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The City of Holdfast Bay has a rich history spanning thousands of years. Our collective history explores the stories of the traditional owners and custodians, the Kaurna People, European settlement and our coastal identities.
Kaurna Yarta
The City of Holdfast Bay acknowledges Kaurna people as the traditional owners and custodians of this land. We respect their spiritual relationship with country that has developed over thousands of years and the cultural heritage and beliefs that remain important to Kaurna people today.
Please follow the link below to learn more.
Colonisation of South Australia
The Colony of South Australia was established in 1834, and with the passing of the South Australia Act, land was offered for sale as early as 1835. The act was subsequently ratified in the Letters Patent by King William IV in 1836.
Between February and July 1836, nine ships set sail. The Duke of York was the first to arrive in the new colony, landing at Nepean Bay, Kangaroo Island, on 27 July 1836. The remaining vessels joined the Duke of York throughout the remainder of the year. The new settlers remained at Kangaroo Island whilst Colonel Light surveyed the mainland to establish a capital. Once the survey was complete, the colonists made their way to what is now Glenelg between November and December of 1836.
Proclamation Day
The founding of South Australia is celebrated annually on 28 December under the Old Gum Tree.
The proclamation was drafted aboard the HMS Buffalo and was printed by Robert Thomas using the Stanley Press, which now resides in the History Trust of South Australia.
Upon arriving ashore at Glenelg on 28 December 1836, officeholders were sworn in by Robert Gouger in his tent. By 3pm, the settlers had gathered beneath a large gum tree to avoid the intense summer heat (reportedly above 38 degrees). Captain John Hindmarsh publicly proclaimed the establishment of Government, and to celebrate, Marines from the Buffalo fired a royal salute to the British Flag, followed by a 15-gun salute to the new Governor. The colonists then all gathered for lunch with a ham as the centrepiece.
Today, the City of Holdfast Bay works closely with the Kaurna Nation to focus on shared histories and truth-telling in commemorating Proclamation Day.
'Proclamation Day now brings us an opportunity that we - and our Aboriginal people and our Kaurna people - were never afforded.'
Kaurna Elder Jeffrey Newchurch, 2022
Building a City
The City of Holdfast Bay was formed in 1997 through the amalgamation of the city councils of Brighton and Glenelg. Both townships were established on Indigenous Kaurna land, with the first European settlers arriving in 1836 in Glenelg. The Proclamation document was read on 28 December 1836.
The majority of land quickly became a rural farming area. Because of its sand hills and long sandy beaches, it also became a place for holiday houses built by wealthy professionals and notable people of the day. Glenelg became a municipality in 1855, and Brighton followed in 1858.
Post-war immigration transformed the once rural seaside village into a town. From a settlement that started in tents and prefabricated huts, Brighton developed into South Australia's premier seaside resort. The settlement grew quickly with the advent of the railway and the car. Brighton became a popular day trip destination, with people flocking to the beach. Many amusement facilities were developed, and Jetty Road, Glenelg subsequently grew into a main shopping area.