in theAdelaide Showgroundannually.

Adelaide's arts scene flourished in the 1960s and 1970s with the support of successive premiers from both major political parties. The renownedAdelaide Festival of Artswas established in 1960 under Thomas Playford, which in the same year spawned an unofficial uncurated series of performances and exhibits which grew into theAdelaide Fringe. Construction of theAdelaide Festival Centrebegan under Steele Hall in 1970 and was completed under the subsequent government ofDon Dunstan, who also established theSouth Australian Film Corporationin 1972 and theState Opera of South Australiain 1976.

Over time, the Adelaide Festival expanded to includeAdelaide Writers' WeekandWOMADelaide, and other separate festivals were established, such as theAdelaide Cabaret Festival(2002), theAdelaide Festival of Ideas(1999), theAdelaide Film Festival(2013),FEAST(1999, aqueer culture),Tasting Australia(1997, a food and wine affair), andIlluminate Adelaide(2021). With the Festival, the Fringe, WOMADelaide, Writers' Week and theAdelaide 500street motor racing event (along with evening music concerts) all happening in early March, the period became known colloquially as "Mad March".

In 2014,Ghil'ad Zuckermannfounded theAdelaide Language Festival.^[178][179]

There are many international cultural fairs, most notably the GermanSchützenfestand GreekGlendi. Adelaide holds an annualChristmas pageant, the world's largestChristmas parade.

As the state capital, Adelaide has a great number of cultural institutions, many of them along the boulevard ofNorth Terrace. TheArt Gallery of South Australia, with about 35,000 works, holds Australia's second largest state-based collection. Adjacent are theSouth Australian MuseumandState Library of South Australia. TheAdelaide Botanic Garden,National Wine CentreandTandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Instituteare nearby in theEast Endof the city. In the back of the State Library lies theMigration Museum, Australia's oldest museum of its kind.

Further west, theLion Arts Centreis home toACE Open, which showcases contemporary art;Dance Hub SA; and other studios and arts industry spaces. TheMercury Cinemaand theJamFactoryceramics and design gallery are just around the corner.

The Adelaide Festival Centre (which includes the Dunstan Playhouse, Festival Theatre and Space Theatre), on the banks of the Torrens, is the focal point for much of the cultural activity in the city and home to theState Theatre Company of South Australia. Other live music and theatre venues include theAdelaide Entertainment Centre;Adelaide Oval;Memorial Drive Park;Thebarton Theatre;Adelaide Town Hall;Her Majesty's Theatre;Queen's Theatre;Holden Theatres; and the Hopgood Theatre.

TheLion Arts Factory, within the Lion Arts Centre, hosts contemporary music in a wide range of genres, as does "The Gov" inHindmarsh. The city also has numerous smaller theatres, pubs and cabaret bars which host performances.

In 2015, it was said that there were now more live music venues per capita in Adelaide than any other capital city in the southern hemisphere,^[180][181]Lonely Planetlabelled Adelaide "Australia's live music city",^[182]and the city was recognised as a "City of Music" by theUNESCO Creative Cities Network.^[183]

In addition to its ownWOMAD(WOMADelaide), Adelaide attracts several touring music festivals, includingCreamfields,LanewayandGroovin'.

Adelaide has produced musical groups and individuals who have achieved national and international fame. These include theAdelaide Symphony Orchestra, theAdelaide Youth Orchestra, rock bandsThe Angels,Atlas Genius,Cold Chisel,The Superjesus,Wolf & Cub, roots/blues groupThe Audreys, internationally acclaimed metal actsI Killed The Prom QueenandDouble Dragon, popular Australian hip-hop outfitHilltop Hoods, as well as Aussie Rules legend/rapper Chris Rodger, moniker (Chrissy Boiyo), to pop acts likeSia,Orianthi,Guy Sebastian, andWes Carr, as well as internationally successful tribute act, TheAustralian Pink Floyd Show.

Noted rockerJimmy Barnes(formerly lead vocalist with Cold Chisel) spent most of his youth in the northern suburb ofElizabeth. Paul Kelly grew up in Adelaide and was head prefect atRostrevor College. The firstAustralian Idolwinner, Guy Sebastian, hails from the north-eastern suburb ofGolden Grove.^[184]

Adelaide is served by numerous digitalfree-to-airtelevision channels:^{[citation needed]}

All of the five Australian national television networks broadcast bothhigh-definition digitalandstandard-definition digital televisionservices in Adelaide. They share three transmission towers on the ridge near the summit ofMount Lofty. There are two other transmission sites at 25Grenfell Street, Adelaide andElizabeth Downs.^[185]The two government-funded stations are run by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation(ABC South Australia) and theSpecial Broadcasting Service(SBS). TheSeven NetworkandNetwork Tenboth own their Adelaide stations (SAS-7andADS-10respectively). Adelaide'sNWS-9is part of theNine Network. Adelaide also has acommunity televisionstation,Channel 44.

