106-578: Port Adelaide Plaza , formerly known as Port Canal Shopping Centre , is a shopping centre located at 200 Commercial Road in Port Adelaide , South Australia . The centre originated as a $ 9 million Super Kmart development in November 1986. Port Adelaide's Super Kmart was South Australia's first hypermarket. Opposite the hypermarket was an open-air mall with specialty retailers. In 1989, the Super Kmart concept
212-667: A yacht , Gulnare , after which the couple cruised the Mediterranean for some years. In 1830 they went to Egypt , where Light first met promoters of a new colony in Australia. Light made numerous sketches and Mary studied Egyptology while in Egypt, becoming a friend and keen correspondent of Egyptologist John Gardner Wilkinson . The couple became friends with Muhammad Ali , Pasha and founder of modern Egypt. Light sailed for England in 1831 in his own yacht to help recruit British men for
318-458: A "rare and historic painting", who was "bitterly disappointed" that it would be lost to South Australian society. He said that "months of painstaking art history and genealogical research" into its provenance had led to a man called Shimmin, who had worked for Light’s colleague William Jacob in the Barossa Valley and in whose family it had remained for generations. In the week before the auction,
424-498: A beautiful and healthy city, melded sensitively and intelligently with the landscape, is unique. "Light's vision" was to create an urban form which complemented nature, done with conscious purpose. Long before Light was engaged, the colonisation of South Australia had been designed as a kind of social experiment, drawing on the thinking of many notable minds: Jeremy Bentham , George Grote , Robert Owen , John Stuart Mill , and, closest to home, Edward Gibbon Wakefield . Cities such as
530-531: 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. 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
636-580: 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
742-633: A letter of introduction to Colonel Charles James Napier , who was the recently designated Governor of the new colony. However, Napier was not interested in the position, and upon hearing this, Hindmarsh rushed to London and lobbied for the position, after seeing Napier in Portsmouth in May 1835. Napier recommended to the authorities that Light be given the post of Governor, but Hindmarsh had already been promised it. Light returned to London in January 1836, and on 4 February
848-427: A memorial. The foundation stone for the memorial was laid by James Hurtle Fisher in 1843, and witnessed by a select few, but the edifice itself, designed by George Strickland Kingston free of charge, was not completed until February 1845. It was a pentagonal elaborate structure, built of freestone and topped with what was described by Francis Dutton as a Gothic cross 45 ft (14 m) high. The plan of
954-667: A modern navy, sailing his own yacht to England to help recruit British men for the Pasha's navy. He captained the paddle steamer the Nile from London to Alexandria to join the Egyptian Navy , reaching Alexandria in September 1834. John Hindmarsh had prepared the steamer for delivery at Blackwall Yard on the River Thames , travelled as a passenger on the ship on its journey to Alexandria, and
1060-517: A month before the line to Adelaide was opened. The hotel retains many original features including leadlight windows and an 1890s glass fanlight . 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
1166-463: A new appointment under Gawler as Deputy Surveyor-General. His war wounds troubled him, and he suffered from tuberculosis , but he gained enjoyment from cultivating good crops of vegetables in his garden. On 22 January 1839 the Land and Survey Office, along with the adjoining huts belonging to Light and Resident Commissioner James Hurtle Fisher , and the first Government House, burned down, taking some of
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#17328587528771272-610: A new mall built in connection with the existing Coles and Kmart. Among other changes, the centre has been rebranded as "Port Adelaide Plaza," and the existing Port Canal Shopping Centre has been demolished. Stage 1 of the new centre opened in April 2019 with a new Aldi , several new specialty stores and a new casual dining precinct. The early opening of Aldi and the earlier-than-expected take up of retail space saw Stage One 91% leased. In 2019, Precision Group entered into an agreement with Autonomous Energy to install an 824 kW solar system on
1378-588: A number of his works, including an incomplete self-portrait in oils, are in the collection of Art Gallery of South Australia on North Terrace . Others are housed in the State Library of South Australia and in the Adelaide Town Hall . He often sold his works to support himself, but many were lost when fire destroyed the Land and Survey Office and his adjacent hut in January 1839. In December 1837 Light led an exploration from Adelaide, discovering and naming
1484-546: A parcel was ceremonially landed from the barque Guiana . Upon opening, the port could accommodate vessels up to 530 long tons (539 t). 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. Much of this land was a tidal mangrove swamp, being reclaimed by successive owners over many decades. During reclamation work,
