The suburb was named by South Australia's first Governor, Sir John Hindmarsh. Hindmarsh was the first owner of section 353 in the Hundred of Yatala, being among the earliest to make a selection of a "country section" to which he and other early investors in South Australia were entitled by their purchase of land orders prior to settlement. He and Mr Lindsay subdivided the land in June 1838 and were responsible for it being laid out as the first private town in the colony of South Australia. In the process, according to South Australian historian Geoffrey Manning, the Governor "acquired a dubious reputation by prohibiting squatting in the Parklands, thus forcing people to acquire land in the subdivision". The modern suburb of Hindmarsh has western and southern boundaries contiguous with the original village and section 353, the Torrens River being the southern boundary. The modern suburb includes land between Port Road and the railway line as well, making the railway line the northern border instead of Port Road, as it was for the early village.
Demographics
The 2016 Census by the Australian Bureau of Statistics counted 231 persons in Hindmarsh on census night. Of these, 61.1% were male and 38.9% were female. The majority of residents are of Australian birth, with other common census responses being England, South Korea, Malaysia, Thailand, and Italy. Additionally, people of Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander descent made up 2.6% of the suburb. In terms of religious affiliation, 46.8% of residents attributed themselves to being irreligious, 17.9% attributed themselves to being Catholic, 6.8% attributed themselves to be Buddhist, and 6.4% attributed themselves to being Eastern Orthodox. Within Welland, 82.8% of the residents were employed, with the remaining 17.2% being unemployed.
Politics
Local government
Hindmarsh is part of Beverley Ward in the City of Charles Sturt local government area, being represented in that council by Independent Edgar Agius and Labor Member Mick Harley.
The Governor Hindmarsh Hotel, on Port Road, Hindmarsh, was opened in 1848. It underwent renovations in 1988, but had fallen into disrepair when new owners the Tonkins took over in 1993. "The Gov" was developed into a major and popular live music venue, with five separate performing spaces and featuring a wide range of genres of music. It has attracted performers such as Billy Bragg, Vika and Linda Bull, Paul Kelly and The Whitlams, as well as lesser-known musicians, local schools' annual concerts and weekly open mic sessions in the front bar. The venue has won a number of awards, such as both the AHA and National AHA awards for Best Live Music Venue in 2017. It has been described as "the city's mecca for live music". Its performance spaces are also used by the Adelaide Fringe each year.
The AdelaideEntertainment Centre is a major venue for all kinds of performances, from small intimate spaces to large concerts. It houses up to 11,300 people.
is the main arterial road connecting the suburb to the Adelaide city centre, while South Road forms its western boundary. Hindmarsh is serviced by public transport run by the Adelaide Metro:
The Grange and Outer Harbour railway line passes beside the suburb. The closest station is Bowden.
Adelaide Metro operates a tram service to the Entertainment Centre, which is free from anywhere in the city centre.