As part of a nationwide phase-out ofanalogue televisionin Australia, Adelaide's analogue television service was shut down on 2 April 2013.^[186]

TheFoxtelpay TVservice is also available via cable or satellite to the entire metropolitan area.

All the major broadcasting networks also operate online on-demand television services, alongside internet-only services such asStan,Fetch TV,Netflix, YouTube,Disney+, andKayo Sports.

There are 20 radio stations that serve the metropolitan area, as well as four stations that serve only parts of the metropolitan area; six commercial stations, six community stations, six national stations and two narrowcast stations.^[187]

DAB+digital radio has been broadcasting in metropolitan Adelaide since 20 May 2009, and currently offers a choice of 41 stations all operated by the existing licensed radio broadcasters, which includes high-qualitysimulcastof all AM and FM stations.

The main sports played professionally in Adelaide areAustralian Rules football, soccer,cricket,netball, and basketball. Adelaide is the home of twoAustralian Football Leagueteams: theAdelaide Football ClubandPort Adelaide Football Club, and oneA-Leaguesoccer team,Adelaide United. A localAustralian rules footballleague, theSouth Australian National Football League(SANFL), is made up of 10 teams from around Adelaide. The SANFL has been in operation since 1877 when it began as the South Australian Football Association (SAFA) before changing its name to the SANFL in 1927. TheSANFLis the oldest surviving football league of any code played in Australia.^{[citation needed]}

Adelaide has developed a strong culture of attracting crowds to major sporting events.^[188]Until the completion of the 2012–14 renovation and upgrade of theAdelaide Oval, most large sporting events took place at eitherFootball Park(the then home base of theAdelaide Crows, and the thenPort Adelaidehome game venue), or the historicAdelaide Oval, home of theSouth Australia Redbacksand theAdelaide Strikerscricket teams. Since completion of the upgrade, home games for Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide now take place at Adelaide Oval.

Since 1884,Adelaide Ovalhas also hosted an international cricket test every summer, along with a number ofOne Day Internationalcricket matches.Memorial Drive Park, adjacent to the Adelaide Oval, used to host Davis Cup and other major tennis events, including the Australian Open and the Adelaide International. Adelaide's professional association football team,Adelaide United, play in theA-League. Founded in 2003, their home ground isCoopers Stadium, which has a capacity of 16,500 and is one of the fewpurpose-built soccer stadiain Australia. Prior to United's foundation,Adelaide CityandWest Adelaiderepresented the city in theNational Soccer League. The two sides, which contest theAdelaide derbyagainst one another, now play in theNational Premier Leagues South Australia.

For two years, 1997 and 1998, Adelaide was represented in Australia's top levelrugby league, after theNew South Wales Rugby Leaguehad played a single game per season at the Adelaide Oval for five years starting in 1991.^[189]TheAdelaide Ramswere formed and played in the breakawaySuper League(SL) competition in1997before moving to the newNational Rugby Leaguein1998. Initially playing at the Adelaide Oval, the club moved to the more suitable Hindmarsh Stadium late in the 1998 season. As part of a peace deal with theAustralian Rugby Leagueto end theSuper League war, the club's ownersNews Limited(who were also owners of the SL) suddenly closed the club only weeks before the start of the1999 season.

Adelaide has two professional basketball teams, the men's team being theAdelaide 36erswhich plays in theNational Basketball League(NBL) and the women's team, theAdelaide Lightningwhich plays in theWomen's National Basketball League(WNBL). The Adelaide 36ers play at theAdelaide Entertainment Centrewhile the Adelaide Lightning play at theAdelaide Arena(Previously Titanium Security Arena). Adelaide has a professionalnetballteam, theAdelaide Thunderbirds, which plays in the national netball competition, theSuncorp Super Netballchampionship, with home games played atNetball SA Stadium. The Thunderbirds occasionally play games or finals at the Titanium Security Arena, while international netball matches are usually played at the 10,500 seat Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The Titanium Security Arena has a capacity of 8,000 and is the largest purpose-built basketball stadium in Australia.

