Port Adelaide

Colonel William Light began closely exploring the area in late 1836 while deciding on a site for the colony of South Australia's port.[13] After initial trepidation, he reported to the Colonisation Commissioners that the location was a suitable harbour. By this time it had acquired the name "the port creek".[14] Light's choice of separating the port and Adelaide was strongly opposed by a few merchants, a newspaper and Governor John Hindmarsh. This opposition was largely based on the distance between them. The division of power in the colony meant that the final decision was Light's alone. He kept Adelaide and the port separate principally due to the lack of fresh water at the port.[15]

George French Angas, Port Adelaide, 1846, State Library of South Australia

The effective foundation day of Port Adelaide was 6 January 1837. On this day the first harbourmaster, Captain Thomas Lipson (Royal Navy), took up residence with his family on the edge of Port Creek. The new port was used for shipping later that month, and passengers began disembarking the next. At this point the site was known as The Port Creek Settlement.[16]

When founded, the port's land was just higher than the surrounding tidal flats; at high tide the port could be rowed around.[17] The port had a significant problem—reported in letters from Light and complaints to the Governor from ship owners—of a lack of a fresh water supply.[18] At first the river was not used for larger ships. They had to land at Holdfast Bay until the port was charted.[19] This early port was plagued by mosquitoes, was a comparative long distance from Adelaide, had few amenities and had a risk of inundation when the tide was very high. By 1840 it had acquired the name "Port Misery"; the name was widely used in news reports.[20][21] It was first coined in a book credited to T. Horton James, probably a pseudonym, and comes from a line stating:[22]

This is Port Adelaide! Port Misery would be a better name; for nothing in any other part of the world can surpass it in every thing that is wretched and inconvenient.

The original drawings of Adelaide City Plan by Light show that he envisaged a canal (sea communication) between Port Adelaide and the City of Adelaide. The canal was not built; it would have required a massive investment that was not available at the time. A plan of a proposed "Grand Junction Canal" between Adelaide and the North Arm, by engineer Edward Snell was produced in 1851, with an exhibition of his "A Bird's Eye View of the Country Between Adelaide and the North Arm", showing the proposed canal.[23]

By early 1838, large vessels could only get as far as the end of Gawler Reach (near the current Birkenhead Bridge). Arrivals had to use smaller boats, traverse the mangrove swamps at low tide and climb sandhills to reach the road to Adelaide.[24] A canal for the loading of sailing ships was constructed in 1838, and town acreages nearby surveyed and sold. By the years end deficiencies of the canal were clear. The canal was dry for most of the day and cargo movement very slow.[25] Seagoing ships had to stop some distance from the settlement due to the mudbanks. Cargo and passengers covered the remaining distance in ships' boats. All had to traverse 2–300 m of swamps after landing to reach sandhills, and eventually the road to Adelaide.[26] The new port's first maritime casualty was the migrant ship Tam O'Shanter that ran aground on the outer sand bar. Later a small waterway in the port was named after the ship; the waterway later became the Port Adelaide Canal.[27]

Excavation of the Port Dock at Port Adelaide, 1879

The port's initial location was intended to be temporary. The location for a proper port was chosen by Governor George Gawler, between the original settlement and the Governor's preferred location at the junction of the North Arm and the Port River. One reason for the chosen site was Gawler's instructions on leaving England to limit expenditure; the North Arm site would have required more transport infrastructure and reclamation work.[28] Gawler awarded a tender allowing the South Australian Company to construct a private wharf, again partly to limit government expenditure. Along with the wharf they were to construct a warehouse and roadway. The roadway was to be a 100 feet (30 m) wide and run from the port to dry land, a distance of approximately 1 mile (1.6 km). This first wharf was built near the end of the modern Commercial Road.[29]

