Glenelg

Glenelg is where the first South Australian colonists landed in December 1836 and read the proclamation establishing the province, an event marked by the Old Gum Tree at nearby Glenelg North and commemorated each year on Proclamation Day. The suburb grew as Adelaide's seaside resort, and the tram that runs from Victoria Square down Jetty Road still arrives at the beachfront, with heritage cars occasionally in service alongside modern ones. Moseley Square holds the town hall and the entrance to the jetty, which reaches out over calm gulf water. Dolphin cruises operate from the marina, and the sunsets over the water are the standard Adelaide postcard.

What you actually see

• The tram line - the run from Victoria Square down Jetty Road to the sea.
• Moseley Square and the jetty - the town hall, square and pier over the gulf.
• The proclamation site - the Old Gum Tree marking the 1836 landing.
• The sunset - the west-facing beach with sun setting into the gulf.

When to go

November to March for swimming and long evenings; the gulf is calm and warm compared with ocean beaches. Summer weekends fill the beach and the tram. Winter is quiet, and the jetty is exposed and cold.

Honest expectations

Glenelg is busy and commercial, with a strip of chain restaurants along Jetty Road. Parking is difficult in summer, and the tram is crowded at peak times. The water is calm but not especially clear.

Nearby

Adelaide's centre is thirty minutes by tram; Henley Beach lies north along the coast.