Hindley Street, Adelaide

Hindley Street is located in the north-west quarter of the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street and West Terrace. The street was named after British parliamentarian and social reformist, Charles Hindley.

Now known for its atmosphere and active nightlife, the street was one of the first built in Adelaide and is thus of historical significance. The first newspaper in South Australia was printed in premises on Hindley Street.

As well as housing the first meeting of Adelaide City Council, the oldest municipal body in Australia, Hindley Street was home to the first stone church in South Australia. In 1898 the first moving picture to be shown in South Australia was held at the Theatre Royal on Hindley Street.

Hindley Street serves as one of Adelaide's most prominent early streets, with an extensive and illustrious history. The street itself was named in honour of British politician Charles Hindley. The doings of the population of Adelaide were directly connected to the street, and when the city was first developed in the 1830s, permission was given to cut down trees in favour of constructing buildings and paving streets–the west end of Hindley Street being one of the first locations to receive such development.

For many years, the street was the centre of trade and finance for Adelaide. Furthermore, it was expected to permanently hold that position as time passed. The reason for this was largely because Adelaide was a particularly young city at the time, with the majority of settlers coming from the west with the water sourced from the River Torrens. Immigrants who landed at Port Adelaide would travel to a ford near Hindmarsh, then to the place where Morphett Street ends and Hindley Street begins. Immigration Square was situated westward of the parklands, with most of Adelaide's business and trade being conducted westwards. The "trade" itself was dubious and the subject of much controversy at the time, with many residents outraged at the young girls who would travel down the street drunk due to alcohol trade.

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