1590-489: A place to house a library and provide a reading room, museum, lecture hall and classrooms for the area. 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. By 1876 it was estimated that there were 5,000 living in 500 houses. More measured figures were 3,013 residents recorded in
1696-467: A quarrel between Hindmarsh and Resident Commissioner Fisher, which also drew in other settlers and officials, Colonial Secretary Gouger, one of Light's chief supporters, was suspended and replaced. In December 1837, Judge John Jeffcott was drowned at Encounter Bay (himself being a supporter of Hindmarsh's view and at the time trying to prove the safety of the Bay). Soon after this, Hindmarsh complained formally about
1802-501: 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. It was first coined in a book credited to T. Horton James, probably a pseudonym, and comes from a line stating: 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
1908-474: A significant reconstruction programme, changing the face of the inner harbour's waterfront. 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
2014-558: 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. 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. Contrary to usual practice, it
2120-552: A woolstore for Goldsbrough Mort & Co sometime before 1929. The Port Adelaide Enfield Council Offices building, designed by Christopher Arthur Smith and built as Port Adelaide Town Hall in 1939, was heritage-listed on the South Australian Heritage Register on 24 July 1980. The earliest recorded was the Port Hotel. It opened in 1838, two years before the port was officially declared. Three years later
2226-463: 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. William Light William Light (27 April 1786 – 6 October 1839), also known as Colonel Light , was a British- Malayan naval and army officer. He was the first Surveyor-General of the new British Province of South Australia , known for choosing
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#17328587528772332-555: Is a port-side region of Adelaide , approximately 14 kilometres (8.7 mi) northwest of the Adelaide CBD . It is also the namesake of the City of Port Adelaide Enfield council, a suburb, a federal and state electoral division and is the main port for the city of Adelaide. Port Adelaide played an important role in the formative decades of Adelaide and South Australia , with the port being early Adelaide's main supply and information link to
2438-583: Is an extant original 1838 cadastral map of Adelaide, held by the State Library of South Australia. It was commissioned from Light, Finniss & Co. by the South Australian Company, shows the company's properties, and is signed with his firm's name by William Light, at the firm's office in Stephens Place, [Adelaide] in Oct 1838. By this time Light had spent a considerable amount of his own fortune on his work, and
2544-524: 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. Port Adelaide is bound by the Port River and Inner Harbour to
2650-586: The Rapid ), and draughtsman Robert G. Thomas (being among those who came out on the Cygnet ), offering a range of services to prospective purchasers of city and country properties, and to local government bodies. By agreement with the new Governor George Gawler , Light surveyed the Port River , and, for William Finke , the town of Glenelg. However Light had to resign due to ill health by September, after Finniss had taken up
2756-559: The Barossa Range , after which the Barossa Valley was named. Maria (pronounced "Mariah" ) Gandy (23 November 1811 – 14 December 1847) was designated by Light's Will as his housekeeper, but thought to be his de facto wife. The status of their relationship caused the couple to be shunned by Adelaide society, and they had few visitors at their home (only two society women ever visited Gandy at her home), which they shared with Gandy's young brothers for some years. They first lived aboard
2862-600: The British Army on 5 May 1808, being promoted to lieutenant in April 1809 en route to Spain to serve in the Peninsular War , where he learnt Spanish . After courageous service against Napoleon 's forces from 1809 to 1814, he served under the Duke of Wellington working on mapping, reconnaissance and liaison. He showed both outstanding bravery and kindness in his actions, and was a favourite of Wellington. He went on to serve in
2968-556: The French invasion as aide-de-camp to Sir Robert Wilson , who had raised an international (mostly French) force to help the "Liberales" in their constitutional struggle against King Ferdinand VII . Originally volunteering as a private in the Vigo militia, Light was made a lieutenant-colonel . He was badly wounded at Corunna in Spain. Returning to England in 1824, Light met and fell in love with
3074-758: The Murray River , as well as the beauty of the country. The letter included a personal note: "The reasons that led me to fix Adelaide where it is I do not expect to be generally understood or calmly judged of at present. My enemies however, by disputing their validity in every particular, have done me the good service of fixing the whole of the responsibility upon me. I am perfectly willing to bear it, and I leave it to posterity and not to them, to decide whether I am entitled to praise or to blame". An amendment proposed by Dr Wright and seconded by Deputy Surveyor George Strickland Kingston upheld Light's selection in March 1837. After
