Adelaide City Centre Tarndanya Adelaide, South Australia
Adelaide City Centre withAdelaide Oval and theAdelaide Festival Centre in view (2015)
Population	18,202 (SAL2021)[1]
Established	1837
Postcode(s)	5000
Area	10.5 km2 (4.1 sq mi)
Location	5 km (3 mi) E ofAdelaide Airport 12 km (7 mi) SE ofPort Adelaide 9 km (6 mi) NE ofGlenelg
Region	Eastern Adelaide[2]
State electorate(s)	Adelaide
Federal division(s)	Adelaide
Suburbs around Adelaide City Centre: Hindmarsh North Adelaide Gilberton Hackney Thebarton Mile End Adelaide City Centre Kent Town Rose Park Dulwich Keswick Wayville Unley Parkside Eastwood Glenside

Adelaide city centre (Kaurna:Tarndanya)^[5] is theinner city locality ofGreater Adelaide, the capital city ofSouth Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from theCity of Adelaide local government area (which also includesNorth Adelaide and from thePark Lands around the whole city centre). The residential population was 18,202 in the2021 census, with a local worker population of 130,404.^[6]

Adelaide city centre was planned in 1837 on agreenfield site following agrid layout, with streets running atright angles to each other. It covers an area of 4.33 square kilometres (1.67 square miles) and is surrounded by 6.68 square kilometres (2.58 square miles) of park lands.^{[7][note 1]} Within the city are five parks:Victoria Square in the exact centre and four other, smaller parks.

Names for elements of the city centre are as follows:

• The "citysquare mile" (in reality 1.67 square miles or 4.33 square kilometres) is the constructed area bordered byNorth,East,South andWest Terraces.
• The "central business district" (CBD) is an alternative term, but more accurately describes the intensively developed northern half of the city, which contains a multitude of commercial, cultural and entertainment premises, restaurants and high-rise apartments. The southern, lower-density half mainly contains small businesses, restaurants and, residentially, a mix of mansions, houses and conserved 19th century cottages, and (fewer) high-rise apartments.
• Precincts such as the West End and theEast End have distinctive characters. CBD shopping precincts includeRundle Mall andAdelaide Central Market.
• In what is often described as the "North Terrace cultural precinct", many educational, cultural, entertainment and medical institutions lie between the northern side of North Terrace and theRiver Torrens – notably university campuses, theAdelaide Festival Centre, and theParliament of South Australia.Adelaide railway station is also located there.

Before theBritish colonisation of South Australia, theAdelaide Plains, on which Adelaide was built, were home to theKaurna group ofAboriginal Australians. The colony of South Australia was established in 1836 atGlenelg, and the city itself established in 1837. The location and characteristicgrid layout of the city and North Adelaide, as well as the surrounding parklands, were the result of the work ofColonel William Light (1786–1839), who was the firstSurveyor General of South Australia. The area where the Adelaide city centre now exists was once known as "Tarndanya",^[8] theKaurna word for as "male red kangaroo rock", which was the name used for an area along the south bank of what is now known as theRiver Torrens (Karrawiri Pari), which flows through Adelaide.

Adelaide was not as badly affected by the 1860s economic depression in Australia as other gold rush cities likeSydney andMelbourne, allowing it to prosper. Historian F.W. Crowley noted that the city was full of elite upper-class citizens which provided a stark contrast to the grinding poverty of the labour areas andslums outside the inner city ring. Due to its historic wealth during the 20th century, the city retains a notable portion of Victorian architecture.^{[citation needed]}

Adelaide is separated from its greater metropolitan area by a ring of publicparklands on all sides. The so-called "square mile" within the park lands is defined by a small area of high rise office and apartment buildings in the centre north, aroundKing William Street, which runs north-to-south through the centre. Surrounding this central business district are a large number of medium to low densityapartments,townhouses anddetached houses which make up the residential portion of the city centre.

The layout of Adelaide, sometimes referred to as "Light's Vision", features acardinal directiongrid pattern of wide streets and terraces and five large public squares:Victoria Square in the centre of the city, andHindmarsh,Light,Hurtle andWhitmore Squares in the centres of each of the four quadrants of the Adelaide city centre. These squares occupy 32 of the 700 numberedtown acre allotments on Light's plan.^{[citation needed]}

All east–west roads change their names as they cross King William Street, except forNorth andSouth terraces.^[9] They also alternate between being wide and narrow, 99 and 66 feet (30 and 20 m), except for the central Grote and Wakefield which are extra-wide, 132 feet (40 m),^[10] along with the surrounding four terraces.^[11] In the south half of the city, in several places the Adelaide City Council has constructed wide footpaths and road markings to restrict traffic to a lesser number of lanes than the full width of the road could support.^{[citation needed]}

The street pairs, design widths, and town acres in Light's Vision are illustrated in this diagram:

The streets and squares were named by a committee of a number of prominent settlers after themselves, after early directors of theSouth Australian Company, after Colonisation Commissioners of South Australia (appointed by the British government to oversee implementation of the acts that established the colony), and after various notables involved in the establishment of the colony.

