   #copyright

Adelaide

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Oceania
(Australasia)

   Adelaide
   South Australia
   Population:
   • Density:   1,124,315 ( 5th)
                615/km²
   Established: 1836
   Area:        1,826.9 km²
   Location:
                  * 729 km from Melbourne
                  * 1,408 km from Sydney
                  * 2,700 km from Perth

   Adelaide is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state
   of South Australia, and is the fifth largest city in Australia, with a
   population of over 1.1 million. It is a coastal city beside the
   Southern Ocean, and is situated on the Adelaide Plains, north of the
   Fleurieu Peninsula, between the Gulf St. Vincent and the low-lying
   Mount Lofty Ranges. It is roughly a linear city: it is 20 km from the
   coast to the foothills, but it stretches 90 km from Gawler at its
   northern extent to Sellicks Beach in the south.

   Named in honour of Queen Adelaide, the consort of King William IV, the
   city was founded in 1836 as the planned capital for the only
   freely-settled British province in Australia. Colonel William Light,
   one of Adelaide's founding fathers, designed the city and chose its
   location close to the River Torrens. Inspired by William Penn, Light's
   design set out Adelaide in a grid layout, interspaced by wide
   boulevards and large public squares, and entirely surrounded by
   parkland. Early Adelaide was shaped by religious freedom and a
   commitment to political progressivism and civil liberties, which led to
   world-first reforms. Adelaidean society remained largely puritan up
   until the 1970s, when a set of social reforms under the premiership of
   Don Dunstan resulted in a cultural revival. Today Adelaide is known for
   its many festivals as well as for its wine, arts and sports.

   As South Australia's seat of government and commercial centre, Adelaide
   is the site of many governmental and financial institutions. Most of
   these are concentrated in the city centre along the cultural boulevard
   of North Terrace and in various districts of the metropolitan area.

History

   Prior to European settlement, the Adelaide area was inhabited by the
   Kaurna Aboriginal tribe (pronounced "Garner" or "Gowna") Acknowledged
   Kaurna country comprised the Adelaide Plains and surrounding regions -
   from Cape Jervis in the south, and to Port Wakefield in the north.
   Among their unique customs were burn-offs (controlled bushfires) in the
   Adelaide Hills which the early Europeans spotted before the Kaurna
   people were pushed out by settlement. By 1852, the total population (by
   census count) of the Kaurna was 650 in the Adelaide region and steadily
   decreasing. During the winter months, they moved into the Adelaide
   hills for better shelter and firewood.
   Adelaide in 1839, looking south-east from North Terrace
   Enlarge
   Adelaide in 1839, looking south-east from North Terrace

   South Australia was officially settled as a new British province on
   December 28, 1836. This day is now commemorated as a public holiday,
   Proclamation Day, in South Australia. The site of the colony's capital
   city was surveyed and laid out by Colonel William Light, the first
   Surveyor-General of South Australia. Light chose, not without
   opposition, a site on rising ground close to the River Torrens, which
   became the chief early water supply for the fledgling colony. " Light's
   Vision", as it has been termed, has meant that the initial design of
   Adelaide required little modification as the city grew and prospered.
   Usually in an older city it would be necessary to accommodate larger
   roads and add parks, whereas Adelaide had them from the start. Adelaide
   was established as the centre of a planned colony of free immigrants,
   promising civil liberties and freedom from religious persecution, and
   does not share the convict settlement history of other Australian
   cities like Sydney and Hobart.