3180-701: The pedestal . The statue of Light was unveiled on 27 November 1906 in its original location at the northern end of Victoria Square , (opposite the General Post Office ). The ceremony was presided over by the Mayor of Adelaide , Theodore Bruce , attended by many notables, including the Chief Justice , John Hannah Gordon , and the Premier , Thomas Price . The Governor of South Australia , Sir George Le Hunte , gave an address in which he praised Light highly, cheered on by
3286-607: 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
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3392-507: 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. Prominent South Australian architect F. Kenneth Milne designed
3498-593: The 1881 census and 5005—living in approximately 1000 houses—recorded in the 1891 census. By 1911 the port was the State's second largest city and had a population over half that of Adelaide city. Due to the presence of the Jewish community at the time the east side of Todd Street became known colloquially as "Jerusalem" or "Little Jerusalem". Beginning in the 1880s a strong Scandinavian community lived in Port Adelaide largely due to their affiliation with sea-faring trades. In 1883
3604-423: 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. Activity in the suburb has declined significantly from its heyday, leaving parts empty and derelict. Historic buildings were closed and sometimes vandalised , shops in the main streets were left empty and boarded up. Redevelopment of
3710-533: The Birkenhead Bridge. 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. 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
3816-470: 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. 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
3922-535: The Indies ". They included the grid pattern with a main thoroughfare, centred around a main square. There are many historical precedents for five squares, including Philadelphia in America , designed in 1682 by surveyor Thomas Holme , however Light's Plan has six public squares. There are however no records showing that Light deliberately copied any cities or rules for planning, and his implementation of planning principles for
4028-626: The Maria Gandy Bicentennial Memorial was unveiled on the corner of Albert and Maria Streets in the inner western suburb of Thebarton (so named because of a typographical error ) near the site of their cottage, to honour Maria. On each of four sides is an inscription celebrating her roles as pioneer, settler, carer and mother. Some strange drawings and diagrams discovered in the Flinders University library collections of Mayo and Dutton papers suggested that Gandy "moved around
4134-477: 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. 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
4240-553: The Pasha's navy. The process became prolonged, and Light stayed in England until 1835, while Mary continued her studies, travelling to Thebes for a second time and writing detailed journals of her travels and discoveries. Light separated from Mary in 1832, after she had formed a relationship with another officer. The couple never divorced, and Mary retained the surname Light for herself and three children she had by other men in 1833, 1834 and 1835. Light helped Muhammad Ali to establish
4346-530: The Port Adelaide Caledonian Society was founded and continues to this day. In the 1880s during Christmas Chinese lanterns were hung around Port Adelaide. 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
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4452-642: The Port Adelaide Pirates Soccer Club moved to their new home on the Peninsula after $ 9.2 million in investments for the Taperoo sports complex. In 2021 the Newmarket Hotel in Port Adelaide was purchased for $ 4 million. Port Adelaide is known for its well preserved 19th-century pubs and hotels, reflecting the area's maritime history in catering to the sailors of trading ships. During the rest of
4558-508: The Port Adelaide area 'Yertabulti', and the whole estuarine area of the Port River . The entrance to this creek, the Port River, was first reported by Europeans in 1831. It was explored by Europeans when Captain Henry Jones entered in 1834. The creek's main channel was then fed by numerous smaller creeks, and was 2–4 fathoms (4–7 m) deep. The navigable channel was narrow and the creek soon faded into swamps and sandhills. At low tide
4664-599: The Royal Australian Navy in a $ 50 billion deal, with construction taking place in Port Adelaide. 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 . In 2017 developer EPC Pacific began construction of a $ 38 million office tower on Nelson Street in Port Adelaide that will house public servants. In 2021 this building
4770-553: The Thebarton cottage for a while, before moving to Carrington Street . In 1847, aged 36, Maria Mayo died of tuberculosis, not long after the death of their fourth child, and was buried in an unmarked grave in West Terrace Cemetery . The 100 acres of Section 1 and the four Town Acres bequeathed to her were intact, and their rents and profits were accorded to her husband. On the 200th anniversary of her birth on 23 November 2011,