Since 1999 Adelaide and its surrounding areas have hosted theTour Down Underbicycle race, organised and directed by Adelaide-basedMichael Turtur. Turtur won anOlympicgold medal for Australia in the4000 m team pursuitat the1984 Los Angeles Olympics. The Tour Down Under is the largest cycling event outside Europe and was the first event outside Europe to be grantedUCI ProTourstatus.

The2024 Women's Tour Down Undercycle stage race was held in and around Adelaide, South Australia from 12 to 14 January 2024

Adelaide maintains a franchise in theAustralian Baseball League, theAdelaide Giants. They have been playing since 2009, and their home stadium (until 2016) wasNorwood Oval. From 2016 the team moved to theDiamond Sports Stadiumlocated near theAdelaide International Airportdue to renovations at Norwood.^[190]

Adelaide also has an ice hockey team,Adelaide Adrenalinein theAustralian Ice Hockey League(AIHL). It was national champions in 2009 and plays its games at theIceArenA.^[191]

TheAustralian Grand Prixfor World ChampionshipFormula Oneracing was hosted by Adelaide from1985to1995on theAdelaide Street Circuitwhich was laid out in the city's East End as well as the eastern parklands including theVictoria Park Racecourse.^[192]The Grand Prix became a source of pride, and losing the event to Melbourne in a surprise announcement in mid-1993 left a void that has since been filled with theAdelaide 500forV8 Supercarracing, held on a modified version of the same street circuit. The Classic Adelaide, arallyof classic sporting vehicles, is also held in the city and its surrounds.

Adelaide formerly had three horse racing venues.Victoria Park,Cheltenham Park Racecourse, both of which have now closed, andMorphettville Racecoursethat remains the home of theSouth Australian Jockey Club. It also hasGlobe Derby ParkforHarness racingthat opened in 1969, and by 1973 had become Adelaide's premier harness racing venue taking over from theWayville Showgrounds, as well asGreyhound Parkforgreyhound racingthat opened in 1972.

TheWorld Solar Challengerace attracts teams from around the world, most of which are fielded by universities or corporations, although some are fielded by high schools. The race has a 20-years' history spanning nine races, with the inaugural event taking place in 1987. Adelaide hosted the 2012 World Bowls Championships^[193]at Lockleys Bowling Club, becoming the third city in the world to have held the championships twice, having previously hosted the event in 1996.

Dirt track speedwayis also popular in Adelaide with three operating speedways.Adelaide Motorsport Park, located adjacent to theAdelaide International Racewayroad racing circuit atVirginia(24 km (15 mi) north of the city centre) has been in continuous operation since 1979 after the closure of the popularRowley Park Speedway.Gillman Speedwaylocated in the semi-industrial suburb ofGillman, has been in operation since 1998 and caters toMotorcycle speedwayandSidecars, while theSidewinders Speedwaylocated inWingfieldis also a motorcycle speedway dedicated to Under-16 riders and has been in operation since 1978.

In 2016, backed by South Australia'sPeregrine Corporationopened up a multi-purpose facility; a state-of-the-art motorsporting park and a hotel alongside its newer OTR service station outside a small township ofTailem Bendcurrently namedThe Bend Motorsport Park. Design for thrill seekers and rev-heads the facility currently host South Australia's second Supercars motoring event during a round in August.^[194]

Adelaide is home to theGreat Southern Slam, the world's largestroller derbytournament. The tournament has been held biennially over Australia's Queen's Birthday holiday weekend since 2010. In 2014, and 2016 the tournament featured 45 teams playing in two divisions. In 2018, the tournament has expanded to 48 teams competing in three divisions.

Being centrally located on the Australian mainland, Adelaide forms a strategic transport hub for east–west and north–south routes. The city itself has a metropolitan public transport system managed by and known as theAdelaide Metro. The Adelaide Metro consists of a contracted bus system including theO-Bahn Busway,6 commuter rail lines(diesel and electric), and a small tram network operating between inner suburbHindmarsh, the city centre, and seasideGlenelg. Tramways were largely dismantled in the 1950s, but saw a revival in the 2010s with upgrades and extensions.

