Hindmarsh Square
1870 State Library of South Australia / 2022 Alexander Cocks
Hindmarsh Square, looking east from Pulteney Street and Grenfell Street intersection.
This view seems void of human activity, when the reality is quite different. People walk by while horses and carts trot the dry and dusty dirt roads. Due to the exposure time it took to capture this photograph, they are all invisible to us, except two young boys, whose attention has been caught by our Photographer and their strange contraption.
The tallest boy shuffled slightly to our right before standing for the remainder of the exposure time. While the shortest boy was late to join in, beginning at the far left and repositioning himself to the right of the taller lad. Notice his legs are missing; he couldn’t remain still long enough to be captured in his entirety.
In the background is the Congregational Church. Designed by George Abbott, it opened to the public in 1862 and had a capacity for 500 attendants. It received modest alterations during its 60 years as a place of worship, before being accommodated by the ABC from 1932 to 1975, during which its bell towers were removed. The building was eventually demolished in 1982.
Hindmarsh Square, one of five public squares within the Adelaide CBD, was originally a centralised public park encompassed by Pulteney Street, Grenfell Street and Pirie Street. The size of the park was severely reduced in 1909 with Pulteney Street and Grenfell Street being redirected, crossing through its centre, along with the introduction of new tram lines and stops.
Despite all these changes, it remains a popular retreat for city visitors, shoppers and workers of Adelaide.