Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/100

 74 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The Citizens The appearance of the city in the early part of this period had changed from what it was two years before. The most poijulous streets had been cleared of trees and stumps, and the pitfalls which had endangered passengers at night were filled up. Bridges had been built over the Torrens, and huts had been removed from the park lands. Governor Gawler had slightly utilised prison labor in H indie)' Street in improving the roadway, and projx)sed to do further work there and in Rundle Street ; but so bad were these streets that nothing but systematic effort could render them satisfactory. With the increase of [X)pulation, Hindley Street became fairly full of houses, some of which were pretentious. Rundle, King William, and Currie Streets also had a fair complement of buildings, which g;ive the town a more advanced appearance. In the eyes of present-day residents the Adelaide of the forties would afford a quaint and unreal sort of picture. The corner of Waymouth Street, where the Advertiser Offices now stand, was used as a timber-yard, with lengths of timber leaning against gum- trees. The opposite corner of the same street was a stockyard. At the Bank of Adelaide corner was a heap of dSris, with castor oil plants grow- ing out of it. Ford's York Hotel was a boarding-house. Along the streets bullock-drays pursued their devious way, and peculiarly-dressed horsemen and pedestrians gave piquancy to the scene. The shops had small windows, and were of modest architecture. Captain Frome, with the aid of his sappers and miners, erected "a small mud or sod fort on North Terrace, with embrasures, and carronades mounted therein pointing to the city." This frowned upon the passers-by, and slowly decayed. And all about were empty allotments, whimsical old structures, and green herbage, amid a sprinkling of venerable trees. In December, 1839, the Government formally receipted a bill for .^2,300 in l)urchjLse of the park lands surrounding Adelaide, which were reserved for the public, and of 32 acres of land reserved for a public cemetery west of South Adelaide ; but it does Hi.vDLEY Street, Adelaide, in 1844