Adelaide Centenary Memorial Park

Adelaide Centenary Memorial Park

During our drive along the Southern Expressway to Morphett Vale to see our dear friend, I kept my eyes open, and my attention focussed on things of interest along the way, and I happened to see an interesting sculpture/monument of two hands - one reaching upwards, and the other down, clasped together. A sign by the road indicated we were driving beside the Centenary Memorial Park, and I hoped that - if the traffic allowed, and I was quick enough! - I might get a photograph of it on our way back.  

After our lovely time in Morphett Vale, as we drove back to the city, I was lucky enough to get a quick pic:

Since getting back home, I have searched for more information about it. There is a lot of detail about the Centenary Park, and I have also seen many other sculptures and monuments of clasped hands - it's a theme that seems to be extremely popular, depicting friendship and unity - but I haven't been able to find another photograph of this one! 

Am I also getting mixed up with the Centenary Memorial Park and the Centenary Park? Are they one and the same, or are they two separate entities? All the information I've looked at is not clear, so I'd really appreciate it, if anyone reading this blog can let me have some clarification! I would really like to have a definitive answer. 

The British Province of South Australia was established in August 1834, by the South Australia Colonisation Act; founded by George Fife Angas and other wealthy British merchants, The South Australian Company was formed in London in 1835, and made a significant contribution to the foundation and settlement of the colony, funded by the sale of land to people of wealth and investors. It was designed for migrants, not convicts, and the money would help to fund the transport of labourers and other workers to the colony. In 1842, the South Australia Act repealed the earlier Act, and made South Australia an official British Crown Colony.  The South Australian Company remained active until 1949; it also established the Bank of South Australia.  

The first settlers arrived on Kangaroo Island in July 1836, with all of the ships later sailing north soon afterwards to anchor in Holdfast Bay, on the advice of Surveyor-General, Colonel William Light. He was known for choosing the site of Adelaide, the colony's capital, and also designed the layout of its streets, six city squares, gardens and the figure of eight Adelaide Park Lands; this plan was later sometimes referred to as "Light's Vision.

Centenary Park commemorates the centenary of European settlement of South Australia from 1836 to 1936; the park was redeveloped in 1996, so perhaps another item on our list of places to revisit next time.

For me, it is very interesting to learn that in 1840, a roof of Welsh slate was installed on the Quakers' Meeting House in Adelaide. I am researching Welsh slate for an article I'm writing about Blaenau Ffestiniog - also known as "The town that roofed the world" - and Penrhyn slate had been promoted at exhibitions in Sydney and Melbourne in 1879 and 1880. During the gold rush in the Victoria area of Australia, in 1851, whole houses made of Welsh slate slabs were sent for local use. What a wonderful material slate is!