Adelaide : Australia's most beautiful holiday city : [poster]

'Light's vision' is an iconic view of Adelaide, popular with tourism promoters showing the majestic clean green lines of the city and parklands.

The photolithography process used in this poster by the Government Photolithographer produced high quality strong flat images and outlines, and the colours have an old-fashioned charm to our eyes.

Today the logo SA: A brilliant blend still promotes Adelaide as a perfect venue for holiday activities.

Colonel William Light was South Australia's first Surveyor-General who planned the City of Adelaide. He arrived in South Australia in 1836, deciding upon the site for Adelaide on the last day of that year. His survey of Adelaide began on 11 January 1837, at what is now the junction of North and West Terraces, with the work being completed on 10 March. A granite obelisk marking the commencement of the survey is located on the northern side of the intersection. The naming of streets and squares took place on 23 May 1837. Colonel Light resigned as Surveyor-General in June 1838, and died from tuberculosis on 6 October 1839. On 10 October he was buried in Light Square, Adelaide, and there is now a memorial over his grave in the form of a marble column.

A statue of William Light was erected in Victoria Square, Adelaide and unveiled on 27 November 1906. Half of the money for this statue ( 2,000), was a subsidy from the Government, 500 pounds from the City Corporation, and the balance from private subscriptions. In 1938 the statue was relocated to Montefiore Hill in North Adelaide and named 'Light's Vision'. The Royal Geographical Society of SA co-operated with the Pioneer's Association in moving Colonel Light's statue to its present site overlooking the city he surveyed.

This item is reproduced courtesy of the South Australian Tourism Commission. It may be printed or saved for research or study. Use for any other purpose requires written permission from the South Australian Tourism Commission. To request approval, complete the Quote for Copy/Permission form.