What is Adelaide named after?
Adelaide’s name has a royal history. It comes from Queen Adelaide of the United Kingdom, who had a short-lived reign from 1830 to 1837.
She received the title after her marriage to King George III.
When was Adelaide named Adelaide?
The city of Adelaide was officially given its name in 1836. This is to honor Queen Adelaide, who served as queen consort of the newly discovered colony.
If you’re interested to learn more about Adelaide’s history, you’ve come to the right place!
Here, we go into more detail about Adelaide. Specifically, we go in-depth about who Queen Adelaide was, what Adelaide was called before, and more.
Who was Queen Adelaide?
Queen Adelaide is originally from Saxe Meiningen, Germany. She was the primary candidate to be King William IV’s wife because of her amiable and graceful disposition.
Many described her to be charitable, religious, and dutiful in her responsibilities. In addition, her marriage to the king, who was often described as a “silly Billy,” surprisingly resulted in a relatively peaceful union.
Adelaide is a German name that means nobility and grace. Given the city’s royal roots, this is a great representation of the area.
Interestingly, historical accounts also said that the queen lovingly treated the 10 illegitimate children of the king with actress Dorothea Jordan.
Unfortunately, she was unable to bear any children. All of her pregnancies resulted in stillbirth and miscarriages, and the only one who was birthed didn’t live past three months.
Aside from the city itself, her name is also seen in the Adelaide railway station and the Adelaide River. It’s also seen in some of its schools.
What was Adelaide called before?
Adelaide used to be called Tarntanya by the Kaurna. This stood for “Red Kangaroo Place,” which gives you a good idea about the marsupials that were abundant here.
Its first settlers came from Europe, and it was chosen for its lush green lands and proximity to River Torrents. Many homeowners all over Adelaide chose the location because of its good location that’s suitable for beautiful landscaping.
Its proximity to the coastline has made it a center of commerce and trading. Additionally, this makes it an excellent choice for wedding photography too.
The Kaurna people have left much cultural heritage in the area that can still be seen today. These include those in Adelaide Kaurna Walking Trail and Topham Mall.
When visiting these places, you may be better off using a car or hiring one to make the trip more convenient.
What are other names for the city of Adelaide?
Adelaide has been given many nicknames by its people. Some of the notable ones according to a 2019 Australia National Dictionary Survey include
- T’adelaide
- A-town
- Adders
- Lithgow by the Sea
- Radcity
- Radelaide
- Tadelaide
Most of them are a play on the city’s name, but a particularly interesting one is the name Lithgow by the Sea.
For those unfamiliar, Lithgow used to be an industrial powerhouse in the 19th century. Given Adelaide’s similarly thriving economic hub and its proximity to the sea, this nickname came naturally.
When is Queen Adelaide day celebrated?
Queen Adelaide’s day is celebrated every August 11. Here, citizens named similarly to the queen will have morning tea with the lord mayor.
Here, the former queen’s history and contributions are discussed and celebrated. A young candidate will also be chosen as the princess Adelaide by the end of the event.
