The Creation of the Torrens: A History of Adelaide's River to 1881

This book examines the destruction of the River Torrens in Adelaide, South Australia, as a natural river ecology and its re-creation as an artificial one. The geographical area of my investigation is the region of the Torrens within the city, an area known in nineteenth century cities as the central riverbanks. It concentrates on the interaction between the Adelaide community and the river between 1836 and 1881, partly by analysing societies' perceptions and use of the river, but also by observing how the river, in turn, influenced society. The impact of politics, social structure, technologies and value systems are considered. It is a time of immense change for the area, ranging from the Kaurna people's life, which adapted around the river, to white society's creation of an artificial lake. The River Torrens was destroyed through the pressures placed on it by a population that needed resources to support growth, and who desired a European river. The irony is that a European river - broad and wide, constantly flowing, framed by banks and shady trees, was eventually created - but only after the natural area was ruined.