TheStreet Naming Committee comprised:^[12]

All members of the committee (except Stephens) had one or more of the streets and squares in the Adelaide city centre andNorth Adelaide named after themselves. Brown Street, named for John Brown, was subsequently subsumed as a continuation of Morphett Street in 1967. In the same year, Hanson Street, named forRichard Hanson, was subsumed as a continuation ofPulteney Street.

The squares were named after:

• Victoria – the regent, Princess Victoria, laterQueen Victoria
• Hindmarsh – Rear Admiral SirJohn Hindmarsh, firstGovernor of South Australia
• Hurtle – SirJames Hurtle Fisher, first Resident Commissioner
• Light – ColonelWilliam Light,Surveyor General
• Whitmore –William Wolryche-Whitmore MP, a Colonial Commissioner in London

The east–west streets named on 22 December 1836 were:^[15]

• Rundle –John Rundle MP, Director of theSouth Australian Company
• Hindley –Charles Hindley MP, Director of South Australian Company
• Grenfell –Pascoe St Leger Grenfell, businessman and patron, presented a town acre for the Holy Trinity Church and other country lands
• Currie –Raikes Currie MP, Director of South Australian Company
• Pirie – SirJohn Pirie, alderman and later Lord Mayor of London, Director of South Australian Company
• Waymouth –Henry Waymouth, Director South Australian Company
• Flinders –Matthew Flinders, explorer
• Franklin – Rear Admiral SirJohn Franklin, midshipman under Flinders
• Wakefield –Daniel Bell Wakefield, barrister who drafted theSouth Australia Act^[16]
• Grote –George Grote MP, treasurer of the South Australia Association
• Angas –George Fife Angas, a Colonial Commissioner and founding Chairman of Directors of the South Australian Company
• Gouger –Robert Gouger, first Colonial Secretary

Most of these people did not reside in or visit South Australia.

The naming of the streets was completed on 23 May 1837^[12] and gazetted on 3 June.^[17]

East–west streets:

• Carrington –John Abel Smith (Lord Carrington)
• Wright – John Wright, Colonial Commissioner and financier^[18]
• Halifax –Charles Wood, 1st Viscount Halifax,Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Sturt –Charles Sturt, explorer
• Gilles –Osmond Gilles, early treasurer of the colony
• Gilbert –Thomas Gilbert, storekeeper and postmaster^[18]

North–south streets:

• Morphett –John Morphett, member of the South Australian parliament
• Pulteney – Admiral SirPulteney Malcolm, British naval officer
• Hutt –William Hutt MP, a Colonial Commissioner

TheAdelaide City Council began the process ofdual naming all of the city squares, each of the parks making up theparklands which surround the city centre andNorth Adelaide, and other sites of significance to theKaurna people in 1997.^[19] The naming process, which assigned an extra name in theKaurna language to each place, was mostly completed in 2003,^[20] and the renaming of 39 sites finalised and endorsed by the council in 2012.^[21]

• Victoria Square – Tarntanyangga ('red kangaroo dreaming')
• Hindmarsh Square – Mukata
• Hurtle Square – Tangkaira
• Light Square – Wauwi
• Whitmore Square – Iparrityi

The City of Adelaide Council has defined a number ofneighbourhood precincts in the city centre, each with a character of their own:

• The East End, centering onRundle Street known for its restaurants, bars, high-end fashion shops, the Palace Nova Cinema;^[22]
• The West End, from the western end of North Terrace and encompassing several blocks southward, which includes theUniversity of South Australia 'CityWest' campus, theSamstag Museum of Art,JamFactory,Lion Arts Centre,Mercury Cinema, numerous bars, clubs and restaurants, and "BioMed City";^[23]
• TheSouth East of the city, largely residential, but including many cafés, restaurants, pubs, etc.;^[24] and
• TheSouth West is very diverse; largely residential and including theAdelaide Central Market^[24]

