Human Resources Unit
The State of South Australia was proclaimed on indigenous (Kaurna) land in 1836. The State has a history of innovation in social, educational and cultural policy – among other things, in 1894 it became the first Australian state, and one of the first democracies in the world, to grant the vote to women.
The State has several economic strengths, including the wine and food, defence, electronics, automotive, health, arts and tourism industries, and is a major minerals exporter. The capital, Adelaide, was recently linked to the northern coast of Australia through completion of the Alice Springs to Darwin rail link, which is expected to increase opportunities for trade and export.
Adelaide is situated on the shores of the Gulf of St Vincent in a strip extending north-south between the sea and the Mt Lofty Ranges. It is an artistic and cultural centre, hosting the biennial Adelaide International Festival of Arts and the Adelaide Cabaret Festival, and in 2004 mounted the first Australian production of Wagner’s Ring Des Nibelungen. It is the home to notable sporting events, including the Jacob’s Creek Tour Down Under (cycling) and the Clipsal 500 (motor racing), and to the Adelaide Oval, known to cricket lovers world-wide as one of the sport’s most picturesque venues. Adelaide, like other Australian cities, has a huge range of restaurants, reflecting the tastes and cultures of the many different ethnic groups who have settled, largely harmoniously, in Australia.
For further information regarding South Australia please visit the South Australian Tourism Commission web site.