4876-585: The Torrens (North Adelaide) and 700 acres (2.8 km ) to the south (South Adelaide, now known as the city centre). Light's Plan reserved 42 acres (0.17 km ) for town squares (38 acres) and government buildings (4 Town Sections of Public Reserves with Victoria Square frontages: now the Old Treasury Building/Lands Offices; GPO; Supreme Court, and Magistrates Court sites). In March 1837, after 116 preliminary buyers had selected their portions,
4982-464: The West coast of St Vincent's Gulf and Holdfast Bay (now known as Glenelg ) had been rejected. The site had many challenges, but Light wrote that he chose the site "because it was on a beautiful and gently rising ground, and formed altogether a better connection with the river than any other place". Despite the natural advantages of the site, Light faced opposition, mainly from Hindmarsh, who wished to locate
5088-626: The age of 13 in about 1799, Light volunteered for the Royal Navy , in which he served for two years, leaving as a midshipman . After a spell as a civilian internee in France in 1803–04, he attended his sister Mary's wedding to indigo plantation owner George Boyd in Calcutta in March 1805, remaining in India until November 1806, before returning to Europe. He bought a cornetcy in the 4th Dragoons regiment of
5194-535: The ancient Greek city-states , those in Spain’s colonies of the New World and British Canada , Pennsylvania and other American cities, New South Wales , Van Diemen’s Land and Swan River Colony had been carried out. His plan bears a close resemblance to Gother Mann’s 1788 "Plan for Torento Harbour" (which was never laid out as planned, on the north shore of Lake Ontario, although a differently laid out town, named York,
5300-536: The beautiful and wealthy 19-year-old Mary Bennet, illegitimate daughter of the 3rd Duke of Richmond , in the London studio of the miniature painter Charlotte Jones . After a whirlwind romance, they married on 16 October 1824. They travelled to Europe, spending a couple of years in France , Switzerland and Italy (mainly Rome ), where Light published his Views of Pompeii in 1828. Light returned to England, where he bought
5406-553: The building was later adapted to make a 17-room hotel, the Newmarket. 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
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#17328587528775512-796: 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. Port Dock Brewery hotel won business awards as best hotel and restaurant in 2001. It
5618-399: The canal were clear. The canal was dry for most of the day and cargo movement very slow. 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. The new port's first maritime casualty was
5724-474: The centre’s rooftop. This system spans 5,000 square metres and provides around 50% of the centre's total electricity requirement. On December 3, 2020, Port Adelaide Plaza completed the second stage of its now-$ 50 million redevelopment, with an additional dozen new dining and retail stores. In October 2021, the final stage of the Port Adelaide Plaza's redevelopment opened, with 12 new retailers and 97% of
5830-436: The channel was surrounded by mudbanks. Dry and solid land ended near present-day Alberton . Colonel William Light began closely exploring the area in late 1836 while deciding on a site for the colony of South Australia's port. 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". Light's choice of separating
5936-523: The city in only eight weeks, after a 14-day delay caused by George Strickland Kingston's incompetence. The site chosen by Light spanned the River Torrens , or Karra Wirra Parri, as it was known by the local people. One of the reasons he chose the location was because he observed that the Adelaide Hills would result in higher rainfall on the Adelaide plain. This was a promising indicator of good conditions for avoidance of drought -prone areas. Settlement sites on Encounter Bay, Kangaroo Island, Spencer's Gulf,
6042-487: The city near the River Murray mouth near Encounter Bay , and some of settlers, who objected to the distance from the port. The opposition to the plan culminated in a meeting on 10 February, at which a letter from Light to Resident Commissioner James Hurtle Fisher outlining the reasons for his choice, praising the good soil, extensive neighbouring plains and sheep grazing, a plentiful year-round supply of excellent fresh water, easy communication with its harbour, proximity to
6148-576: The city of Adelaide stands as a lasting legacy to Light's genius, praised both in the early days and more recent literature. The most well-known memorial of Light is the statue now on Montefiore Hill and known as Light's Vision, which points southwards towards the River Torrens and the city centre. Edinburgh sculptor William Birnie Rhind 's design for the statue was selected by committee on 23 December 1904, and architects Garlick, Sibley and Wooldridge (consisting of only Henry Evan Sibley (1867–1917) and Charles W. Wooldridge at that point ) designed
6254-420: The crowd. The statue was moved in 1938 to its present position on Montefiore Hill at the suggestion of the Pioneers' Association of South Australia, to commemorate the centenary of Light's death, and the renamed "Light`s Vision" at the suggestion of PASA president Sir Henry Newland. Legend says that Light stood on Montefiore Hill when he began planning the city, but this is not confirmed. The inscription on
6360-405: The developments were under the initial cost. The local council estimated that less than half of finished properties were occupied. 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. In February 2010 Premier Mike Rann opened
