Celebrating South Australia

In the course of South Australia’s history, innumerable objects have been produced, used and either kept or discarded. A small number of them are memorable in some way, are directly associated with important people or events, or have otherwise had a significant impact on the State’s development. They can now be regarded as ‘State Treasures’. Some of them, such as the first General Motors Holden car produced in Adelaide in 1949, or Charles Hill’s painting of the Proclamation at Glenelg, are held by major collecting institutions such as the History Trust of SA or the Art Gallery of SA. Many others are managed by local museums or other community groups. PHA (SA) members have written about some of these ‘State Treasures’. A selection is entered on this site.

Those drawn from Community History, the house magazine of History Trust of South Australia are republished here appear with the kind permission of the History Trust of SA (history.sa.gov.au). Others have copyright details attached to the entry.

Photo: Timber jinker, Burra, built in 1851 by coachbuilder Mr Coulls of Hindley Street Adelaide, and used to transport the two largest beam engines used at the Burra mines – Schneider’s and Morphett’s. The Schneider engine was hauled by a record 72 bullocks from Port Adelaide to Burra, with the journey taking two weeks.