Adelaide

Antique Maps and Plans of Adelaide

Antique maps of Adelaide document one of the most distinctive planned cities of colonial Australia. Founded in 1836, Adelaide was laid out according to a deliberate urban design incorporating a central grid, surrounding parklands and clearly defined town boundaries—features that are prominently recorded in early maps and plans.

This category includes original town plans, street maps and regional surveys showing Adelaide and its immediate surrounds at various stages of development. Early maps often focus on land division, allotments, streets and public reserves, reflecting the priorities of administration, settlement and orderly expansion. Later maps illustrate the city’s growth, infrastructure and integration with surrounding suburbs and transport networks.

Produced by surveyors, government offices and commercial publishers, Adelaide maps combine practical purpose with historical insight. They provide valuable records of urban planning, land ownership and civic ambition within South Australia’s capital.

Original antique maps of Adelaide are sought after for their clarity, historical significance and connection to a uniquely planned colonial city. As original period documents on paper, they offer collectors, historians and researchers a direct view into the cartographic and urban history of Adelaide.