Road transport in Adelaide has historically been easier than many of the other Australian cities, with a well-defined city layout and wide multiple-lane roads from the beginning of its development. Adelaide was known as a "twenty-minute city", with commuters having been able to travel from metropolitan outskirts to the city proper in roughly twenty minutes. However, such arterial roads often experience traffic congestion as the city grows.^[195]

The Adelaide metropolitan area has one freeway and four expressways. In order of construction, they are:

• TheSouth Eastern Freeway(M1), connects the south-east corner of the Adelaide Plain to the Adelaide Hills and beyond toMurray BridgeandTailem Bend, where it then continues as National Highway 1 south-east to Melbourne.
• TheSouthern Expressway(M2), connecting the outer southern suburbs with the inner southern suburbs and the city centre. It duplicates the route ofSouth Road.
• TheNorth-South Motorway(M2), is an ongoing major project that will become the major north–south corridor, replacing most of what is nowSouth Road, connecting theSouthern Expresswayand theNorthern Expresswayvia a motorway with no traffic lights. As of 2024 the motorway's northern half is complete, connecting the Northern Expressway to Adelaide's inner north-west; the section running through Adelaide's inner west and inner south-west will begin major construction in 2025 with completion estimated for 2031.^[196]
• ThePort River Expressway(A9), connects Port Adelaide andOuter Harborto Port Wakefield Road at the northern "entrance" to the metropolitan area.
• TheNorthern Expressway(Max Fatchen Expressway) (M2), is the northern suburbs bypass route connecting the Sturt Highway (National Highway 20) via theGawler Bypassto Port Wakefield Road at a point a few kilometres north of the Port River Expressway connection.
• TheNorthern Connector, completed in 2020, links the North South Motorway to the Northern Expressway.

• 
  A Custom Coachesbodied Scania bus on King William Street.
• 
  An Adelaide Metro Alstom Citadisand Flexity Classic
• 
  The Mount Osmond Interchangeon the South Eastern Freeway; like many cities with urban sprawl, Adelaide has been criticised for car dependency.

The Adelaide metropolitan area has two commercial airports,Adelaide AirportandParafield Airport. Adelaide Airport, in Adelaide's south-western suburbs, serves in excess of 8 million passengers annually.^[197]Parafield Airport, Adelaide's second airport 18 kilometres (11 miles) north of the city centre, is used for small aircraft, pilot training and recreational aviation purposes. Parafield Airport served as Adelaide's main aerodrome until the opening of the Adelaide Airport in February 1955. Adelaide Airport serves many international and domestic destinations including all Australian state capitals.

Adelaide is also home to a military airport, known asEdinburgh Airport, located in the northern suburbs. It was built in 1955 in a joint initiative with the United Kingdom for weapon development.

Adelaide's two largest hospitals are theRoyal Adelaide Hospital(RAH) in Adelaide Parklands, ateaching hospitalaffiliated with the University of Adelaide (800 beds), and theFlinders Medical Centre(580 beds) at Bedford Park, affiliated with Flinders University. The RAH also operates additional campuses for specialist care throughout the suburbs including the Hampstead Rehabilitation Centre (150 beds) atNorthfieldand theGlenside Campus(129 beds) for acute mental health services.

Other major public hospitals are theWomen's and Children's Hospital(305 beds), at North Adelaide; theQueen Elizabeth Hospital(340 beds) at Woodville;Modbury Hospital(178 beds) at Modbury; and theLyell McEwin Hospital(198 beds) at Elizabeth Vale. Numerous private hospitals are also located throughout the city, with the largest operators being not-for-profitsAdelaide Community Healthcare Alliance(3 hospitals) andCalvary Care(4 hospitals).

In 2017, the RAH was relocated from the city'sEast Endto a new AU$2.3 billion facility built over former railyards in the West End.^[198]The state-of-the-art hospital forms part of a new biomedical precinct calledBioMed Citythat collocates theSouth Australian Health and Medical Research Institute(SAHMRI), the University of Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building, the University of South Australia's Health Innovation Building, and the state's Dental Hospital.^[199][200]SAHMRI is building a $300 million second facility due to be completed by 2022 to house theAustralian Bragg Centrewith Australia's firstproton therapyunit.^[201]Construction is underway for theWomen's and Children's Hospitalto be relocated to the precinct adjacent the RAH by 2030.^[202]

The largest provider of community health care within Adelaide is the not-for-profitRoyal District Nursing Service(RDNS), which provides out of hospital care and hospital avoidance care.

