State Records of South Australia

State Records of South Australia Capturing the heritage of South Australians, we're the official custodian for archival records created by State and Local Government within the state.

State Records of South Australia is the government archives of South Australia and holds a large part of our state's official documentary heritage. We hold records covering almost every facet of state and local government administration within South Australia. As a result, our records provide valuable insight and knowledge about the lives of South Australians. The State Records collection holds many maps, plans, registers, films and photographs, in addition to thousands of documents dating from the earliest days of European settlement to recent times. We would like to share with your our collection and events through Facebook, and encourage your comments and participation.

Can you believe this is what South Australia looked like about 90 years ago?We are extremely proud to present a new exhi...
14/09/2026

Can you believe this is what South Australia looked like about 90 years ago?

We are extremely proud to present a new exhibition of photographs taken in 1935 by Antarctic and World Wars I and II photographer Frank Hurley.

These photographs were taken ahead of South Australia’s Centenary in 1936.

The exhibition is at the GPO Exchange, 10 Franklin Street, Adelaide, from September 15-October 15.

For more information, visit https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/1930s-south-australia-and-beyond-by-frank-hurley

Image credits:
King William Road facing north: SRSA GRG35/342/1/311/box697/GN05612
St Peter's Cathedral: SRSA GRG35/342/1/313/box705/GN05689
Victoria Square: SRSA GRG35/342/1/315/box710/GN05776
North Terrace: SRSA GRG35/342/1/314/box708/GN05757

City of Adelaide Adelaide Economic Development Agency Adelaide Photographers

The Spheres – more commonly known as the ‘Mall’s balls” in Rundle Mall were unveiled on October 5, 1977. Designed by Ber...
10/09/2026

The Spheres – more commonly known as the ‘Mall’s balls” in Rundle Mall were unveiled on October 5, 1977.

Designed by Bert Flugelman, they were donated by the Hindmarsh Building Society to the City of Adelaide to mark its centenary.
Each sphere measures 2.15m in diameter.

These images of the spheres were taken on January 25, 1978.
Rundle Mall celebrated its 50th anniversary on September 1, 2026.

SRSA GRS 886/1/22 various images

Rundle Mall City of Adelaide Adelaide Economic Development AgencyAdelaide Remember When.

Learn more about the life of Aboriginal author and inventor David Unaipon in a display at State Records’ Gepps Cross Res...
07/09/2026

Learn more about the life of Aboriginal author and inventor David Unaipon in a display at State Records’ Gepps Cross Research Centre.

From photos of where he grew up in regional South Australia to details of his sheep shears patent, and even his school record, visitors can develop a stronger appreciation of this man, who appears on the $50 note.

See the display at 115 Cavan Road, Gepps Cross from Tuesday to Friday, 9.30am-4.00pm, until September 30.

Read more about his life here:
archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/david-unaipon-the-man-on-the-$50-note

Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority , City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Australian Society of Archivists Reconciliation Australia

Flashback to the 1964 . This exhibit in 1964 is promoting the apprentice program by the Islington Railway Workshops. ...
03/09/2026



Flashback to the 1964 . This exhibit in 1964 is promoting the apprentice program by the Islington Railway Workshops.

The Islington Railway Workshops were established in 1883, when the manufacture and maintenance of steam engines and carriages was moved from the Adelaide Railway Station.

For many decades the Islington Workshops trained young South Australians in trades like fitting and turning, boiler making, machining and electrical work.

The workshops were a major employer in South Australia and made significant contribution to the interstate rail network.

The workshops were decommissioned, and the site redeveloped, by 2010.
Several of the Islington Railway Workshop buildings, including the Apprentice School, are protected under the Heritage Places Act 1993.

Do you have a connection to the Islington Railway Workshop apprentice program?

State Records holds some employee records for the South Australian Railways, State Transport Authority and their successor agencies.

Find out more here:

https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/education-and-employment/railway-employees.

Image reference: Photographic images relating to public transport (album set) – South Australian Railway Commissioners. SRSA GRS13684/1/11/Album61/20.

In celebrating Rundle Mall turning 50 this week, we are sharing this fisheye lens view of shoppers enjoying the transfor...
02/09/2026

In celebrating Rundle Mall turning 50 this week, we are sharing this fisheye lens view of shoppers enjoying the transformed western end of Rundle Street, taken in 1976 shortly after the change.

See more archival photos and video of the precinct in our Stories from the Archive article here:

www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/adelaides-rundle-mall-when-it-was-a-street

Photo: SRSA GRS 886/1/22 - Rundle Mall (1976).

City of Adelaide Rundle Mall History Council of South Australia History Trust of South Australia Adelaide Economic Development Agency

We are getting excited at the Royal Adelaide Show opening on Saturday, September 5.We’ve delved into the archive to find...
01/09/2026

We are getting excited at the Royal Adelaide Show opening on Saturday, September 5.

