Portal:South Australia

The South Australia Portal

Flag of South Australia

South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of 984,314 square kilometres (380,046 sq mi), it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which includes some of the most arid parts of the continent. It is the 17th-largest subdivision in the world and the fifth-largest in Australasia. It is the second-most highly centralised state in the nation after Western Australia, with more than 67% of the 1.9 million South Australians living in the capital Adelaide or its environs. Other population centres in the state are relatively small; Mount Gambier is the second-largest centre, with a population of 26,878.

South Australia shares borders with all the other mainland states. It is bordered to the west by Western Australia, to the north by the Northern Territory, to the north-east by Queensland, to the east by New South Wales, and to the south-east by Victoria. To the south, its border is the ocean, the Great Australian Bight.

The state comprises less than 6.7% of the Australian population and ranks fifth in population among the six states and two territories. The majority of its people reside in greater Metropolitan Adelaide. Most of the remainder are settled in fertile areas along the south-eastern coast and River Murray. The state's colonial origins are unique in Australia as a freely settled, planned British province, rather than as a convict settlement. Colonial government commenced on 28 December 1836, when the members of the council were sworn in near the Old Gum Tree.

As with the rest of the continent, the region has a long history of human occupation by numerous groups and languages. The South Australian Company established a temporary settlement at Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, on 26 July 1836, five months before Adelaide was founded. The guiding principle behind settlement was that of systematic colonisation, a theory espoused by Edward Gibbon Wakefield that was later employed by the New Zealand Company. The goal was to establish the province as a centre of civilisation for free immigrants, promising civil liberties and religious tolerance. Although its history has been marked by periods of economic hardship, South Australia has remained politically innovative and culturally vibrant. Today, it is known for its fine wine and numerous cultural festivals. The state's economy is dominated by the agricultural, manufacturing and mining industries. (Full article...)

Selected article -

A male scarlet-chested parrot at Gluepot Reserve, South Australia

The scarlet-chested parrot (Neophema splendida), known alternately as scarlet-breasted parrot, orange-throated parrot or splendid parrot, is a parrot endemic to central South Australia and inland southern Western Australia. The species is sexually dimorphic; the male has a bright blue face and scarlet chest and yellow underparts, amid overall green plumage, while the female is similar but lacks the red chest. These nomadic parakeets move readily from the Great Victoria Desert region into neighbouring areas. These interruptions are triggered by a search for more favourable conditions. They can survive quite well without access to drinking water, however, as succulent plants help meet much of their fluid requirement. They feed mainly on grass seeds and are most commonly sighted in spinifex. (Full article...)

List of selected articles

Selected Picture -

Major O'Halloran's expedition to the Coorong, August 1840. Painting by unknown artist, held at the Art Gallery of South Australia.

General images

The following are images from various South Australia-related articles on Wikipedia.

