ADELAIDE -
AUSTRALIA |
| |
|
Adelaide is the
capital city of the Australian state of South Australia. It is a coastal
city on the Southern Ocean and was named in honour of Queen Adelaide, the
consort of King William IV. It is situated on the Fleurieu Peninsula
overlooking the Gulf St. Vincent, bordered by the low lying Mt Lofty Ranges
to the east giving the suburbs a roughly north-south rectangular layout. The
population is 1,072,585 (census 2001). In terms of population, it is the
fifth-largest of the Australian capital cities. |
|
Culture
Adelaide is often referred to as the 'City Of Churches', although this is a
reflection more on Adelaide's past than its present. Rumour has it that for
every church that was built in Adelaide, a public house was also built to
serve the less pious.
From its earliest, Adelaide attracted immigrants from many countries,
particularly German migrants escaping religious persecution. They brought
with them the vine cuttings that founded the famous wineries of the Barossa
Valley. After the Second World War Italians, Greeks, Dutch, Polish, and
possibly every other European nationality came to make a new start. An
influx of Asian immigrants following the Vietnam War added to the mix. These
cultures have blended to form a rich and diverse cuisine and vibrant
restaurant culture.
Much of the area around Adelaide was once used for wine grape production, so
that large wine growing districts (such as the Barossa Valley, for which
Adelaide and South Australia are well known) remain within a short drive of
the city outskirts.
Adelaide's cultural life flourished in the 1970s under the leadership of
premier Don Dunstan, removing some of the more puritanical restrictions on
cultural activities then prevalent around Australia. Now the city is home to
events such as the Barossa Music Festival, the Adelaide Festival of Arts,
Adelaide Film Festival, and the Fringe Festival, among others. Womadelaide,
Australia's premier world music event, is now annually held in the scenic
surrounds of Botanic Park, emphasising Adelaide's dedication to the arts
which has prevailed since the days of Don Dunstan.
Adelaide hosted the Formula 1 Grand Prix from 1985 on 1995 on a street
circuit in the city's eastern parklands. The Formula 1 Grand Prix became a
source of pride and losing the Grand Prix to arch-rival Melbourne under
questionable circumstances left a void that has since been filled for the
most part with the highly successful Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race event,
held on a modified version of the same circuit.
Adelaide is the home of two Australian Football League (Australia's own
football code) teams: the Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power. It is also
the host of the annual Tour Down Under bicycle race.
Adelaide skyline as seen from Victoria SquareMany prominent artists, bands,
and musicians come from Adelaide. They include film directors Scott Hicks
and Rolf de Heer, actors Anthony LaPaglia and Jonathan LaPaglia, and
musicians Jimmy Barnes, John Farnham, The Mark of Cain, The Superjesus,
Undertone, Guy Sebastian, Testeagles, and Snap to Zero. Of recent note are
the Hilltop Hoods who are one of the most respected Australian hip-hop
outfits. Ben Folds, who has been living in Adelaide since 1999, released a
song titled "Adelaide" in August 2004, as part of his Super D EP.
Famous people who grew up in Adelaide include Alexander Downer (Australian
foreign minister), Sir Mark Oliphant (physicist and Governor of South
Australia), Nobel Prize winners William Lawrence Bragg and Howard Florey (honoured
for his role in making penicillin readily available), Andy Thomas (astronaut),
Lleyton Hewitt (number one-ranked tennis player), Ian, Greg, and Trevor
Chappell (cricket players).
Adelaide was also home to pioneer Antarctic explorer Sir Douglas Mawson and
Australia's first woman judge, Dame Roma Mitchell.
Though born in Melbourne, media mogul Rupert Murdoch ran his first newspaper
in Adelaide. In 1952, he took over from his father running "The Adelaide
News", which he made successful enough to start development of his now far-reaching
media empire News Corp. Ltd.
The local daily newspaper is The Advertiser, a News Corp. property.
Infrastructure
The city is also home to the University of South Australia (UniSA), the
University of Adelaide and the Flinders University, which are all well
respected research and teaching institutions. Adelaide has a comprehensive
public transport system, known as the Adelaide Metro, which includes the
unique Adelaide O-Bahn, a guided busway, and the historic Glenelg Tram which
runs from the city to the beach at Glenelg.
Adelaide is the midpoint of the Indian Pacific railway between Perth and
Sydney, as well as the terminus of the Overland to Melbourne and The Ghan
via Alice Springs to Darwin. Adelaide is served by Adelaide International
Airport. |
|