We’ve delved into the archive to find moments of magic, exceptional produce and of course, cute animals, from shows gone by.

Images:
SRSA GRG7/70/21/1335, Wood cutting at the Royal Adelaide Show, 1950
SRSA GRG7/120/3/3 A garden display at the Royal Adelaide Show in 1936
SRSA GRG7/70/21/1338 A grand parade of animals at the show, date unknown
SRSA GRG7/70/21/1334 Meandering through the showgrounds, date unknown

This month marks the 80th anniversary of the Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA) being established.The managemen...
01/09/2026

This month marks the 80th anniversary of the Electricity Trust of South Australia (ETSA) being established.

The management of the electricity supply in South Australia was first legislated in 1882, allowing a private company to provide electricity to Corporations and private persons in the state.

The first project of the Company was in 1889 to supply electric streetlights in Port Adelaide.

A Royal Commission in 1945 investigated the electricity supply in South Australia and recommended a government take-over to ensure supply was extended throughout the State, prioritising access over profitability.

A new act passed in 1946, establishing the South Australian Electricity Trust, who acquired the assets of the privately-run supplier into its Trust.

The electricity supply in South Australia remained the responsibility of the Government until the partial-privatisation of the service in the late-1990s.

This image is the front page of the first staff magazine of the Adelaide Electric Supply Company (AESC), published 100 years ago in June 1926.

For much of the 20th century this staff magazine was published two to four times per year and documented the work and social lives of AESC and ETSA employees.

Image reference: 'Adelect' staff magazine - Adelaide Electric Supply Company and successors. SRSA GRS 2650/1/1 - Volume 1, June 1926.

50 years ago Adelaide’s shopping precinct Rundle Mall opened as a pedestrian-only thoroughfare.Archival videos and pho...
01/09/2026

50 years ago Adelaide’s shopping precinct Rundle Mall opened as a pedestrian-only thoroughfare.

Archival videos and photos reveal what the space looked like when it was still Rundle Street.

It had seen horses and carts, numerous bicycles, and even trolley buses at one point.

See these sights and more in our package of photos and video here:

https://www.archives.sa.gov.au/finding-information/discover-our-collection/stories-from-the-archive/adelaides-rundle-mall-when-it-was-a-street

Images:

SRSA GRS/8271/1/1/DP9
A still from a traffic management video in 1945.

SRSA GRS/17240/1/1/1
Traffic plan in the Report into the Traffic and Transport Aspects of Converting Rundle Street to a Pedestrian Mall, 1973.

SRSA GRG24/140/36/72 Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip during the 1954 Royal Visit.

SRSA GRG35/58/7/208
Rundle Street’s west side in the 1930s, before the trolley buses were installed.

City of Adelaide Rundle Mall History Council of South Australia History Trust of South Australia Keith Conlon

The current Adelaide Railway Station's foundation stone was laid on August 24, 1926.Railways Commissioner W.A. Webb was...
23/08/2026



The current Adelaide Railway Station's foundation stone was laid on August 24, 1926.

Railways Commissioner W.A. Webb was responsible for building the station, replacing the previous English covered all-weather facility - opened in 1856 - with an American-style one.

The image of North Terrace was taken in 1935 Frank Hurley, the official photographer for Douglas Mawson and Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic explorations in the 1910s.

There are also images of the laying of the Foundation Stone for the Adelaide Railway Station 24 August, 1926 by Premier John Gunn with SAR Commissioner William Webb in attendance.

Find out more about the station's history and South Australian Railways at the link

https://catalogue.archives.sa.gov.au/agency?id=GRG42

📸SRSA GRG35/342/1/311/box698/GN05620 Panoramic view of Adelaide via North Terrace - Adelaide Railway Station in midground, 1935, Frank Hurley
📸 SRSA GRG35/342/1/4/box11/GN12099 and GRG35/342/1/4/box11/GN12108
Laying of the Foundation Stone for the Adelaide Railway Station 24 August, 1926 by Premier John Gunn with SAR Commissioner William Webb in attendance.

Adelaide Metro Adelaide Economic Development Agency Adelaide Yesterday and Today Adelaide Remember When. South Australian Railway Enthusiasts National Railway Museum, Port Adelaide

Dr JW Yeatman (pictured right) was a Brisbane-born doctor in areas including Koolunga, Naracoorte and Auburn. This image...
20/08/2026

Dr JW Yeatman (pictured right) was a Brisbane-born doctor in areas including Koolunga, Naracoorte and Auburn.

This image of him with his wife in 1922 comes from a collection of photographs owned by the District Council of Upper Wakefield, now part of Clare & Gilbert Valleys Council.

Our records document interactions between your ancestors and the State.
Find out how we can help you with your family history search


📸 SRSA MRG8/19/6 Photographs and other images of Auburn, Kapunda and local inhabitants

Genealogy South Australia Australian Society of Archivists

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