Elizabeth

ELIZABETH

ADELAIDE SA | 1955-65

South Australian Housing Trust (Henry Smith, committee town planner and Geoff Shedly, architect)

The South Australian Government promoted Elizabeth as the ‘city of tomorrow’ for 50,000 residents, master-planning the development of affordable homes and attracting investment for a major manufacturing employment hub. The design of nine neighbourhoods was informed by British New Town planning principles. Each neighbourhood was surrounded by a strip of open space and included a town centre with commercial, industrial and civic areas to support self-sufficiency.

The South Australian Housing Trust, responsible for developing affordable housing in Elizabeth, sought to promote a sense of place by encouraging landscaping and free expression in design. The planning of streets prioritised preserving existing trees, which were complemented with the tree-lined streets and avenues. The scheme included an extensive range of house designs and also left a scattering of lots vacant to encourage the inclusion of private development on the otherwise public tenure estate.