Adelaide

Adelaide

After finishing our housesit, we had a few days in Adelaide before moving on. Adelaide, unlike many early settlements in Australia, was not inhabited by convicts, or even by those early settlers who came over to find a better life for themselves with the promise of a plot of land.

Quite the opposite in fact; it seems that emigration to South Australia  was a rather less egalitarian arrangement, proposed by Edward Gibbon Wakefield.

Adelaide

He was clearly a man driven by wealth, who started reasonably well off, eloped with one heiress, and then after she died, abducted and married another. This time however, the parents didn't accept it as an elopement, and they had the marriage annulled and Wakefield was imprisoned for abduction.

During his time in prison, he hatched a plan for South Australia. It had bothered him that the hoi polloi had been able to go to Australia, obtain land, and therefore their independence. He planned that in Adelaide, the land would be priced too highly for commoners, so that only the wealthy would be able to own land, and everyone else would have to work for them, as was the case in Britain.

Adelaide

These days, the centre of Adelaide is a pleasant, if not especially exciting, place. It has plenty of green spaces, and some interesting old buildings. I rather liked the way they have planted jacaranda trees along some of the pavements, creating beautiful purple avenues, and a carpet of petals underneath.

Adelaide

South Australia Museum, Adelaide

We took a look around the South Australia Museum, which had some interesting exhibits, including a few things about the migration of people. They are developing a Migration Museum, so I suspect those aspects will be transferred there when it is completed.

Whilst the Botanic Gardens maybe weren't at their most vibrant in November, they were nice to walk around, although I could have done with a few more shady areas as it was a very sunny day.

Adelaide

Adelaide Central Market

Adelaide Central Market is an excellent place to go if you want to pick up provisions for self catering, or just some breads and cheeses etc for a snack.

Like most of these markets, it's not the cheapest, but there is plenty of choice and the quality is good. If you want someone else to do the cooking and washing up, there are plenty of places to eat and drink, especially around Rundle Street.

Adelaide

And don't miss the pigs in the shopping street.

South Australia Museum, Adelaide

Jacaranda trees, Adelaide