Children in the City Source Sheet No. 43
Children have always been a prominent part of the City’s demographic landscape. During the 19th and early 20th centuries, when the City’s residential population was at its zenith, the number of children living, playing and going to school in the City was far greater than it is today. The Council catered for the City’s child population with a range of amenities and services. In addition of the City’s squares and Park Lands with their wide open spaces and plentiful playing fields, the Council also presided over such child favorites as the City Baths, the Adelaide Snake Park (later renamed the Koala Farm), the Torrens Boating Lake, and the annual Christmas Pageant. The Council also organized a number of charitable events for children from disadvantaged families, like the annual Lord Mayor’s Christmas Party at the Adelaide Town Hall. From 1919, Lord Mayor Charles Glover initiated and contributed towards the construction of a number of fully equipped and supervised children’s playgrounds on the Park Lands. For many years the Council’s health authorities also carried out annual vaccinations of children to protect them against infectious diseases. The Council regulated the employment of children who worked the City streets as shoeblacks, newspaper vendors and chimney sweeps. Children from the City’s schools also played a conspicuous role during the various royal visits to Adelaide, and contributed colourful marching parades at the Adelaide Oval during the 1936 State Centenary celebrations.
Archival Sources
Record Description / Date Range / Accession Number(s)Master Index [to Town Clerk’s Dockets and Special Files] / c1930 - 1976 / 2426
Town Clerk’s Department Dockets / 1856 - 1976 / 2530
Town Clerk’s Letters Received Books / 1862 - 1976 / 4182
Index of Town Clerk’s Letters Received / 1856 - 1973 / 4183
Town Clerk’s Department Letter Books – General / 1853 - 1924 / 602
Morison Index / c1920 - 1972 / 228
Town Clerk’s Special File 047 ‘Children’s Playgrounds’ / 1914 – 1973 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 132 ‘Snake Park’ / 1926 - 1955 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 260 ‘Children’s Playgrounds’ / 1940 - 1975 / 352
Registration Book of Infectious Diseases / 1899 - 1914 / 698
Alphabetical Register of Cases of Infectious Diseases / 1913 - 1929 / 697
Record Books of Cases of Infectious Diseases / 1859 - 1927 / 695
Register of Visits – Cases of Infectious Diseases / 1939 - 1960 / 5176
Infectious Diseases Register / 1942 -1964 / 5177
City Inspector’s Licences Registers / 1867 - 1950 / 671,1875
Town Clerk’s Special File 477 ‘Parklands Development’ / 1961 - 1976 / 352
Town Clerk’s Department Newspaper Clippings - General / 1898 - 1971 / 283
City Engineer’s Dockets / c1902 - 1979 / 2354,3080,4612
City Engineer’s Documented Index / 1902 - 1970
Parks and Gardens Dockets / 1943 - 1976 / 1000,1246,2906
Parks and Gardens Department Docket Indexes / 1943- 1975 / 5364
Parks and Gardens Department Docket Registers / 1943 – 1975 / 319,5365
Parks and Gardens Department Newspaper Clippings Books / 1945 - 1977 / 292, 753,1991
History of Children’s Playgrounds / 1620/1
Department of Parks and Recreation Files / 1921-1987 / 4416
Commercial Department Photographs / c1960s / 3554
Historical Pictorial Collection / 1850 - 1970 / S59,1461,3016, 5531
Town Clerk’s Lantern Slides Collection / 1860-1940 / 4351
Town Clerk’s Photo Albums / 1880 - 1963 / 1258
Further sources.
City Archives Source Sheet No. 11 City Baths
City Archives Source Sheet No. 23 Park Lands
City Archives Source Sheet No. 26 Public Health 2 – Prevention of Infectious Diseases
See Mayor’s Reports, Annual Reports and the Digests of Proceedings 1872-
City of Adelaide Municipal Year Books / Reference Books 1910 - 1983
Further Information
City Archives: Topham Mall, off Currie and Waymouth Streets, Adelaide 5000
Telephone: 8203 7439 Fax: 8203 7336 Email:
Sources