The wharf, known as McLaren Wharf, was finished in 1840 and named after David McLaren, company manager of the South Australian Company. McLaren Wharf was 336 feet (102 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) deep at low tide.[30] Contrary to usual practice, it was allowed to be built at the low water mark, which made construction simpler.[12] The wharf, warehouse and road were opened by Governor Gawler in October 1840. The opening procession from the old port to the new included over 1,000 people; then the largest assembly of colonists to date. The procession included 600 horsemen and 450 vehicles, almost all of the colony's wheeled transportation.[17] At the opening a parcel was ceremonially landed from the barque Guiana.[31] Upon opening, the port could accommodate vessels up to 530 long tons (539 t).[20] In May 1841 John Hill became the original holder of the land grant for all the land south of St Vincent Street, reaching to Tam O'Shanter Creek (later the Port Canal), comprising 134 acres and known as Section 2112.[32] Much of this land was a tidal mangrove swamp, being reclaimed by successive owners over many decades.

During reclamation work, the ground level was raised by approximately 9 feet (3 m), with mud and silt from dredging work.[5] Early houses had their ground floors below the now raised ground level; some had steps built down from road level. The Port Admiral Hotel's original ground floor now forms part of its basement. The last major reclamation was of the Glanville Reserve in 1892.[33]

Loading cargo onto ships at Queen's Wharf, circa 1927.

By the mid-1840s, with increasing trade, the wharves proved insufficient and some more private wharves were constructed.[30] During the late 1850s the state of the dry and dusty plain, between Adelaide and Port Adelaide, led to the pejorative terms "Dustholia" and "Mudholia" in summer and winter.[34]

Gas street lighting was erected by the local council in 1881. The town received its first electric lighting in January 1889, lit with the colony's first town supply from a powerhouse in Nile Street.[35] During the rest of the 1800s harbour facilities expanded and the town grew. It gained an impressive range of commercial and institutional buildings. Many have survived, resulting in Port Adelaide having one of the best concentrations of colonial buildings in South Australia. Their significance was recognised in May 1982, when a sizeable part of the town centre was declared a State Heritage Area.[36]

The construction of the Outer Harbor took place at the beginning of the 20th century, accommodating larger ships and reducing the time needed to sail up the Port River to the inner harbour.[37] In the 1920s and 1930s the first wharf was removed or disappeared[12] and the Port Adelaide wharves underwent a significant reconstruction programme, changing the face of the inner harbour's waterfront.

Aerial view of Kmart, 1986. Throughout the 1980s the popularity of the suburb had declined, and it was little more than a commercial precinct for its adjacent suburbs.

The introduction of containerisation in the 1960s had a major impact on the Port, changing cargo handling methods and significantly reducing the size of the local workforce.

Compounding the effect of a declining workforce on business activity, competition for shoppers arrived in the form of regional shopping centres. Up until the 1960s the Port had been second only to Adelaide as a shopping and commercial precinct. The opening of shopping centres in nearby suburbs led to a general decline in retail turnover.[38] Activity in the suburb has declined significantly from its heyday, leaving parts empty and derelict. Historic buildings are closed and sometimes vandalised, shops in the main streets are empty and boarded up.

Redevelopment of the waterfront was first publicly discussed in 1975. Over the following years, plans and costs were proposed and discussed but most lapsed without action.

By 2002, the "Newport Quays" consortium was the government's preferred bidder for a $1.2 billion project to cover 51 hectares (130 acres) of under used land.[39] The development was unveiled in 2003 and land sales began two years later. This development was stated to be worth $1.5 billion and would comprise 2000 homes, construction of which would create 4000 jobs.

In 2004 Premier Mike Rann announced that a dolphin sanctuary would be established in the Port River and Barker Inlet covering 118 square kilometres, the first "urban" dolphin sanctuary in the world. In 2005 the Adelaide Dolphin Sanctuary Act was enacted.[40]

By 2006 Newport Quays was being criticised for its poor planning for a residential development,[41] criticism that continued with each stage of the project. By early 2007, two stages of the now $2 billion development were under construction, or nearing completion, and the third's plans submitted; The plans included provision for a 100-berth marina and one building built over the water.[42] By 2008 reports showed the resale value of some properties in the developments were under the initial cost. The local council estimated that less than half of finished properties were occupied.[43]

In October 2009 it was named, by the National Trust of Australia, as one of the country's most at risk heritage sites. A lack of people living in, and travelling to, Port Adelaide is seen as the major cause of this decline.[44]

The Port Adelaide Plaza cost $45m to build and opened in 2019.

