Hindley Street

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 Charles Hindley, a British parliamentarian and social reformist.

The street was one of the first built in Adelaide and is of historical significance for a number of reasons. As well as housing the first meeting of Adelaide City Council, the oldest municipal body in Australia, in November 1840, Hindley Street was home to the first stone church in South Australia; it was also the location of the first movie shown in the colony and the first cinema in the state. The West End Brewery operated in the street between 1859 and 1980.

The street later became known for its atmosphere and active nightlife, including a somewhat seedy reputation, until in the 21st century it reinvented itself as a more upmarket precinct, dubbed the West End.

Hindley Street is one of Adelaide's most prominent streets, with an extensive and illustrious history. The street itself was named in honour of British politician Charles Hindley, who had been director of both the South Australian Company and the Union Bank of Australia. He died in November 1857, without ever visiting South Australia. The doings of the population of Adelaide were directly connected to the street, and when the city was first developed after the colonisation of South Australia in 1836, 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. Independent minister Thomas Playford bought acre 51 in 1837, moving there with his family in 1844. The street was seen as a very desirable place to live.

The first newspaper in South Australia, the South Australian Gazette and Colonial Register, was printed in premises on Hindley Street, on 3 June 1837. The Stanhope press that printed it still survives, held in a collection by History SA.

For many years, the street was the centre of trade and finance for Adelaide, and it was expected to hold that position as time passed. This was because Adelaide was a very 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.

The first meeting of Adelaide City Council the oldest municipal body in Australia, was held in Hindley Street on 4 November 1840.

The first stone church in South Australia was built in Hindley Street.