   Adelaide's early history was wrought by economic uncertainty and
   incompetent leadership. The first governor of South Australia,
   Hindmarsh, clashed frequently with Col. Light. The rural area
   surrounding Adelaide city was surveyed by Light in preparation to sell
   a total of over 405 km² of land. Adelaide's early economy started to
   get on its feet in 1838 with the arrival of livestock from New South
   Wales and Tasmania. The wool industry served as an early basis for the
   South Australian economy. Light's survey was completed in this period,
   and land was promptly offered to sale to early colonists. Wheat farms
   ranged from Encounter Bay in the south to Clare in the north by 1860.
   Governor Gawler took over from Hindmarsh in late 1838 and promptly
   oversaw construction of a governor's house, gaol, police barracks,
   hospital, and customs house and a wharf at Port Adelaide. In addition
   houses for public officials and missionaries, and outstations for
   police and surveyors were also constructed during Gawler's
   governorship. Adelaide had also become economically self-sufficient
   during this period but at heavy cost: the colony was heavily in debt
   and relied on bail-outs from London to stay afloat. Gawler was recalled
   and replaced by Governor Grey in 1841. Grey slashed public expenditure
   against heavy opposition, yet its impact was negligible at this point:
   Silver was discovered in Glen Osmond that year, agricultural industries
   were well underway and other mines sprung up all over the state, aiding
   Adelaide's commercial development. The city exported meat, wool, wine,
   fruit and wheat by the time Grey left in 1845, contrasting with a low
   point in 1842 when one-third of Adelaide houses were abandoned.
   Adelaide General Post Office in 1950
   Enlarge
   Adelaide General Post Office in 1950

   Trade links with the rest of the Australian states were established
   with the Murray River being successfully navigated in 1853 by Francis
   Cadell, an Adelaide resident. Adelaide saw South Australia become a
   self-governing colony in 1856 with the ratification of a new
   constitution by the British parliament. Secret ballots were introduced,
   and a bicameral parliament was elected on 9 March 1857, by which time
   109,917 people lived in the province. In 1860 the Thorndon Park
   reservoir was opened, finally providing an alternative water source to
   the turbid River Torrens. In 1867 gas street lighting was implemented,
   the University of Adelaide was founded in 1874, the South Australian
   Art Gallery opened in 1881 and the Happy Valley Reservoir opened in
   1896. In the 1890s Australia was affected by a severe economic
   depression, ending a hectic era of land booms and tumultuous
   expansionism. Financial institutions in Melbourne and banks in Sydney
   closed. The national fertility rate fell and immigration was reduced to
   a trickle. The value of South Australia's exports nearly halved.
   Drought and poor harvests from 1884 compounded the problems with some
   families leaving for Western Australia. Adelaide was not as badly hit
   as the larger gold-rush cities of Sydney and Melbourne, and silver and
   lead discoveries at Broken Hill provided some relief. Only one year of
   deficit was recorded but the price paid was retrenchments and lean
   public spending. Wine and copper were the only industries not to suffer
   a downturn.

   Electric street lighting was introduced in 1900 and electric trams were
   transporting passengers in 1909. 28,000 men were sent to fight in World
   War I. Adelaide enjoyed a post-war boom but, with the return of
   droughts, entered the depression of the 1930s, later returning to
   prosperity under strong government leadership. Secondary industries
   helped reduce the state's dependence on primary industries. The 1933
   census recorded the state population at 580,949, less of an increase
   than other states due to the state's economic limitations. World War II
   brought industrial stimulus and diversification to Adelaide under the
   Playford Government, which advocated Adelaide as a safe place for
   manufacturing due to its less vulnerable location. 70,000 men and women
   enlisted and shipbuilding was expanded at the nearby port of Whyalla.

   The South Australian Government in this period built on former wartime
   manufacturing industries. International manufacturers like General
   Motors Holden and Chrysler make use of these factories around Adelaide
   completing its transformation from an agricultural service centre to a
   twentieth-century city. A pipeline from Mannum brought River Murray
   water to Adelaide in 1954 and an international airport opened at West
   Beach in 1955. An assisted migration scheme brought 215,000 immigrants
   of all nationalities to South Australia between 1947 and 1973. The
   Dunstan Government in the 1970s saw something of an Adelaide 'cultural
   revival' - establishing a wide array of social reforms and overseeing
   the city becoming a centre of the arts. Adelaide hosted the Australian
   Grand Prix between 1985 and 1996 on a street circuit in the city's east
   parklands, before losing it in a controversial move to Melbourne. The
   1992 State Bank collapse plunged both Adelaide and South Australia into
   economic recession, and its effects can still be felt today. Recent
   years have seen the Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race make use of sections
   of the former Formula One circuit and renewed economic confidence under
   the Rann Government.

