Our Port

Port Adelaide has evolved into an area where creativity, commerce, entertainment and education are fusing into one energetic and rewarding destination.

Almost a decade after the state government launched its visionary plan to rejuvenate the Port through the ‘Our Port’ renewal project, South Australia’s historic maritime town is re-emerging as a thriving waterfront community.

In partnership with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, the endeavour has led to significant improvements made to public infrastructure, heritage buildings, transport links and streetscapes in and around the Port that has helped this retail and tourist precinct to thrive.

Port Adelaide is a place of discovery, energy, culture and diversity – an eclectic, vibrant reflection of the South Australian character more broadly. Renewal SA has partnered with the City of Port Adelaide Enfield; and worked closely with the community and key stakeholders to deliver this vision.

With significant investment from both state government and the City of Port Adelaide Enfield, Renewal SA has undertaken a program of activations and initiatives to bring new life and vitality to the Port and support land sales.

Developed by Renewal SA, the Port Adelaide Precinct Plan has guided development at the Port. It set a range of objectives, including:

• Reducing building heights, increasing public open space areas and providing promenades with cafes and shops
• Ability for residents and visitors to access the entire harbour and waterfront
• Celebrating and restoring historic buildings to ensure a strong connection between the old and the new
• Retaining heritage wharf areas and activating the water for recreation
• A strategy for delivery of affordable housing
• Expansion of the Renewal SA Works Program with opportunities provided to local residents for practical and live site training and work experience programs

The Precinct Plan envisions the creation of 2,000–4,000 homes that build on and reinterpret the Port’s unique character with active main streets and pedestrian-friendly inspirational spaces for an additional 4,000–8,000 people. It also includes allowances to nearly double public open space.

Sustainable development and activation of the area is expected to generate 1,000–1,500 construction jobs and $1–2 billion in private investment over a 20-year period.

The Port Adelaide Precinct Plan established that urban renewal should capitalise on the maritime heritage and the uniqueness and character of the Port should be preserved and enhanced.

Renewal SA has delivered a range of projects that are celebrating the Port’s heritage, including supporting the establishment of a new maritime heritage precinct at Dock 2. Dock 2 was nominated to the State Heritage register in 2018. The listing encompasses the two sheds, the existing wharf infrastructure and two surviving 1958 luffing cranes. The maritime heritage precinct will become home to land-based vessels including the City of Adelaide, the world’s oldest clipper ship, and the Nelcebee, the second-to-last ketch to operate in the South Australian coastal trade as well as on-water boats, the One and All and the Falie.

The iconic Hart's Mill precinct has evolved into an energetic community space. Renewal SA converted the Flour Shed into a community events venue as well as delivered landscape construction works comprising a mill-themed playground, public amenities and a shared-use loop path around the waterfront. These works won the UNESCO New Design in Heritage Concepts Award at the 2018 UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation. The awards programme recognises efforts to successfully conserve structures and buildings of heritage value.

A public art piece was commissioned by Our Port and City of Port Adelaide Enfield and was installed at Hart’s Mill. The artwork celebrates and values the strong Aboriginal connection to the place and area. It represents the sophistication of Aboriginal culture and language that have survived for over 60,000 years.

This piece is a connection node with the Mudlangga to Yertabulti Track, which shares stories by Aboriginal people about Port Adelaide and Lefevre Peninsula. The Meeting Place Sculpture and Journey Lines celebrate the strong Aboriginal connection to this place and represent the sophistication of Aboriginal culture and language.

Yaintya yartarra padnima, nguturni’adlu. When we walk this country, we gain in knowledge.