In addition to these, the north-eastern side of North Terrace is often referred to as the "North Terrace cultural precinct" or "cultural boulevard", and includes theArt Gallery of South Australia, theState Library of South Australia, theSouth Australian Museum, theMigration Museum, theAdelaide Botanic Garden, theUniversity of Adelaide and the "CityEast" campus of theUniSA^[25]

The population was 18,202 in the2021 census, 41 percent born in Australia.^[3] The next most common countries of birth were China 15.7%, India 3.7%, England 3.6%, Malaysia 3.6%, and Hong Kong 2.7%. 49.1% of people spoke only English at home. Other languages spoken at home includedMandarin 17.8%,Cantonese 4.2%,Vietnamese 2%,Hindi 1.5%, andKorean 1.5%. The most common response for religion in Adelaide was "No Religion" at 52.9% of the population.^[3]

At federal level, Adelaide is within theDivision of Adelaide, amarginal seat which historically has alternated between theLiberal andLabor parties. It has been held since 2019 bySteve Georganas of the Labor party.^[26]

In theSouth Australian House of Assembly, Adelaide is within theElectoral district of Adelaide. Since the March 2022 state election, the seat has been held byLucy Hood of the Labor party.

Adelaide's cultural and entertainment precincts/venues are generally concentrated in the city centre, including theConvention Centre; theAdelaide Oval is just north of the Torrens within theparklands and easily accessible from the city. Most of the events relating to theAdelaide Festival andAdelaide Fringe are held within Adelaide's city centre and surrounding parklands during February and March. This time is known as "Mad March", due to the large number of other cultural festivities at the same time, including theAdelaide 500 andWOMADelaide.

North Terrace is considered Adelaide's "cultural boulevard" because it is home to theState Library of South Australia, theSouth Australian Museum, theMigration Museum, theArt Gallery of South Australia, theUniversity of Adelaide, the city campus ofUniversity of South Australia, and several smaller galleries.

Lonely Planet labelled Adelaide "Australia's live music city",^[27] and the city was recognised as a "City of Music" by theUNESCO Creative Cities Network in 2015.^[28] Although there were many pubs hosting live music in the CBD in past, the number has slowly diminished. Two remain very popular with musicians and patrons alike:

• TheGrace Emily onWaymouth Street, which was refurbished as a live music venue around 1998 and renamed after an elderly neighbour, was added to theSouth Australian Music Hall of Fame in 2017.^{[29][30][31][32]}
• TheCrown & Anchor was saved from demolition in 2024 after a vigorous campaign by the public as well as many musicians and politicians. New legislation passed on 11 September 2024 designates the entire Adelaide CBD as a "live music venue area", and gives protection to selected live music venues.^[33]

• 
  Aerial view of the Adelaide city centre looking south-east, 2005.
• 
  A statue ofQueen Victoria has stood in the geometric centre of bothVictoria Square and "the square mile" since 1894.
• 
  Part ofNorth Terrace, 2009.
• 
  Adelaide CBD from above, 2022.
• 
  High rise buildings onHindmarsh Square, 2012.
• 
  Night aerial of the CBD, 2014
• 
  Statue ofKing Edward VII on North Terrace.
• 
  St Francis Xavier's Cathedral, Victoria Square.
• 
  Brookman Building onNorth Terrace, part of the City East campus of theUniversity of South Australia
• 
  Rundle Street looking east

• Adelaide (Greater Adelaide metropolis)
• City of Adelaide (local government area)
• North Adelaide
• Street art in Adelaide
• Grid layout

• Spence, Catherine Helen; Beams, Maryan (2006). Susan Magarey; Barbara Wall; Maryan Beams; Mary Lyons (eds.).Ever yours, C.H. Spence: Catherine Helen Spence's An autobiography (1825-1910), Diary (1894) and Some correspondence (1894-1910). Wakefield Press.ISBN 978-1-86254-656-1.

• "Nomenclature of the Streets of Adelaide and North Adelaide"(PDF). State Library of South Australia.taken from The City of Adelaide Year Book, 1939-1940
• Nicholas, Jeff; Grenvell, Julian, Lord, Baron of Kilvey, (writer of foreword.) (2016),Behind the streets of Adelaide : the unrevealed history of the roads and pavements of a modern city (Limited edition hardback set ed.), Torrens Press,ISBN 978-0-9945330-0-5{{citation}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

34°55′43″S138°36′00″E / 34.92861°S 138.60000°E /-34.92861; 138.60000

• Suburbs of Adelaide
• Central business districts in Australia
• Economy of Adelaide

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