In February 2010 Premier Mike Rann opened the $400 million Techport naval construction hub at Osborne (next to the Australian Submarine Corporation's facility) to underpin the development of the Navy's $8 billion Air Warfare Destroyer program and other naval construction projects. Techport features the largest ship lift in the Southern Hemisphere.

In 2015–16 Quest Hotel Consortium built a $25 million apartment building on the corner of McLaren Wharf and the Birkenhead Bridge.[45]

In 2016 it was announced that Starfish Developments and Cedar Woods had won tenders to develop 23ha of vacant waterfront land in the inner Port Adelaide harbour with total investment exceeding $1 billion.[46] The development was later renamed Fletcher's Slip after a nearby historic landmark.

In 2016 the Federal Government announced that DCNS had won the tender to build 12 submarines for the Royal Australian Navy in a $50 billion deal, with construction taking place in Port Adelaide.[46]

In 2016 the South Australian State Government indicated it is interested in re-establishing the tram network from the City to Port Adelaide, with links to Outer Harbor and Semaphore.[47]

In 2017 developer EPC Pacific began construction of a $38 million office tower on Nelson Street in Port Adelaide that will house public servants.[48]

In 2017 the Port Admiral Hotel was reopened after a $1m redevelopment. It is one of the oldest buildings in Port Adelaide built in 1849.

In 2018, Pirate Life Breweries announced it would be relocating in Port Adelaide into a $15m refurbished warehouse.[49]

In 2018, Precision Group began the redevelopment of the Port Canal Shopping Centre as Port Adelaide Plaza.[50]

In 2019, The Banksia Tree Cafe and Corner Store opened on the site of the Brunswick Pier Hotel.[51]

In 2020, the first residents moved in to new townhomes constructed as part of Starfish's Dock One development. Once completed, Dock One will comprise approximately 650 new homes.[52]

During the rest of the 1800s harbour facilities expanded and the town grew. It gained an impressive range of commercial and institutional buildings. Many have survived, resulting in Port Adelaide having one of the best concentrations of colonial buildings in South Australia. Their significance was recognised in May 1982, when a sizeable part of the town centre was declared a State Heritage Area.[36]

The Port Adelaide Enfield Council Offices building, designed by Christopher Arthur Smith and built as Port Adelaide Town Hall in 1939,[53] was heritage-listed on the South Australian Heritage Register on 24 July 1980.[54]

Peter Sagan standing in front of the Port Admiral Hotel at the start of the 2018 Tour Down Under.

The earliest recorded was the Port Hotel. It opened in 1838, two years before the port was officially declared.[55] Three years later the First Commercial Inn opened. It has the longest licensing history in the suburb, though discontinuous. It did not trade for 12 years following a fire in 1857.[56]

The British hotel is the longest continually licensed. It opened 1847 as a single storey building, and was rebuilt with two further storeys in 1876 for then-owner Henry Ayers. The South Australian Brewing Company acquired it in 1937. It was known from c. 1907–1952 as "McGraths British Hotel".[57] Dockside Tavern is one of the few Late Victorian style buildings remaining in the Port. It was opened as the Britannia Hotel in 1850 then was rebuilt on site in 1898, in contemporary style. It was renamed as the Dockside Tavern in 2002.[35] The Golden Port Tavern is on the corner of Vincent and Robe Streets. On this site the Carpenters' Arms Tavern opened in late 1850. The Arms burned down in 1865 and was replaced with the current hotel, then known as The Globe. The hotel's name was changed to the current one in 1981.[58]

Black Diamond Square—named after the Black Diamond Hotel—is the main intersection of Port Adelaide, at the north end of Commercial Road. The hotel was designed by Adelaide architect William Wier. It opened as the White Horse Cellars Inn in 1851, with an integral 600 seat theatre. Parts of the building were used for an early freemason hall, library and the Port Adelaide Institute. It was renamed as the Family Hotel in 1876, then as the Black Diamond Hotel c. 1878. This last name came from the Black Diamond Line shipping company. From 1866 to 1883 Cannon brand beer was brewed in the hotel. The building was converted to retail shops in 1884 and the Central Hotel erected on the south side.[59]

