A DAY TRIP TO ADELAIDE

“Plough deep while sluggards sleep.” Benjamin Franklin

I’ve had a day in Adelaide today for work. Much of my job relates to maintaining our organisational compliance with regulating bodies, legislators and professional bodies. Today’s trip was very much in relation to this aspect of my work. I also took the opportunity to have a staff meeting and do some staff training. I checked out the library on our Adelaide campus and had a nice chat with our librarian. He is very technology-savvy and has a keen interest in online learning. He is in fact the “Virtual Librarian” of our Perth campus (which he also visits regularly!).

As is usual with these day trips away from Melbourne, I leave at the crack of dawn and end up returning home late at night. Thus I manage and squeeze as much as possible into the trip, which leaves me with hardly any time to do anything else except work, work, work! Makes for a very long day, but the benefit is that I can sleep in my own bed, rather than staying overnight in a hotel room. Once one has travelled for work for a while, travel loses its mystique and it becomes just another commuting trip.

I am glad the weekend is looming ahead as this week has been very busy and very tiring. It will be a lazy weekend of relaxation if I can help it, but with Christmas looming ahead, I think Saturday at least will be just as hectic as the week has been. Friday night we have our Christmas work function and it could not have come at a worse time. I know that many people will not be attending as the venue is inconveniently located for most and this week has been very full for everyone. However, as befits my position I have to be there and press the flesh…

One of the places I do try to visit if I stay in Adelaide for more than one day is Glenelg. This is located about 10 km from the Adelaide city centre and it is a seaside suburb that has the air of a cosmopolitan resort. It faces the ocean, built on the shores of Holdfast Bay, and has many sandy white beaches, as well as a modern marina. One may catch glimpses of dolphins and seals sporting in the pristine ocean waters and the sunsets are quite magnificent. There are many shops, galleries and museums, restaurants, bars and cafés, as well as an abundance of hotels and motels.

The climate is Mediterranean with temperature maxima around 30˚C during the dry summer months and around 15˚C in winter. This lends itself to many sporting activities and water-based leisure. One may take the tram from the city centre and 25 minutes later be in a cosmopolitan resort with vibrant nightlife and sun-filled relaxing days.

Glenelg is the site of South Australia’s original mainland settlement in 1836. In 1836 between July and December eight ships came across to Kangaroo Island and aboard two of those boats were Colonel William Light, aboard the HMS Rapid and George Strickland Kingston aboard the HMS Cygnet. Light and Kingston both set off to survey the coastline and find a bigger land mass for the colonists to settle on. This is when they came across what is now known as Glenelg. Glenelg was named after Lord Glenelg the Secretary of State for the Colonists. In December 28th 1836 Captain Hindmarsh arrived aboard the HMS Buffalo. There was a replica of this ship made and is running as a restaurant in Wigly Reserve today.

The 381 metre Jetty Glenelg Jetty (“The Pier”) was built in 1859. In 1873 the lighthouse that was situated at the end of the jetty caught on fire, completely destroying it. Then in April 1948 Glenelg was hit by a hurricane and the jetty was washed away. This only left the kiosk and aquarium, which was unsafe and therefore had to be demolished. In 1969 the jetty was rebuilt, but this time only being 215 metres long.

The Pier Hotel (Stamford Grand) was the first building to be built in 1856 and was a lot smaller than the Stamford Grand is today. It was then removed and replaced by a 3 storey building in 1912. The building was demolished again in 1990 and replaced with a more modern and stylish Stamford Grand.

The HMS Buffalo is located in Wiggly Reserve and is a replica of the ship that came out in 1836, with the first Governor (Hindmarsh) from England. The replica of the Buffalo is today used as a restaurant, but there are many artifacts from the actual Buffalo in the restaurant for the visitor to look at.

The town hall was built in 1875 and was designed by Edmund Wright, but without the clock and the clock tower, its purpose originally being to be used as the Institute building. In 1887 the Glenelg Council bought the building and was thereafter used as the Town Hall. In 1997 the Glenelg and Brighton council formed the Holdfast Bay Council and the town hall was no longer being used, this is when it turned into the historical museum.