Adelaide is the capital of the state of
South Australia and Australia’s fifth largest city. It is one of the most important cities in the country and was named after Queen Adelaide, the wife of the British king, William IV. Adelaide lies a few
kilometers from the sea on the Torrens River, which flows into the Gulf of St. Vincent.
Eleven kilometers (7 miles) from the
city is the inner harbour of Port Adelaide, and in between are most of Adelaide’s pottery, textile and machinery factories. The outer harbour, where the ocean-going vessels berth, is 22 kilometers (14 miles) away.
Adelaide owed its growth in the past to several fortunate factors: valuable mineral deposits were discovered at an early date in the neighbouring hills; the nearby plains were extremely fertile; and the Murray lowlands, located to the
east and south-east, were easily reached. Adelaide is an important market for agricultural produce, and was particularly so in early days before the city became industrialized. The city is situated near the state’s oldest wine-producing areas. Later, with raw materials readily available and its location being so central, the city began to sprout a number of factories. These today turn out machinery, textiles, chemicals and car components, which are sent to other parts of the country or abroad by road, rail, sea, or air transport. Oil refineries were established in the neighbourhood of Adelaide in the 1960s and 1970s.
Adelaide was laid out in 1836 by Colonel William Light, who was the first surveyor-general of South Australia. He planned the city in the shape of a rectangle, and designed a splendid main street, King William Street, which is still one of the finest avenues in the whole of Australia.
The people of Adelaide are proud of several notable city landmarks. These include the university, opened in 1882, and two cathedrals (one Anglican and one Roman Catholic). The South Australian Parliament buildings and government offices, and the Natural History Museum are also impressive buildings. The city boasts a 688-hectare (1700 acre) green belt of parkland, through which the Torrens River flows. This swathe of parks and gardens separates the business section of the city from the suburbs, which include
North Adelaide, formerly the center of the old city. The Torrens River itself has been dammed near the centre of the city to form Torrens Lake. This provides a recreational area for pleasure launches and oarsmen. The Adelaide Oval, a world famous cricket ground, lies to the north of the city. The population of Adelaide and its suburbs, including Elizabeth, is about 1,500,000.
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