6466-412: The estate had been ruined by maladministration. He became attached to the Doughtys, and later named his house in Adelaide after the family home. He was well educated, and soon became proficient in French , as well as showing a talent for drawing, watercolour painting and music. He became known in London as a rich East Indian , and attended the court of the Prince of Wales, later King George IV . At
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#17328587528776572-453: The expedition "for the purpose of effecting such a survey of the different harbours and the adjoining land as may be necessary to the correct determination of the best site for the first town" were given in a document dated 9 March 1836. There Light was the first to accurately chart the Port Adelaide River , before selecting the location and designing and laying out the plan of the City of Adelaide . This he did, and managed to plan and found
6678-448: The first time at Rapid Bay (belonging to one of the Ramindjeri tribes) and was reported to have established a friendly and cooperative relationship with them. After finding the Port River, Light then sailed across to Port Lincoln , on Spencer's Gulf , but found the area unsuitable. In addition to lack of surface water, Light found navigation of Spencer's Gulf and southern entry into Boston Bay more hazardous. On 18 December he decided on
6784-407: The ground level was raised by approximately 9 feet (3 m), with mud and silt from dredging work. 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. By the mid-1840s, with increasing trade,
6890-402: The hotel completely renovated in the 1990s. It is now known as the Port Anchor Hotel. 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
6996-478: The infantry in various parts of Britain – the Channel Islands , Scotland and Ireland – as a captain , after purchasing the rank in November 1814. After quitting the army with the brevet rank of major , Light married Miss E. Perois in Derry, Ireland , on 24 May 1821, and moved in literary and artistic circles in Paris , Italy and Sicily for a couple of years. However, his young wife died sometime during those years. In 1823 he returned to Spain to fight
7102-438: The meantime Cygnet had arrived at Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, with the assistant surveyors. Soon afterwards Africaine arrived, with Colonial Secretary Robert Gouger and other colonial officers anxious to know where the settlement should be situated. Light suggested that the ships land at Holdfast Bay for the meantime, while he went with a group to explore further. The group encountered a group of Indigenous Australians for
7208-405: 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. 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
7314-460: 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. Port Adelaide has many parks. The most recent
7420-458: The number of licences by a third. Fifteen hotels and three wine licences expired on 25 March 1909 and were not renewed. The Port River, known officially as the Port Adelaide river, 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. The Port River
7526-516: The plaque at the front reads: Colonel William Light First Surveyor General; Fixed the site and laid out the city of Adelaide in 1836; Erected by citizens; 1906. Several plaques have been added to the back. Light's achievements have been commemorated in a number of ways, including: His life was dramatised in the Max Afford stage play Awake My Love , which was based on an earlier play of Afford's, Colonel Light - The Founder . A watercolour painted by Light between January and April 1837 depicting
7632-400: 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. The effective foundation day of Port Adelaide
7738-466: The port could be rowed around. 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. At first the river was not used for larger ships. They had to land at Holdfast Bay until the port was charted. This early port was plagued by mosquitoes , was a comparative long distance from Adelaide, had few amenities and had
7844-415: The proposed canal. 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. 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
7950-503: The province's early records and many of Light's possessions with it. The fire was attributed to arson . He had just begun work on preparing his journals, kept for 30 years, for publication, having left cases of papers for safety in the survey office, and apart from an excerpt already prepared, the journals were lost – a great blow to Light. Light spoke several languages and was a gifted and prolific painter and sketcher. Many of his watercolours were published in London in 1823 and 1828, and
8056-578: The pub. Mick Young owned the pub from 1988 to 1990 and as of 2002 it was owned by the Labor Party. From 1838 to 1906, sixty differently named hotels had been run on 38 different sites within Port Adelaide. 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
8162-493: The purchase of the lands of Light's Adelaide Park, and repeated correspondence and discussions about the Adelaide Park land/lands eventually corrupted his original name to "Adelaide Park Lands". Light placed the city to the north and south of the river, avoiding areas prone to flooding and making best use of the local topography . His survey plan divided the land into 1042 square one-acre lots; 342 acres (1.38 km ) north of