Adelaide's energy requirements were originally met by theAdelaide Electric Supply Company, which was nationalised by thePlayfordgovernment in 1946,^[203]becoming theElectricity Trust of South Australia(ETSA). Despite significant public opposition and the Labor party's anti-privatisation stance which left the Liberal party one vote short of the numbers needed to pass the legislation, ETSA was privatised by theOlsenGovernment in 1999 by way of a 200-year lease for the distribution network (ETSA Utilities, later renamedSA Power Networks) and the outright purchase of ETSA Power^{[clarification needed]}by theCheung Kong Holdingsfor $3.5 billion (11 times ETSA's annual earnings) after Labor MPTrevor Crothersresigned from the party and voted with the government.^[204][205]

The electricity retail market was opened to competition in 2003 and although competition was expected to result in lower retail costs, prices increased by 23.7% in the market's first year.^[206]In 2004, the privatisation was deemed to be a failure with consumers paying 60% more for their power and with the state government estimated to lose $3 billion in power generation net income in the first ten years of privatisation.^[207]In 2012, the industry came under scrutiny for allegedly reducing supply by shutting down generators during periods of peak demand to force prices up. Increased media attention also revealed that in 2009 the state government had approved a 46% increase in retail prices to cover expected increases in the costs of generation while generation costs had in fact fallen 35% by 2012.^{[citation needed]}South Australia has the highest retail price for electricity in the country.^[208]

Privatisation led to competition from a variety of companies who now separately provide for the generation, transmission, distribution and retail sales of gas and electricity. Electricity generation comes from a range of technologies and operators.ElectraNetoperates the high-voltage electricity transmission network.SA Power Networksdistributes electricity to end users. The largest electricity and gas retailing companies are also the largest generating companies.

The largest fossil fuel power stations are theTorrens Island Power Stationgas-fired plant operated byAGL Energyand thePelican Point Power Stationoperated byEngie. South Australia also has wind and solar power and connections to the national grid.Gasis supplied from theMoombaGas Processing Plant in theCooper Basinvia theMoomba Adelaide Pipeline System^[209]and theSEAGas pipelinefromVictoria.

In 2011, South Australia generated 18% of its electricity fromwind power, and had 51% of the installed capacity of wind generators in Australia.^[210]

Due to almost universal blackouts within the city during September 2016,^[211]the state worked withTeslato produce the world's largest electricity battery atHornsdale Power Reservewhich has increased that state's electrical security to the extent in which large blackouts are no longer an event.^[212]

The provision of water services is by the government-ownedSA Water. Adelaide's water is supplied from its seven reservoirs:Mount Bold,Happy Valley,Myponga,Millbrook,Hope Valley,Little ParaandSouth Para. The yield from these reservoir catchments can be as little as 10% of the city's requirements (90GL per annum^[213]) in drought years and about 60% in average years. The remaining demand is met by the pumping of water from theRiver Murray.^[213]

Asea-water desalination plantcapable of supplying 100GL per annum was built during the2001–2009 drought; however, it operated at about 8% of its capacity until 2019. In December 2018, the State and Federal Governments agreed to fund a $2m study to determine how the plant could be used to reduce reliance on river water, in an effort to help save the Murray River basin and mouth (including theCoorong) from further ecological damage.^[213]

AdelaideFree WiFi is a citywide freeWi-Finetwork covering most of the inner city areas of Adelaide, primarily theAdelaide CBDand Northern Adelaide precincts.^[214]It was officially launched at the Adelaide Central Markets on Tuesday 25 June 2014.^{[214][215][216]}It is provided byInternode,^[217]with infrastructure provided by outdoorCiscoWiFi N access points attached to the top of lighting poles, as well as inside cafes and businesses across the city.

• Adelaide Hills
• City of Adelaide
• Music of Adelaide
• Port Adelaide

Lists

• Images of Adelaide
• List of Adelaide obsolete suburb names
• List of Adelaide parks and gardens
• List of Adelaide railway stations
• List of Adelaide suburbs
• List of films shot in Adelaide
• List of people from Adelaide
• List of protected areas in Adelaide
• List of public art in South Australia
• List of public transport routes in Adelaide
• List of South Australian commercial icons
• List of sporting clubs in Adelaide
• List of tallest buildings in Adelaide
• Sister cities of the City of Adelaide(the Local government area that governs the city centre)
• Tourist attractions in South Australia

• Adelaide City Council > Official City Guide
• Adelaide City Council
• Kids in AdelaideRetrieved 12 May 2020.