ADELAIDE LOCAL HISTORY

The Kaurna people are the first known inhabitants of the area that is now Adelaide. At the time of European settlement, official policy was for the local aboriginal people to be protected and shown respect, supported by a general belief in the humanitarian principles of Western enlightenment.

With the promise of civil and religious liberty, the city attracted a large population of Lutherans fleeing religious persecution in Prussia. These German settlers have left a lasting impression on a number of villages in the hills south of the city. The towns of Hahndorf, Klemzig and Lobethal in the heart of the state's wine region are renowned for their distinctive German architecture.

The site of the city itself was chosen by Surveyor-General Colonel William Light, who planned its neat grid layout with elegant terraces and squares. The historic buildings of the city mostly date from the 1870s and 80s when the state's economy flourished mostly due the cultivation and export of wheat.

Liberal attitudes have continued to dominate South Australian politics and in the late 1960s and 70s, the state made several ground-breaking political reforms, prohibiting sexual discrimination, racial discrimination and capital punishment. It was the first place in Australia to officially recognise the land rights of Aborigines and begin returning the land to its traditional owners.