Image 1Saint Mary Mackillop co-founded an order of nuns in rural South Australia in 1866 and became the first Australian saint of the Catholic Church in 2010. (from History of South Australia)
Image 2Aboriginal Family Travelling by W.A. Cawthorne (from History of South Australia)
Image 3George French Angas, Port Adelaide in 1846, 10 years after settlement. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 4Satellite image of eastern South Australia. Note the dry lakes (white patches) in the north (from Geography of South Australia)
Image 5The barque Admiral Karpfanger at Port Germein jetty in South Australia. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 6Loading grain from horse drawn wagons to the ketch 'Free Selector' on Kangaroo Island (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 7Encounter Bay, 1847 (from History of South Australia)
Image 8500 class engine No.502 hauling a freight train in at Eden Hills, August 1953. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 9The 1925 Murray Bridge rail bridge over the Murray River, linking Adelaide to Melbourne. (from History of South Australia)
Image 10Old Parliament House in 1872 (from History of South Australia)
Image 11The punitive expedition to the Coorong after 25 survivors of the shipwreck Maria were massacred by Aboriginal people in 1840. (from History of South Australia)
Image 12Rapid Bay, South Australia in 1950 with its limestone quarry and jetty for loading limestone onto ships (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 13A camel train in the desert, with each of the camels loaded with two bales of wool from Arrabura Station, 1931. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 14South Australian suffragette Catherine Helen Spence. In 1895 women in South Australia were among the first in the world to attain the vote and were the first to be able to stand for parliament. (from History of South Australia)
Image 15The Paddle Steamer P. S. Sapphire on the Murray River with a barge. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 16Road transport in South Australia (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 17"Night attack of the natives on Lake Hope" (1866 wood engraving) (from History of South Australia)
Image 18The Proclamation of South Australia 1836, Charles Hill (from History of South Australia)
Image 19Colonel William Light (from History of South Australia)
Image 20Charles Sturt (from History of South Australia)
Image 21Wallaroo jetty in 1909, showing shipping, launches, and grain waiting for loading. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 22Köppen climate types in South Australia (from Geography of South Australia)
Image 23An 1835 advertisement for the sale of land in South Australia (from History of South Australia)
Image 24Goolwa to Port Elliot tramway circa 1860. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 25Camel train, with wool from Nappamerry being unloaded at the Railway Station, 1928. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 26Ships docked at Port Adelaide in 1910. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 27The clipper 'Yatala', 1127 tons, at Port Adelaide circa 1870. (from Transport in South Australia)
Image 28An aerial view of Murray Bridge in 1953 showing rail and road bridges, and also paddle steamers. (from Transport in South Australia)

Did You Know... -

...that construction of St. Francis Xavier's Cathedral (pictured) in Adelaide did not finish until 1996, 130 years after it began?
...that Sir Samuel Davenport, a South Australian parliamentarian, had an electoral district named after him?
...that Adelaide was the first city in Australia to introduce horse trams and the last to discard them for more modern public transport?
...that Smoky Bay in South Australia was named so after the discoverer noticed large plumes of smoke from fires lit by the area's Aboriginal people?

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WikiProject Adelaide	WikiProject South Australia	WikiProject Australia

Major Topics

Geography – Adelaide Hills • Adelaide Plains • Barossa Valley • Clare Valley • Coonawarra • Eyre Peninsula • Fleurieu Peninsula • Flinders Ranges • Kangaroo Island • Limestone Coast • Mid North • Nullarbor Plain • Riverland • Yorke Peninsula

History – Kaurna Indigenous people • European settlement • History of Adelaide • Proclamation Day • Australian Overland Telegraph Line • Timeline of South Australian history

Towns and Cities – Adelaide • Coober Pedy • Mount Gambier • Murray Bridge| Port Augusta • Port Lincoln • Port Pirie • Victor Harbor • Whyalla • Gawler

Economy and Politics – Premiers • Governors • Parliament • House of Assembly • Electoral districts • Legislative Council • State elections

Culture – Croweater • Pie floater • Wine • The Advertiser • Adelaide Festival Centre • Adelaide Entertainment Centre • WOMADelaide • Adelaide Fringe • Elder Park • The Crows • The Power • The Reds • Redbacks • Hindmarsh Stadium • AAMI Stadium • Rundle Mall

People – Kaurna Indigenous people • Matthew Flinders • William Light • Charles Sturt • Edward Gibbon Wakefield • John Hindmarsh • George Gawler • Playford family • Don Dunstan

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Places and landmarks: Southern Vales, Science Park, Sir Samuel Way Building, Cummins House, Adelaide Central School of Art, Pearson Isles
Parks and rivers: Henley Square, Peace Park
Events and people: Carnevale in Adelaide, Come Out Festival, SALA Festival, Ian Gilfillan, Edmund William Wright
Streets: South Terrace, Currie Street
History: The Chronicle (South Australia), Adelaide Observer, Adelaide Steamship Company, History Trust of South Australia, Electoral reform in South Australia
Other: Category:Wikipedia requested photographs in South Australia, Category:Wikipedia requested photographs in Adelaide
Assess: Category:Unknown-importance South Australia articles, Category:Unassessed South Australia articles, Category:Unknown-importance Adelaide articles, Category:Unassessed Adelaide articles
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