Geography

   Satellite image of Adelaide
   Satellite image of Adelaide

   Adelaide is located north of the Fleurieu Peninsula, on the Adelaide
   plains between the Gulf St Vincent and the low-lying Mount Lofty
   Ranges. The city stretches from the town of Gawler at its northernmost
   point to Aldinga in the south. According to the Australian Bureau of
   Statistics, the Adelaide Metropolitan Region has a total land area of
   870 km², and is at an average elevation of 50 metres above sea level.
   Mount Lofty is located east of the Adelaide metropolitan region in the
   Adelaide Hills at an elevation of 727 metres. It is the tallest point
   in the state south of Burra.

   Much of Adelaide was bushland before European settlement, with some
   variation - swamps and marshlands were prevalent around the coast.
   However, much of the original vegetation has been cleared with what is
   left to be found in reserves such as the Adelaide Parklands, Cleland
   Conservation Park and Belair National Park. A number of creeks and
   rivers flow through the Adelaide region. The largest are the Torrens
   and Onkaparinga catchments. Adelaide relies on its many reservoirs for
   water supply, with Mount Bold Reservoir and Happy Valley Reservoir
   together supplying around 50% of Adelaide's requirements.

Climate

   Adelaide has a Mediterranean climate, where most of the rain falls in
   the winter months. Of the Australian capital cities, Adelaide is the
   driest. Rainfall is unreliable, light and infrequent throughout summer.
   In contrast, the winter has fairly reliable rainfall with June being
   the wettest month of the year, averaging around 80 mm. Frosts are rare,
   with the most notable occurrences having occurred in July 1908 and July
   1982. There is usually no appreciable snowfall, except at Mount Lofty
   and some places in the Adelaide Hills.

   CAPTION: Climate Table

   Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
   Mean daily maximum temperature ( °C) 28.8 29.4 26.1 22.4 18.9 16.1 15.3
   16.5 18.8 21.5 24.8 26.8 22.1
   Mean daily minimum temperature (°C) 16.8 17.2 15.0 12.2 10.1 8.2 7.4
   8.2 9.6 11.3 13.8 15.5 12.1
   Mean total rainfall ( mm) 19.2 13.7 26.2 38.7 62.6 83.1 77.8 68.1 63.6
   48.5 29.6 26.8 558.1
   Mean number of rain days 4.3 3.4 5.7 7.9 12.3 15.4 16.2 16.4 13.2 10.8
   8.1 6.7 120.5
   Source: Bureau of Meteorology

Urban layout

   1888 Map of Adelaide, showing the gradual development of its urban
   layout
   Enlarge
   1888 Map of Adelaide, showing the gradual development of its urban
   layout

   Adelaide is a planned city, designed by the first surveyor-general of
   South Australia, Colonel William Light. His plan, now known as Light's
   Vision, arranged Adelaide in a grid, with five squares in the inner
   City of Adelaide and a ring of parks known as the Adelaide Parklands
   surrounding it. Light's design was initially unpopular with the early
   settlers, as well as South Australia's first Governor, John Hindmarsh.
   Light persisted with his design against this initial opposition. The
   benefits of Light's design are numerous; Adelaide has had wide
   multi-lane roads from its beginning, an easily-navigable grid layout
   and a beautiful green ring around the city centre. There are two sets
   of 'ring roads' in Adelaide that have resulted from the original
   design. The inner ring route borders the parklands and the outer route
   completely bypasses the inner city through (in clockwise order) Grand
   Junction Road, Hampstead Road, Ascot Avenue, Portrush Road, Cross Road
   and South Road.

