Wander around the historic areas of Port Adelaide and you get a sense of its importance during South Australia’s early years. Grand, imposing buildings line the streets, with most of them erected during Port Adelaide’s seminal years in the mid and late 1800s.
At the time, it was the principal gateway to the colony for immigrants and provisions, and functioned as a shipping, transport and industrial hub. Early exports were silver-lead ore from Glen Osmond (the first metal mined in Australia), copper from Moonta, wool and ‘breadstuffs’.
Somewhat fortuitously, tough economic times in the late 1800s meant Port Adelaide missed out on being in-filled with Victorian architecture. So, today, it’s proudly home to South Australia’s largest collection of early colonial buildings and is a state heritage area.
Come for a wander and explore Port’s historic past.