Tidal wave
In early 1976, families were selling up and leaving Adelaide for a different reason. A clairvoyant housepainter had predicted that on the 19th of January, an earthquake and tidal wave would destroy Adelaide to punish it for turning into a ‘sin city’ (this guy obviously hadn’t travelled much). On the morning of the 19th, Premier Don Dunstan headed down to Glenelg jetty, along with hordes of skeptics and a man selling pasties dressed in a bow tie and flippers. Needless to say, the wave never came, and Adelaide happily remained the driest city in the driest state in the driest continent. [HV]Torrens, River
To say the River Torrens flows through the centre of Adelaide is somewhat of an exaggeration. This minor waterway is dammed to create the illusion of a relatively broad expanse of water, with a smooth brown reflective surface loved by postcard manufacturers. Tourists can experience the Torrens either from brightly-painted paddleboats or from the Popeye passenger vessel (which was named not after the cartoon character but from the way people’s eyes ‘pop’ out of their heads when they witness the splendour of the Torrens).The river, although shallow, has been the site of a number of memorable drownings, including the Adelaide university student who was thrown from the footbridge as part of a jolly jape on Prosh Day. [HV]
Touch of Elegance, A
This chat show hosted by the horrifyingly snobby socialite Jay Walton was a staple of Channel 7 Adelaide’s morning schedule in the 70s and 80s. A typical episode would include a feature on the latest electronic gadgets available from the kitchenware department of David Jones and an interview with a local identity or, very occasionally, a genuine celebrity.Unfortunately for Channel 7, the only people to whom the programme appealed were social-climbing housewives eager to outdo the woman next door. To everyone else it was known as ‘A Touch of Arrogance’ or ‘A Touch of Ignorance’ and was only to be tolerated as an antidote to extreme boredom. Sensing the general public’s dislike of ‘A Touch of Elegance’ it was axed in the late 80s, to be replaced by the similar, but more down-to-earth, ‘AM Adelaide’. [AB]