   The inevitable urban expansion has to some extent outgrown Light's
   original plan. Numerous satellite cities were built in the latter half
   of the 20th century, notably Salisbury and Elizabeth on the city's
   northern fringes, which have now been enveloped by its urban sprawl.
   New developments in the Adelaide Hills region facilitated the
   construction of the South Eastern Freeway to cope with growth.
   Similarly, the booming development in Adelaide's South made the
   construction of the Southern Expressway a necessity. New roads are not
   the only transport infrastrure developed to cope with the urban growth,
   however. The O-Bahn Busway is an example of a unique solution to Tea
   Tree Gully's transport woes in the 1980s. The development of the nearby
   suburb of Golden Grove in the late 1980s is possibly an example of
   well-thought-out urban planning. The newer urban areas as a whole,
   however, are not as integrated into the urban layout as much as older
   areas, and therefore place more stress on Adelaide's transportation
   system – although not on a level comparable with Melbourne or Sydney.

Governance

   Parliament House, Adelaide on North Terrace houses the Parliament of
   South Australia.
   Enlarge
   Parliament House, Adelaide on North Terrace houses the Parliament of
   South Australia.

   The Adelaide metropolitan area is made up of eighteen local government
   areas, including, at its centre, the City of Adelaide, which
   administers the CBD, North Adelaide, and the surrounding Adelaide
   Parklands. It is the oldest municipal authority in Australia and was
   established in 1840, when Adelaide and Australia's first mayor, James
   Hurtle Fisher, was elected. From 1919 onwards, the City has had a Lord
   Mayor, the current being Lord Mayor Michael Harbison.

   Adelaide, as the capital of South Australia, is the seat of the state
   Government of South Australia. As Adelaide is South Australia's capital
   and most populous city, the State Government co-operates extensively
   with the City of Adelaide. In 2002, the Ministry for the City of
   Adelaide was created to facilitate the state government's collaboration
   with the Adelaide City Council and the Lord Mayor to improve Adelaide's
   image. The state parliament's Capital City Committee is also involved
   in the governance of the City of Adelaide, being primarily concerned
   with the planning of Adelaide's urban development and growth.

Demographics

   Rundle Mall- Adelaide's main shopping street
   Enlarge
   Rundle Mall- Adelaide's main shopping street

   As of June 2004, Adelaide had a metropolitan population of more than
   1,124,315, making it Australia's fifth largest city. In the 2002-2003
   period the population grew by 0.6%, while the national average was
   1.2%. Some 70.3% of the population of South Australia are residents of
   the Adelaide metropolitan area, making South Australia one of the most
   centralised states. Major areas of population growth in recent years
   were in outer suburbs such as Mawson Lakes and Golden Grove. Adelaide's
   inhabitants occupy 325,000 houses, 57,000 detached, row terrace or town
   houses and 49,000 flats, apartments and caravans.

   Overseas-born Adelaideans composed 24.6% (242,092) of the total
   population. The North-Eastern Suburbs (such as Golden Grove and
   Salisbury) and suburbs close to the CBD had a higher ratio of
   overseas-born residents. Wealthier and more well-educated Adelaideans
   are concentrated on the coastal suburbs (such as Brighton and Hallett
   Cove) and South-Eastern suburbs (such as Burnside and Waterfall Gully).
   Almost a fifth (17.9%) of the population had university qualifications.
   The number of Adelaideans with vocational qualifications (such as
   tradespersons) fell from 62.1% of the labour force in the 1991 census
   to 52.4% in the 2001 census.

   Overall, Adelaide is ageing much more rapidly than other Australian
   capital cities. Just under a quarter (24.1%) of Adelaide's population
   is aged 55 years or older, in comparison to the national average of
   19.9%. To further compound the situation, Adelaide has the lowest
   number of children (under-15 year olds), which composed 18.7% of the
   population, compared to the national average of 20.4%. In regards to
   three highest ancestries, 38% of the population identified themselves
   as English, 34% as Australian (most likely primarily of Anglo-Celtic
   background) and 8.4% as Irish. The most-spoken languages other than
   English were: 3.5% Italian, 2.3% Greek, 1.2% Vietnamese, 0.7% Polish
   and 0.7% German.