Port Dock Brewery hotel won business awards as best hotel and restaurant in 2001. It was built in 1855 and opened as the Dock Hotel. The current building structure results from an 1883 rebuild, with stone from Dry Creek near Yatala Labour Prison. The Hotel lost its licence in 1909, after a 1906 Opinion Vote. The building was renovated, part of it converted into a small brewery, and reopened as a hotel in 1986.[60] Railway Hotel opened in 1856 opposite the new Port Adelaide railway station, a month before the line to Adelaide was opened. The hotel retains many original features including leadlight windows and an 1890s glass fanlight.[61]

Two six-room houses were built on the corner of Cannon Street and Church Place in 1873. They were converted into a single building and opened as the Kent Hotel in 1875. The building's exterior was restyled in Art Deco fashion in the 1940s and the interior of the hotel completely renovated in the 1990s. It is now known as the Port Anchor Hotel.[63]

The Railway Hotel, opposite the site of the original Port Adelaide Railway Station

Brunswick Pier Hotel was on the corner of Vincent and Robe Streets. It opened in 1878 in what had been a butcher's shop. The hotel lost its licence in 1909, along with other hotels, after an opinion poll resulted in a reduction of the number of licences. After this the building was used as a furniture shop and a butcher's shop. During the 1920s it became a pharmacy specialising in photographic materials and "Kirby's Calcarea Teething Powders". Medical suites were leased upstairs. It was bought by Birks Chemists in 1946, and remained a pharmacy until 1996. From then to at least 2001 the building was vacant.[64]

On the corner of Dale street is a building that was opened by the Port Adelaide Market Company in 1879, divided into shops, offices and stalls. Part of the building was later adapted to make a 17-room hotel, the Newmarket.[65] Colac Hotel, on Ocean Steamer's Road, opened in 1881. It was built opposite the then No. 1 Dock, alongside the 1879 extension to the South Australian Company basin. The hotel has had strong ties to both the Australian Labor Party and the union movement. Both former Prime Minister Bob Hawke and local Member of Parliament Mick Young used to talk to workers at the pub. Mick Young owned the pub from 1988 to 1990 and as of 2002 it was owned by the Labor Party.[66]

From 1838 to 1906, sixty differently named hotels had been run on 38 different sites within Port Adelaide.[55] A local opinion poll was held in Port Adelaide and other Adelaide districts in February 1906, on the subject of liquor licensing. Port Adelaide voters supported the Temperance Party's platform, reducing the number of licences by a third. Fifteen hotels and three wine licences expired on 25 March 1909 and were not renewed.[67]

The Port River, known officially as the Port Adelaide river,[68][69] is home to a resident population of bottlenose dolphins. The Port River's inner harbor near West Lakes and seaward from Lipson Reach feature dense stands of Grey mangroves which provide habitat for hundreds of species of marine, avian and insect life.[70] The Port River is an important recruitment area for Blue swimmer crabs, Western king prawns and other commercially important species. The river also features established colonies of a wide variety of introduced marine organisms which originally arrived in South Australia in or on ships. Over 30 introduced marine species have so far been identified in the river.[71]

Port Adelaide is bound by the Port River and Inner Harbour to the north and west, and by Webb Street and Grand Junction Road to the south. The main strip of Port Adelaide is along St Vincent Street, with a residential area to the south of the train station along Commercial Road and Webb Street. Recent residential development has occurred along the waterfront promenade.

Port Adelaide is a tidal port, with several shipping berths along the length of the estuary.[72]

Port Adelaide has many parks. The most recent is a $2 million refurbishment of the Hart's Mill precinct at Port Adelaide, opened in May 2014. Hart's Mill, Mundy Street, Port Adelaide SA 5015, Australia.[73]

The Port Adelaide Workers Memorial pays tribute to various people who have contributed to progressive and reformist social causes.

