Adelaidean and Proud of It

Believe it or not, people from Adelaide, South Australia seem to be some of the most parochial people I have met. I think it’s because other states pick on us – a lot, so we crawl into our insular ‘put-out’ selves and stick up for ourselves come hell or high water.


We are often teased about a variety of subjects and seem to be the butt of many jokes. Not quite as rigorous as gags about Tasmania and I know there are referrals to wet weather with regards to Melbourne or being the Alabama of the America’s like Queensland, but after being named city of churches and then known as the murder capital (City of corpses), old age home, sterile, boring, no jobs...except for lawyers defending murderers of course..but plenty of churches, we kinda have our work cut out for us. An example of this is John Saffron’s (Australian documentary maker and media personality, well-known for pranks and indelicate handling of controversial issues) popular (except with South Australians (SA)), not the sunscreen song circa 1997 or so when he sang/said, “Travel as often as you can, live in New York City once, live in Northern California once, never live in Adelaide, It's a hole”. Bugger off bastard.

At least Adelaide has real seasons. I love the changing of the leaves, an actual spring, a definite summer and winter – not like Melbourne where you need to take small luggage on wheels everywhere you go just to cater for a gamut of seasons in one day and Brisbane where it is dry and sunny, wet and sunny with a little rain and windy one month of the year only...August.

Adelaide to me seems to be the younger sibling of older sibling Melbourne who is the middle sibling where Sydney is the eldest and most experienced and knowledgeable of course....and doesn’t she know it swanking around in her frilly skirt and knickers showing, quite the slut. Brisbane swaggers along with a good white shirt, no tie and jeans and a pair of thongs. Perth, Hobart and Darwin are the cousins, a couple of which may share DNA with each other and I have no idea where they fit in. Adelaide people saunter through lovely gardens in twin sets and pearls while Melbourne’s attire is a rain coat, probably Burberry with something fancy underneath and a pair of Manolo Blahniks that people are constantly running in, to get out of the rain. Brisbane is attempting to be just like Sydney and Melbourne (Brisbane doesn’t give a rats about Adelaide-it’s all east coast) but are still falling short on some scales bar fantastic weather. Then there is Canberra...aahh nah can’t be bothered. Canberra is probably some ugly distant relative no one really cares about.

I was reading a travel page on SA recently. I was disturbed to see one of the most recommended places to visit was the Adelaide goal. Surely we can do better than that as a first? What about the Barossa, the Adelaide Hills, Victor Harbour, Kangaroo Island, Gawler (ok that might be pushing it), Glenelg, Rundle Mall, Popeye and what about the comestibles. Oh My God, after family and my best friends it’s why I go back to SA. I have to be honest!

I really think that a true South Australian will always return for the following (and bring as many as feasible back to where we are currently residing). Balfours frog cakes, pies pasties and sausage rolls...and YES they are better than Villies and better than anywhere else. Bung Fritz and sauce sandwiches...not devon, not luncheon...they just don’t cut it..ever. Fruchocs (now you’re talking), metwurst, trombone, Newmans horse raddish, a pie floater (ok never had one but it’s a true South Australian delectable apparently, especially after a skin full of booze and a loss at the casino). A Cornish pastie, a bush biscuit, Menz Yo Yo Biscuits and Haighs chocolate. Most places now offer Farmers Union Iced Coffee so the need to acquire this the minute after I collect my luggage from the conveyer belt once landed is not as desperate as it once was. A night out at the Mars bar, a look (around November Christmas pageant time) at Nimble, meeting your buddies at the Malls balls and a ride on Popeye on the Torrens completes the Adelaide experience. Satisfies the soul.

I also love to return to a place where intonatedly, I mesh. Adelaide or SA pronunciation is different. Leggo (laygo for SA), dance, chance, pool, plant, school. Words like texta (nikko), bathers (Togs), suitcase (port), fritz (devon), undies (knickers) and the rest of course..

At the end of the day...wherever we are from is home, it’s ours. It’s what we know, grew up with, miss, feel comfortable with, identify ourselves with even. So, though is the place we are currently in... it’s where we are hanging our hats and raising our children – by choice. You can have both!! You also have to cop it on the chin when they give you stick about it. It’s damn Australian after all. Whether you know it as Addy, Adders, city of churches, or even city of corpses...it still has the best Parmy EVER!!!

Ben Folds' Adelaide