Economy

   Adelaide's economy is primarily based around manufacturing, defence
   technology and research, commodity export and corresponding service
   industries. It has large manufacturing, defence and research zones.
   They contain car manufacturing plants for General Motors Holden and
   Mitsubishi, and plants for medical equipment and electronic component
   production. Almost half of all cars produced in Australia are made in
   Adelaide. The global media conglomerate News Corporation was founded in
   and until 2004 incorporated in Adelaide and is still considered its
   'spiritual' home by Rupert Murdoch. Australia's largest oil company,
   Santos (South Australia Northern Territory Oil Search) and the
   prominent South Australian brewery, Coopers, call Adelaide their home.
   The collapse of the State Bank in 1992 resulted in large levels of
   state debt (as much as A$4 billion). The collapse had meant that
   successive governments had enacted lean budgets, cutting spending,
   which had been a setback to the further development of the city and
   state. The debt has recently been reduced with the State Government
   once again receiving a AAA+ Credit Rating. The South Australian
   economy, very closely tied to Adelaide's, still enjoys a trade surplus
   and has higher per capita growth than Australia as a whole.
   The Adelaide-built Collins class submarine HMAS Rankin
   Enlarge
   The Adelaide-built Collins class submarine HMAS Rankin

   Adelaide is home to a large proportion of Australia's defence
   industries which contribute over AUD$1 billion to South Australia's
   Gross State Product. 70% of Australian defence companies are located in
   Adelaide. The principal government military research institution, the
   Defence Science and Technology Organisation, and other defence
   technology organisations such as Tenix are located in Salisbury near
   RAAF Base Edinburgh and others near Technology Park. The Australian
   Submarine Corporation, based in the industrial suburb of Osborne was
   charged with constructing Australia's Collins class submarines and
   recently won a AUD$6 billion contract to construct the Royal Australian
   Navy's new air-warfare destroyers.

   There are 466,829 employed people in Adelaide, with 62.3% full-time and
   35.1% part-time. In recent years there has been a growing trend towards
   part-time (which includes casual) employment, increasing from only
   11.6% of the workplace in 1991, to over a third today. 15% of workers
   are employed in manufacturing, 5% in construction, 15% in retail trade,
   11% in business services, 7% in education and 12% in health and
   community services. The median weekly individual income for people aged
   15 years and over is $300-$399 per week. The median family income is
   $800-$999 per week. Adelaide's housing and living costs are
   substantially lower than that of other Australian cities, with housing
   being notably cheaper. The median Adelaide house price is half that of
   Sydney and two-thirds that of Melbourne. The unemployment rate in
   October 2005 was 4.8%.

Education

   Art Gallery of South Australia
   Enlarge
   Art Gallery of South Australia

   Adelaide is home to campuses of all three of South Australia's
   universities. The University of Adelaide is a member of the Group of
   Eight and was founded in 1874, making it the third-oldest university in
   Australia. It has five campuses in the Adelaide area; one being its
   primary campus on North Terrace and another being the National Wine
   Centre. The University of South Australia was formed in 1991 from a
   merger between the South Australian Institute of Technology and the
   South Australian Colleges of Advanced Education. Four of its five
   campuses are located in Adelaide, with two in the CBD itself. Flinders
   University, located in Bedford Park is named after British navigator
   and explorer Matthew Flinders and was founded in 1966. It is a
   mid-sized institution with a medical school at the adjacent Flinders
   Medical Centre. Leading US private university Carnegie Mellon is to
   establish two Adelaide campuses in 2006 offering both Australian and US
   degrees. The Heinz School will specialise in IT and government
   management and be based in Victoria Square, while another campus at
   Light Square will specialise in new media and entertainment . These
   institutions attract students from across Australia and around the
   world, earning Adelaide’s international recognition as a ‘City of
   Education’.

   School education in Adelaide is provided by a variety of public and
   private schools, which are the responsibility of the State Government.
   These schools operate under the South Australian Certificate of
   Education (SACE), or with the International Baccalaureate(IB) Diploma
   Program. Adelaide has the highest number of IB schools in Australia.
   The Tertiary education system in Adelaide is extensive, with five out
   of eight centres of TAFE South Australia in the city itself, including
   the Douglas Mawson institute of Technology. They specialise in
   non-university higher education offering a viable alternative.

