Where formal meets fringe

As originally envisaged and designed in 1836 by Colonel William Light, South Australia's
first Surveyor-General, the central core of Adelaide remains essentially true to form.
Set beside the Torrens River and with the Adelaide Hills as a stunning backdrop,
the city centre is laid out on a square mile grid.
It blends historic colonial architecture with more modern civic and commercial buildings,
surrounded by 930 hectares of parkland.
Across the parklands is North Adelaide, also designed in the same grid pattern by Colonel Light.

Follow this link to >> conference venues in Adeliade South Australia

Complementing its formal city structure, Adelaide is a city of parks and gardens, elegant buildings and historic places of worship, a situation that led Adelaide to be dubbed The City of Churches.

These days, Adelaide is also a city of festivals with the bi-annual Adelaide Festival of the Arts focusing international attention on its traditionally ambitious and cutting-edge program of events. The supporting Fringe Festival and such other lifestyle events as Tasting Australia bring Adelaide considerable acclaim from other States.

Adelaide is home to the Adelaide Convention Centre, Australia’s first purpose-built convention centre. In 2001, the Centre more than doubled in size. In recent years, it has attracted numerous high-profile conferences and events, especially in the medical, technological and scientific fields.

Adelaide has very much a country town appeal, albeit with big-city concerns about the good things in life. Much of the current Australian trend towards good food, fine wine and healthy lifestyles originated in South Australia. The wine districts of the Barossa, Clare and McLaren valleys are short day trips from Adelaide and are easily accessible along excellent roads.

Around Adelaide, restaurants, brasseries and cafes serve the very best of Australian cuisine. A glimpse into the city’s culinary psyche can be had at the Central Markets which spans Gouger and Grote streets near Victoria Square. Tourists and locals, including most of Adelaide's most famous chefs, can be found wandering the stalls that gather together dozens of cultures, shopping for ingredients destined to become exciting and innovative meals.

Adelaide is easily accessed by air from other Australian capital cities and regional centres. Qantas and Virgin Blue fly direct to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. Flight time to Sydney is approximately one hour and 40 minutes; to Brisbane, two hours and 30 minutes. Adelaide Airport is just seven kilometres from the city centre.

Adelaide is also a stopping point for three of Australia’s best known train services – The Ghan, The Overland and the Indian Pacific.