Aboriginal culture is an important part of Australian life. When you’re visiting Adelaide, take the chance to visit these cultural attractions that will teach you so much more about this vibrant people.
Tandanya National Aboriginal Cultural Institute
Tandanya is a multi-arts centre that is completely Aboriginal owned and operated. In fact, it’s the oldest of its kind in Australia! Opening in 1989, the centre celebrated its 25th anniversary this year. Here you’ll find visual and performing arts, expressions of this culture, as well as interactive displays. See a didgeridoo or Torres Strait Islander performance, catch a short-film or documentary screening or book yourself in for a tour. No matter what, throughout the centre you’ll come into contact with the vivid expressions, history and culture of the oldest race in the world.
The name itself, Tandanya, is a source of education and learning. This is the Kaurna word meaning Place of the Red Kangaroo. The Kaurna people the original owners and guardians of Australia, and the name of the centre is the current owners way of saying they have picked up the mantle and will continue to create and maintain this vibrant space where people can learn more.
The National Aboriginal Cultural Institute Inc. runs the centre and has made this a wonderful place to learn more. On your way out, stop in at the gallery shop and pick up some authentic Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, artefacts and prints.
Full day tours
Bookabee Tours Australia offers an Adelaide Aboriginal Cultural Experience Full Day Tour. This will take you through the city to some of the best places to learn more about the social history and early life of the Aboriginal people.
Take the opportunity to discover the environment, tastes and animals of the ancient Aboriginal way of life. On the tour you will visit the Adelaide Botanic Gardens Bush Food Trail, where you will see bush foods, plants and their uses while also learning about traditional techniques for duck hunting, food gathering, making boomerangs and medicines.
Your next stop will be Tandanya, where you’ll see what makes this attraction great, including a tour of the gallery, a cultural performance demonstration and a visit to the shop.
Following this, you will have lunch on Rundle Street East, which is a historic area of the city, and then head to the South Australian Museum to see the Aboriginal Cultures Gallery, which is where you’ll see around 3,000 Australian Aboriginal artefacts and archives – making it the largest collection in the world.
Alternatively, you could visit these attractions on your own with a rental car. This way, you will be able to explore at your leisure and spend as much time as you like at each place. Pack a picnic and enjoy the city in style.