Culture

   St. Peters Cathedral, Adelaide
   Enlarge
   St. Peters Cathedral, Adelaide

   Adelaide is sometimes referred to as the "City of Churches." From its
   earliest, Adelaide attracted immigrants from many countries,
   particularly German migrants escaping religious persecution. They
   brought with them the vine cuttings that founded the acclaimed wineries
   of the Barossa Valley. After the Second World War, Italians, Greeks,
   Dutch, Poles, and possibly every other European nationality came to
   make a new start. An influx of Asian immigrants following the Vietnam
   War added to the mix. These new arrivals have blended to form a rich
   and diverse cuisine and vibrant restaurant culture.

   Adelaide's arts scene flourished in the 1970s under the leadership of
   premier Don Dunstan, removing some of the more puritanical restrictions
   on cultural activities then prevalent around Australia. Now the city is
   home to events such as the Barossa Music Festival, the Adelaide
   Festival of Arts, Adelaide Film Festival, Adelaide Festival of Ideas,
   Come Out Youth Arts Festival, and the Fringe Festival, among others.
   WOMADelaide, Australia's premier world music event, is now annually
   held in the scenic surrounds of Botanic Park, emphasising Adelaide's
   dedication to the arts which has prevailed since the days of Don
   Dunstan.

   The annual Royal Adelaide Show, first held in 1840, began as a simple
   event for the state's farmers to show off their produce. Over time, it
   grew into a more general commercial fair held in early September in the
   inner suburb of Wayville, with carnival rides, food and entertainment
   surrounding the more traditional agricultural exhibitions and
   competitions.

   The music of Adelaide has produced various musicians who have achieved
   both national and worldwide fame. Notably the Adelaide Symphony
   Orchestra, the Adelaide Youth Orchestra, The Mark of Cain, The
   Superjesus, Testeagles, The Angels, Cold Chisel and Eric Bogle.
   American artist Ben Folds considers Adelaide his second home,
   epitomised in his song "Adelaide" and resides here with his
   Adelaide-born wife for a number of months each year. The first
   Australian Idol winner, Guy Sebastian hails from the Adelaide suburb of
   Golden Grove. Hardcore metal band I Killed the Prom Queen also emerged
   from Adelaide and the popular Australian hip-hop outfit Hilltop Hoods
   come from Blackwood.

Sport

   Adelaide hosted the Formula 1 Australian Grand Prix from 1985 to 1995
   on a street circuit in the city's eastern parklands. The Grand Prix
   became a source of pride and losing the Grand Prix to Melbourne in a
   surprise announcement left a void that has since been filled with the
   highly successful Clipsal 500 V8 Supercar race event, held on a
   modified version of the same street circuit.

   Adelaide is the home of two Australian Football League teams: the
   Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power. A local Australian rules
   football league, the SANFL, is made up of nine teams from around
   Adelaide. Adelaide's professional soccer team Adelaide United play in
   the A-League, at Hindmarsh Stadium, one of the few purpose built soccer
   stadiums in Australia. The Adelaide 36ers and the Adelaide Lightning
   play in national basketball competitions, with home games at the
   Distinctive Homes Dome and the Adelaide Thunderbirds play in the
   national netball competition, with home games at ETSA Park. Most large
   sporting events take place at either AAMI Stadium (formerly Football
   Park) or the historic Adelaide Oval, home of the Southern Redbacks
   Cricket Team. Adelaide hosts an international cricket test every
   summer, along with a number of one day international cricket matches.

   Adelaide has hosted the annual Tour Down Under bicycle race since 1999,
   an event which has gradually built an international reputation with
   each successive year it has been held. It is also host to the popular
   Bay to Birdwood run, featuring vintage and veteran cars from around the
   world.

