Adelaide is the capital and largest city of the state of South Australia. It's located on Gulf St. Vincent on the South Australian coast at the foot of the Mount Lofty Ranges.
Adelaide was founded in 1836 by Colonel William Light, the first Surveyor-General of South Australia.
After choosing a suitable site for the city Colonel Light planned the layout of the streets from scratch. Thanks to Colonel Light's foresight and planning, Adelaide residents live in a city of beautiful parklands and pleasant squares. A fine statue of the Colonel now stands in an area of the city called, in his honour, 'Light's Vision'.
The fertility of the plains surrounding the city proved good for both crops and livestock and Adelaide developed as a centre for the marketing of produce like wheat, wool and fruit. Adelaide has also benefited from South Australia's large deposits of valuable minerals like opals and gold.
The city's ready supplies of raw materials like copper, iron and natural-gas have allowed it to develop manufacturing and heavy industry. It now produces car parts, machinery, textiles and chemicals.
Adelaide is known as the wine capital of Australia. Most of Australia's wine exports come from South Australia and there are several major wine growing regions within an hour's drive of the city.
Adelaide's also known as 'The Festival City'. The biennial 'Adelaide Festival' is regarded as one of the world's top three arts festivals. There's also the 'Australian Festival for Young People', an international music festival called 'Womadelaide' and the annual 'International Barossa Music Festival' which takes place every spring. On top of the 200 concerts Adelaide stages each year there are festivals based on the love of food and wine like the 'McLaren Vale Sea and Vines Festival' and major sporting events like the annual 'Clipsal 500', a touring car race through the city's streets.
Tourism is an increasingly important part of the city's economy as more and more people discover this charming, relaxed city and its hinterland - Kangaroo Island, the Murray River, and north of Adelaide the Flinders Range, one of the world's oldest landscapes.
Adelaide and Christchurch share many similarities. Both were highly planned and well organised British colonial cities which developed as important centres for the export of primary products. Both are now the gateway for local tourism and are well known for their festivals and public outdoor events. One of the very popular annual events in Christchurch - the Kidsmarket - has now become part of Adelaide's calendar of events.
As a result of these similarities Christchurch and Adelaide officially became Sister Cities in 1972. The focus was on building the trade and tourism links between the cities, but over the years the relationship has developed to encompass cultural and educational aspects.
Activities:
The official SA tourism site
Adelaide City Council Visitors Guide
Enterprise Adelaide (Sponsored by Adelaide City Council)
Business SA
Internet Schools Directory for Adelaide
Study Adelaide
Studying in Adelaide (ACC Pages)
Flinders University
University of Adelaide
University of South Australia
Adelaide City Council - Arts and Culture Page
Adelaide Festival of Arts
Adelaide Fringe Festival
Adelaide City Council Sports Plan
Note: Observance dates for some holidays change each year
| Holiday | 2006 | 2007 |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Day | Mon 2 Jan | Mon 1 Jan |
| Australia Day | Thu 26 Jan | Fri 26 Jan |
| Good Friday | Fri 14 Apr | Fri 6 Apr |
| The day after Good Friday | Sat 15 Apr | Sat 7 Apr |
| Easter Monday | Mon 17 Apr | Mon 9 Apr |
| Anzac Day | Tue 25 Apr | Wed 25 Apr |
| *Adelaide Cup / Volunteer's Day | Mon 13 Mar | Mon 21 May |
| Queen's Birthday | Mon 12 Jun | Mon 11 Jun |
| Labour Day | Mon 2 Oct | Mon 1 Oct |
| Christmas Day | Mon 25 Dec | Tue 25 Dec |
| Proclamation Day | Tue 26 Dec | Wed 26 Dec |
* Adelaide Cup Day 2006 has been substituted by proclamation of the Governor and this may continue after 2006.