8268-617: The redevelopment of the Port Canal Shopping Centre as Port Adelaide Plaza . In 2019, The Banksia Tree Cafe and Corner Store opened on the site of the Brunswick Pier Hotel. In January 2020 the first instance of a house to selling for $ 1 million in the suburb of Port Adelaide was recorded. 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. In 2020
8374-465: The rest of the Town Sections were auctioned. Due to local demands Light also planned Town Sections at the old Port Adelaide harbour and 29 were selected. Adelaide's characteristic geometrical grid pattern is not unprecedented: apart from earlier examples going back to ancient Greece, it follows part of a series of rules created by Spanish planners for their colonial cities, known as the " Laws of
8480-626: The rest of the world. Its Kaurna name, although not officially adopted as a dual name , is Yertabulti . Prior to European settlement Port Adelaide was covered with mangrove swamps and tidal mud flats, and lay next to a narrow creek. At this time, it was inhabited by the Kaurna people , who occupied the Adelaide Plains , the Barossa Valley , the western side of the Fleurieu Peninsula , and northwards past Snowtown . The Kaurna people called
8586-427: The site of Adelaide for the new capital, and headed north to survey the coast 8 mi (13 km) north with a view to its being the site for a harbour. HMS Buffalo arrived at Holdfast Bay on 28 December. That same day Governor Hindmarsh landed and, all pre-requisites having been met, proclaimed the commencement of colonial government (henceforth celebrated as Proclamation Day ). Instructions for Light's role in
8692-598: The site of the Land/Survey Office and Light and Fisher's huts, being a variation on Light's " Commencement of Settlement in South Australia, 1837 ", with Mount Lofty in the background, was discovered in a garage in September 2019. It is regarded as hugely significant, being one of the earliest depictions of Adelaide. However, the painting passed in at auction and was afterwards sold to a private collector for A$ 20,000 , despite being valued at between A$ 90,000 and A$ 120,000 and being hailed by fine arts dealer Jim Elder as
8798-581: The site of the colony's capital, Adelaide , and for designing the layout of its streets, six city squares, gardens and the figure-eight Adelaide Park Lands , in a plan later sometimes referred to as Light's Vision . Light was born in Kuala Kedah , Kedah (now in Malaysia ) on 27 April 1786, the eldest son of Captain Francis Light , founder and Superintendent of Penang , and Martinha (or Martina) Rozells, who
8904-603: The slow progress of the surveys, while at the same time hindering Light's work. Parties explored nearby areas, Light continued with his work on plans, supported by most settlers, and in July of that year, Hindmarsh was recalled. When Light was designing Adelaide, his plans included surrounding the city with 2,332 acres (9.44 km ) of park . Of these, he reserved 32 acres for one of the world's earliest public cemeteries, now called West Terrace Cemetery . Light referred to his unique figure-eight of open space as "Adelaide Park". Later,
9010-631: The space leased. At the time, it had in total 60 retailers and 17 casual dining restaurants, with additional businesses scheduled to open in 2022. In July 2023, Wesfarmers announced that the Kmart store located within Port Adelaide Plaza would be permanently closing in 2024. Following the announcement of the Kmart closure, in February 2024, Port Adelaide Plaza announced that Kmart would be replaced by Big W in late-2024, and that Coles would be replaced by Woolworths in 2025. Port Adelaide Port Adelaide
9116-478: The state with an entourage of dwarfs". Today, historians view Gandy as providing strength to the sickly Light, helping him to achieve his goals while being treated as a pariah by many fellow pioneers. Gandy nursed Light for three years while he was invalided by tuberculosis , until his death on 6 October 1839 in Adelaide, aged 53. Reverend Charles Beaumont Howard , the only Anglican clergyman in South Australia at
9222-632: The survey brig Rapid , then in a tent at Rapid Bay, and then in a house made of bark and reeds, which was completely destroyed by fire, along with all of their personal belongings, in 1839. The four-roomed brick built cottage, built by William Gandy, was named Theberton House, after Light's childhood residence at Theberton Hall in Suffolk. Another brother, George Gandy, who arrived in 1838, named his child William Light Gandy in 1840. On 7 July 1840, nine months after Light's death, Maria Gandy married Dr George Mayo , with whom she had 4 children. They lived in
9328-421: The time, had refused to visit him because of his relationship with Gandy. On 10 October 1839, after a group of mourners met at his home, his funeral service took place at Trinity Church on North Terrace , after which the procession walked to the nearby Light Square. It was attended by hundreds, many of whom wept openly, and a gun salute was fired and the flag at Government House lowered to half-mast . Gandy
9434-412: 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. The development was unveiled in 2003 and land sales began two years later. This development