Infrastructure

Health

   Adelaide's first hospital was the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH),
   founded in 1840, it is one of the major hospitals in Adelaide and is a
   teaching hospital of the University of Adelaide. It has a capacity of
   705 beds. Two other RAH campuses specialising in specific patient
   services located in the suburbs of Adelaide - the Hampstead
   Rehabilitation Centre in Northfield, and the Glenside Campus Mental
   Health Service. The other three largest hospitals in the Adelaide area
   are The Women's and Children's Hospital (305 beds), which is located on
   King William Road in North Adelaide; the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (340
   beds), located in Woodville and the Flinders Medical Centre (500 beds),
   which is located in Bedford Park. These hospitals are also associated
   with medical schools - the Women and Children's and Queen Elizabeth
   with the University of Adelaide and the Flinders Medical Centre with
   Flinders University.

Transport

   The Mount Osmond Interchange on the South Eastern Freeway.
   Enlarge
   The Mount Osmond Interchange on the South Eastern Freeway.

   Being centrally located on the Australian mainland, Adelaide forms a
   strategic transport hub for east-west and north-south routes. The city
   itself has a limited public transport system, which is managed by and
   known as the Adelaide Metro. The Adelaide Metro consists of a
   contracted bus system including the O-Bahn Busway, metropolitan
   railways, and the Adelaide- Glenelg Tram. Road transport in Adelaide
   has historically been comparatively easier than many of the other
   Australian cities, with a well-defined city layout and wide
   multiple-lane roads from the beginning of its development.
   Historically, Adelaide was known as a "twenty-minute city", with
   commuters having being able to travel from metropolitan outskirts to
   the city proper in roughly twenty minutes. However, these roads are now
   inadequate to cope with Adelaide's growing road traffic.

   Adelaide has one freeway, the South Eastern Freeway, connecting the
   city with the Adelaide Hills, and two expressways; the Port River
   Expressway connecting Port Adelaide and Outer Harbour to interstate
   routes and the Southern Expressway, an interchangeable one-way road
   connecting the southern suburbs with the city proper. A third
   expressway, the Northern Expressway (formerly the Sturt Highway
   extension), a northern suburbs bypass route, is due to start
   construction in 2008.

   Adelaide International Airport, located at West Beach, is Australia's
   newest and most advanced airport terminal and is designed to serve in
   excess of 5.8 million passengers annually. The new dual
   international/domestic terminal replaces the old and ageing terminals
   known locally as the 'tin sheds', and incorporates new state-of-the-art
   features, such as glass aerobridges and the ability to cater for the
   new Airbus A380. The airport is designed to handle 27 aircraft
   simultaneously and is capable of processing 3,000 passengers per hour.
   Unusually for a major city it is located only about seven kilometres
   (four miles) from the CBD.

Utilities

   Adelaide's energy requirements are met by a variety of companies who
   separately provide for the generation, transmission, distribution and
   retail sales of gas and electricity. Some of the major companies are:
   TRUenergy generate electricity; ElectraNET SA transmit electricity from
   the generators to the distribution network; ETSA Utilities (formerly a
   government-owned company which was privatised by the Olsen Government
   in the 1990s) distribute electricity from transmission companies to end
   users; and AGL who retail gas and electricity. There has been
   substantial criticism in recent years of the suburban electricity
   network due to its inability to cope with high-usage periods.

   Adelaide derives most of its electricity from a gas-fired plant
   operated by TRUenergy at Torrens Island, and also by power stations at
   Port Augusta, Pelican Point, and connections to the national grid. Gas
   is mainly supplied from the Moomba Gas Processing Plant in the Cooper
   Basin, and is piped to Adelaide and other areas within the state. A
   small part of supply also comes from wind turbines at Sellicks Hill,
   and a trial of more turbines on city buildings is underway.

   Adelaide's water supply is gained from its reservoirs: Mount Bold,
   Happy Valley, Myponga, Millbrook, Hope Valley, Little Para and South
   Para Reservoir. Further water demands result in the pumping of water
   from the River Murray. The provision of water services is by the
   government-owned SA Water.
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