Port Adelaide has a long-standing tradition of social reform and progressive movements. Early examples are religious leaders seeking to reduce prostitution and alcoholism amongst wharf workers in the mid-1800s. Later examples are union movements that fought for better working conditions on the wharf and surrounding industries. Recently Port Adelaide has had a strong tradition of helping support local indigenous populations with Kura Yerlo Community Centre, indigenous programs and various efforts by the Port Adelaide Football Club trying to advance the lives of disadvantaged and discriminated indigenous peoples and youth. Significant people involved in these movements are often recognised on the Port Adelaide Workers Memorial at Black Diamond Corner.

The Port Adelaide Artists Forum organises events for local artists. Galleries in the area include the Black Diamond Gallery and Gallery Yampu.

The Waterside Workers Hall is a venue used for performance art and concerts. It is currently occupied by Vitalstatistix.[92]

There are several public artworks in Port Adelaide, including Glow / Taltaityai, at the western end of Walter Morris Drive. Sculpted in 2009 by Michelle Nikou and Jason Milanovic, the glow-in-the-dark sculptures[93] of ibis and emu are representations of the Tjilbruke Kaurna Dreaming story.[94]

The Hart's Mill precinct is home to various events and festivals. Most notable currently is St Jerome's Laneway Festival. The Semaphore Music Festival also holds events in the flour shed at Hart's Mill.

The Largs Pier Hotel had a history of hosting early Adelaide rock bands. Jimmy Barnes wrote a song after the pub and his experiences playing there.

• Port Adelaide Rowing Club (est. 1877)
• Port Adelaide Sailing Club (est. 1897)
• Port Adelaide Cricket Club (est. 1897)
• Port Adelaide Cycling Club (est. 1897)
• Port Adelaide Baseball Club (est. 1889)[95]
• Port Adelaide Pirates (Soccer) (est. 1903)
• Port Adelaide Bowling Club (est. 1903)
• Port Adelaide Rugby Union Club (est. 1933)
• Port Adelaide District Hockey Club (est. 1934)
• Port Adelaide Tennis Club (est. 1973)
• Port Adelaide Athletics Club

The Port Adelaide Football Club is unique in being the only pre-existing Australian rules football club from outside Victoria to gain entry into the Australian Football League.[96] Pictured is the club's undefeated 1914 side.

Port Adelaide is home to the Port Adelaide Football Club, an Australian rules football team. Its headquarters and training facility and home ground for South Australian National Football League (SANFL) games is Alberton Oval. Founded in 1870, the club has competed in the SANFL from 1877 until 1996, and in the Australian Football League AFL since 1997. The club was awarded the second AFL licence in South Australia in doing so becoming the only pre-existing non-Victorian club to gain entry into the competition.[97] It had won 34 SANFL Premierships before its move to the AFL. The club is still represented by its reserves team in the SANFL.

The office of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield is in the Council Chambers in St Vincent Street. The Council area is divided into seven wards that span across 51 suburbs[100] and the current Mayor is Claire Boan.[101]

Port Adelaide is the namesake of its state electorate and its current elected representative is Susan Close (Labor).

Up until 2019, Port Adelaide was the namesake of its federal electorate, however, the suburb of Port Adelaide is now under the electorate of Hindmarsh and the current elected representative is Mark Butler (Labor).

A railway museum was created by rail preservationists, and opened in 1963 on Railway Terrace, Mile End. The mostly outdoor exhibits remained on this site until 1988; during this period the 457 mm (18 in) gauge steam train known as Bub was built. Involvement of the History Trust of South Australia and receipt of a $2 million Australian Bicentennial Commemorative Grant enabled the museum's relocation to Port Adelaide in 1988. On 10 December of that year the Port Dock Railway Museum was opened by State Premier John Bannon.[102] The museum was sited in the former Port Dock railway station, and retained the "Port Dock" name until 2001 when it was renamed the National Railway Museum.[103] A significant change in 2001 was the opening of the Commonwealth Railways display pavilion. It was built with the assistance of a grant received under the Federation Grant Scheme; a scheme that commemorated the hundredth anniversary of the Federation of Australia. The pavilion was officially opened in October by the Honorable Peter McGauran, then Federal Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation.[104]