9540-407: The wharves proved insufficient and some more private wharves were constructed. 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. In 1874 the Port Adelaide Institute began construction of its new headquarters which opened to much fanfare two years later providing the organisation
9646-471: Was executrix and sole beneficiary of Light's estate (which consisted mainly of unpaid debts ) and paid for the funeral. The funeral took place on 10 October, and his body taken for burial at Light Square . More than 3,000 people attended the burial, including many who had been antagonistic towards him. The sole remaining document authored by Light was his will. A few days later a meeting of his friends, chaired by John Morphett , assembled to raise money for
9752-471: 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 . When founded, the port's land was just higher than the surrounding tidal flats; at high tide
9858-458: Was allowed to be built at the low water mark, which made construction simpler. 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. At the opening
9964-541: Was appointed Surveyor-General of South Australia instead. On 1 May 1836 Light sailed for South Australia with Maria Gandy, two of her young brothers (William (19) and Edward (10) ), and some of his survey staff, on the survey brig , Rapid , along with the nine other ships in the "First Fleet" . The ship reached Kangaroo Island on 17 August 1836. Sailing from Nepean Bay on 23 September, Light started exploring Gulf St Vincent , sailing first past Rapid Bay , then up to Port Adelaide before returning to Rapid Bay. In
10070-433: Was being criticised for its poor planning for a residential development, 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. By 2008 reports showed the resale value of some properties in
10176-465: 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. Railway Hotel opened in 1856 opposite the new Port Adelaide railway station ,
10282-454: Was established to its west, which later eventually expanded east and north covering the unrealised 'Torento' model township site, and renamed Toronto, Canada ), particularly in the square "Town Acres". The oldest known version of Light's plan was drawn by a 16-year-old draughtsman in 1837, to instructions from Light, some time after the streets were named on 23 May of that year. Primary source researcher Kelly Henderson has confirmed that there
10388-631: Was known from c. 1907–1952 as "McGraths British Hotel". 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. 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
10494-442: Was made captain of the ship by November. Light started a relationship with the 21-year-old Maria Gandy (born 23 November 1811 ), a woman of humble stock, who was his companion for the rest of his life. By 1835, negotiations had been completed for the founding of the new British Province of South Australia , according to the scheme of Edward Gibbon Wakefield , intended as a self-supporting free colony. Light had given Hindmarsh
10600-795: Was of Portuguese or French , and Siamese or Malay descent. He was thus legally classed as Eurasian, an ethnic designation which granted the designated a middle position between the natives and the Europeans. He was baptised on 31 December 1786, Georgetown, Penang . He lived in Penang until the age of six (1793), when he was sent to Theberton , a village in Suffolk, England to be educated by friends of his father. These friends were George Doughty, Sheriff of Suffolk , and his wife Anne. He never saw his parents again. His father died in October 1794, and although providing generously for his son's education, Light did not inherit his father's considerable wealth, as
10706-483: Was purchased by Centuria for $ 63 million. 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 2017 Daniella Guevera from Mexico City opened La Popular Taqueria in Port Adelaide. In 2018, Pirate Life Breweries announced it would be relocating in Port Adelaide into a $ 15m refurbished warehouse. In 2018, Precision Group began
10812-460: Was recognised in May 1982, when a sizeable part of the town centre was declared a State Heritage Area. 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. In the 1920s and 1930s the first wharf was removed or disappeared and the Port Adelaide wharves underwent
10918-547: Was replaced with the current hotel, then known as The Globe. The hotel's name was changed to the current one in 1981. 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
11024-554: Was scrapped, with the building divided in half to become a separate Coles and Kmart . In 1998 the Port Canal Shopping Centre was purchased by Precision Group for $ 36 million. In July 2014 the Port Adelaide Enfield Council approved a $ 10 million upgrade of the Port Canal Shopping Centre. In 2017, the South Australian government approved a $ 45 million redevelopment of the Port Canal Shopping Centre consisting of
11130-475: 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. By 2006 Newport Quays
11236-434: Was suffering ill-health. He resigned from his position on 21 June 1838, after being directed to survey 150 sq mi (390 km ) within a week and refusing to use less accurate surveying methods for country surveys. In July 1838, he formed a private company, Light, Finniss & Co., with assistant surveyors B. T. Finniss (arr. Cygnet ), Henry Nixon (arr. Navarino ) and William Jacob (among those who came out on
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