Adelaide

Adelaide is a smaller city than Melbourne and goes at a slower pace. we are staying in an apt hotel which is just great as we have our own little kitchen to make breakfast, a living room in which to relax, etc. the people here seem To take the time to relate quite genuinely and ate gracious and warm. 

That applies to the staff in the hotel as well as to the colleague we met up with from the University of Adelaide. She picked us up for dinner even though her husband went into the hospital that day with afib! She brought a wonderful N.Z. Sauvignon blanc and Aussie Shiraz that we enjoyed with probably the best Thai food we have ever enjoyed. We hope to see her again before we leave.

Thursday

This morning we proceeded to explore Adelaide and learn more about Australian history through art and artifacts at three different museums. So I will share a bit about what we learned through art.

This object is over 10,000 years old and documents the tools that were used in swamplands in SE Australia. There are pieces of red ochre that was found in an ancient stone enclosure that was dated  50,000 years ago...suggesting that first occupation by people of this continent was 50,000 years ago! So the Aboriginal people have been connected to this land for the longest time. 

They created many tools and technology to help  with challenging conditions.

Then their land was "discovered" in the early 19 th century and photos taken of these peoples by British explorers and colonists suggested that they were savages and not civilized.

Yet pieces of artwork from this era shows the craft work and navigational abilities of the natives found in this area. Next, below, is a photo taken of a native in a possum coat ( we saw them in Melbourne as well).

The first European to navigate and document these waters was Matthew Flinders, captain of the Investigator, who first came ashore in 1801.

Flinders

They wanted to Colonize this area with more upstanding people, not convicts like the rest of Australia. 

(A point shared with pride by many here!). Free passage was given to suitable labourers, generally men and women under 30 years of age who were healthy and of good character. They were expected to carry out a promise of working for wages until they had saved enough to buy land of their own and employ others, a process taking at least 3 or 4 years. Land sales were encouraged by granting one acre (4,000 m²) of town land in Adelaide for every 80 acres (32 ha) of rural land sold. The largest buyer of land was the South Australia Company headed by George Fife Angas, which bought enough land for South Australia to proceed, and continued to influence the colony's future development.

With the British government's conditions met, King William IV signed the Letters Patent and the first settlers and officials set sail in early 1836.

William Light designed the city, with large streets and very symmetrical. The following is a self portrait.

Meanwhile, we learned more from aboriginal teachers whom we met at Tandanya, the Aboriginal museum and learning center we visited for several hours. The most spectacular artwork on display was by Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, a very famous Aboriginal artist called "night and day dreaming." His career as an artist began in the 1950’s when he carved snakes and goannas in the tradition initiated by his grandfather and two older brothers. By the 70’s he was one of the most accomplished carvers in Central Australia. His first opportunity to paint came when one of Albert Namatjira’s sons gave him acrylic paints and the master began his work. Clifford, living at the Papunya Community was one of the first artists to be involved with the Aboriginal art movement. We were not allowed to photograph his work, but below is one ( not nearly as spectacular ) from another museum:

I bought a book there that is by an indigenous woman who speaks I first person and in dialect about the culture of her people. By coincidence, I met a woman who was the editor of the book. One of the interesting comments she made was the problem young aboriginals have is not knowing their lineage

( what they refer to as their "mob" or color) and they sometimes break the taboo of marrying someone from within their color....leading to problems. I look forward to learning more.

Other views of Adelaide:

Friday, February 7 

Today was spent visiting the famous Barossa Valley....and for those few of you who are not wine drinkers, it is home to wonderful wines, most notably Shiraz. We decided to spend a tiny bit more and go with a private car rather than a bus (or hiring our own car) and that was well worth it.

We could have been transported into California as we entered the valley....dry, hilly countryside with gum trees (aka eucalyptus) and acres and acres of vines.

We visited several wineries: jacob's creek which was the largest one we visited (liked their Sauvignon blanc and their premium St Hugo's Australian Shiraz/Cabernet.) it was founded in the 1840s by a Bavarian who came to Adelaide on the early ships in the 1830s and stopped first in Kangaroo island, worked as a laborer and saved money to buy the land.

Cork bark

He wanted to have a supply of cork and finally in 1970 his great grandson planted 64 cork trees on the property. They still use cork closures on their high end products.

Our second stop was our favorite: Rockford.

This young man spent a year in high school in Needles, Ca 30 years ago and is going back for a reunion. But meanwhile he introduced us to a 2004 Shiraz Vintage Port. While I am not typically a fan of port...this was fabulous! We are bringing a bottle for our hostess and one for later....and it is VERY special!. Robert O'callahan started this winery in an old rock masons house. He and his father both started as winemakers for the Seppelts who are 6th generation wine makers. 

What we learned is that many Germans came to this region in the 1840s and started growing grapes and making wine. That was only a few years after the area was initially colonized (see above). The area gets water piped from the Murray River...I can't imagine how they did it in the early days, as dry as it is here.

Saturday

It was quiet outside this morning...we slept in. 

What finally occurred to us was that we "live" in the central business district and so there is very little traffic on the weekends. In fact, when we finally did leave the apt., we noticed  that all the cafés, businesses and stores right around us were also closed. But as we walked further into the other neighborhoods, everything came alive. We stopped at a cafe for a coffee, went back to Tandanya ( where Jack arranged to buy and ship my birthday present), stopped at the chocolate cafe for a Spanish-style drinking chocolate and moved on to see more of the city.

Ancient Grandmothers by Karuna/Narrunga artist Julie Tucker Hughes

(Quite a wonderful gift!)

                                         Beautiful 19th century Architecture 

Trevor Nickolls mural

Of reconciliation and harmony between white and Aboriginal Australians, mind and body and man and nature. Close up of one element below:

 

Another type of architectural detail:

And some street art:

We plan to go back to the great Thai restaurant tonight and then pack up in preparation for "the Great Southern Rail" trip aboard the Ghan train to Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. Quite an adventure I expect!