South Australia (Adelaide Region)
Port Adelaide
The unfortunate early settlers had to wade through mud at Port Misery when they arrived; nowadays PORT ADELAIDE takes the strain. Established not far from Port Misery in 1840, by 1870 it was a substantial shipping area with solid stone warehouses, wharves and a host of pubs. The area bounded by Nelson, St Vincent and Todd streets and McLaren Parade is a well-preserved, nineteenth-century streetscape; several ships’ chandlers and shipping agents show it’s still a living port, a fact confirmed by the many corner pubs (with pretty decorative iron-lace balconies) still in business. There’s no tourist office, but the Port Adelaide Tourist Visitor Information Centre, near the waterfront on the corner of Commercial Road and St Vincent Street (daily 9am–5pm) provides up-to-date details of attractions.
To get here, take a train from the central station or bus #151 (Mon–Sat, daytime only) or #153 (evenings and Sun) from North Terrace, or #340 from Glenelg (Mon–Fri only); the best day to visit is Sunday or public holiday Monday, when the Fishermen’s Wharf Markets (9am–5pm) take over a large waterfront warehouse on Queens Wharf and several cruises are available on the water. The market (mainly bric-a-brac) adds some life to the waterfront, but the once-varied food stalls now seem to be dominated by purveyors of meat pies and steak sandwiches, though fishing boats do sell fresh fish. Outside is the quaint, red-painted metal lighthouse (daily 10am–4pm), dating from 1869, that was originally at the entrance to Port River; it can be climbed and inspected as part of your explorations of the South Australian Maritime Museum, as can the museum’s two floating vessels moored 300m away, the steam tug Yelta and the coastal trader Nelcebee. There are Sunday afternoon trips from the lighthouse with Adelaide Cruises Ltd (tel 08/8447 2366) and Port Adelaide River Cruises (tel 08/8341 1194).

The pick of Port Adelaide’s several museums is the South Australian Maritime Museum on Lipson Street (daily 10am–5pm; $8.50, combined ticket for the Port Dock Station Railway Museum $13). Located in the old Bond Store with its massive timber posts and wooden floors, the museum is concerned with the migrants who came through the port and the South Australian coastal ketch trade. Starting from the basement, the migration section has faithfully reconstructed three typical steerage or economy cabins from 1840, 1910 and 1950; you can wander through them, lie on a bunk, listen to sails creaking or hear “new Australians” remembering their journey. Level two explores the various ways that South Australia relates to the sea, from seaside scenes with a working penny arcade, to pleasure cruises on the gulf, fishing and making model ships. On the ground floor you can board a real ketch; upstairs is a more traditional collection.

The Port Dock Station Railway Museum (daily 10am–5pm; $7), further along Lipson Street, is a trainspotter’s delight, with a collection of over twenty steam and diesel locomotives. The model train displays include one with a South Australian setting complete with the Adelaide Hills, the Flinders Ranges and a model of Port Adelaide; and there are seven fully decked-out trains. The train ride, which runs on demand, costs $2 extra and is glorified by steam on Sunday.