Building Literary Adelaide, 1836-60

Abstract

This paper traces the development of a literary culture in Adelaide from the arrival of the first colonists in 1836 up to 1860, covering such areas as access to books and theatre, the establishment of literary journals, and early writing about the city. By the middle of the nineteenth century, there was sufficient population, infrastructure, and demand to allow literature to have a visible role in everyday life. For many residents, the idea that Adelaide was a place where literature was valued came increasingly to be part of the city’s identity.