South Australian Railways 400 class 4-8-2 steam locomotive no. 409 in front of the Commonwealth Railways Pavilion

Visitors can ride in historic railway and custom-built narrow gauge carriages. Bub, a 457 mm steam locomotive, and Ken, a 457 mm diesel locomotive, take passengers on a loop track around the two main pavilions. Another 457 mm steam locomotive, Bill, is used for some of the year on a seafront rail line between Semaphore and Fort Glanville Conservation Park.[105][106] Peronne, a narrow gauge steam locomotive, is used for further runs during special events. This locomotive was built in 1919 and used by Broken Hill Associated Smelters at Port Pirie until 1964.[105]

The museum is an independent entity, run by volunteers and a small paid staff.[104] It has track and trains representing all three main rail gauges used in South Australia: broad (1,600 mm (5 ft 3 in)); standard (1,435 mm (4 ft 8 ¹⁄₂ in)); and narrow (1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in)).[107] Locomotives and rail stock fill two large display pavilions, and are accompanied by other historic railway related displays. On site is the South Australian Heritage Register listed Port Dock Goods Shed, the last remaining building from the former railway station. It was built in the 1870s and showcases the wooden construction techniques used by the South Australian Railways in the 19th century.[108] The museum has a railway-related retail shop, hosts special events including an Annual Friends of Thomas show. The 1947 cafeteria car, or the entire site, can be hired.[109]

On Lipson Street, within a historic warehouse, is the South Australian Maritime Museum.[110]

After a 14-year campaign the City of Adelaide Preservation Trust was successful in its bid to return the historic 1864 clipper City of Adelaide from Scotland to Port Adelaide, where she finally arrived in the inner harbour on 6 February 2014.[111][112][113]

The City of Adelaide has a strong connection with South Australia, to which she made 23 voyages between 1864 and 1886, bringing an estimated 889 passengers who came to settle in South Australia.[114]

The clipper's hull is being temporarily stored on a barge moored in Dock 1 of the port's inner harbour for the next 6–12 months, until a permanent location is selected and prepared. A major celebration was planned for the ship's 150th anniversary, on 17 May 2014.[115]

DH-22 de Havilland Sea Venom, formerly used aboard HMAS Melbourne

The South Australian Aviation Museum is the State's official aviation museum. It is run by an independent non-profit voluntary organisation that is accredited by the History Trust of South Australia. The museum was formed in 1984 at Glenelg and relocated in 1986 to a former Port Adelaide Flourmill. It relocated again in 1996, to an aircraft hangar also in Port Adelaide, and in January 2006 opened on its present site in Lipson Street, adjacent to the railway museum.[116]

In 1991 the State Historical Aviation Collection became part of the museum. This collection was formerly held by the National Motor Museum in Birdwood. A collection of rockets from Woomera was received for display in 1996.[116] Amongst the exhibits are a Spitfire Mark VC that was recovered after crashing in Papua New Guinea in 1943, a de Havilland Sea Venom formerly from the aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne and a Douglas C-47B (Dakota) that was used for Government VIP transportation.[117]

The Austbuilt Maritime Museum, operated by the Port Adelaide Historical Society, is located on Fletcher Road, Peterhead. It houses an extensive collection of maritime memorabilia accumulated by the late Keith Le Leu, who famously bought the steam tug Fearless for $1 in Brisbane in 1972 and steamed it to Adelaide. This vessel, currently owned by the South Australian Maritime Museum, remains on hardstand at Cruickshanks Corner near the Birkenhead Bridge, while its fate is still to be determined.[118] During his lifetime, Keith Le Leu also donated other maritime artefacts for public display around Port Adelaide. These include two large anchors that sit outside the Birkenhead Tavern and another outside Le Fevre High School. The museum and these anchors form nodes along the Port Adelaide Anchor Trail, which was created in 2020.

The Australian Museum of Childhood displays a collection of toys that were manufactured in Australia from the 1890s onwards.[119] The toys were collected by Alan Griffiths over a 30-year period.[120]