South Australia’s History Festival celebrates what connects us

South Australia’s History Festival will return in May 2026 with the theme of Connections.

With more than 550 events spanning 16 regions, the 2026 Festival celebrates the state’s history and the connections that bind us, thanks to its six Feature Programs – First Nations, Tasting History, From Many Places, Open Doors, Children and Family, and Rainbow Histories.

Tours, talks, exhibitions, walks and workshops will invite audiences to explore multi-generational stories stretching across decades and millennia, continents, and Country.

South Australians will discover the ties that shape our shared identity with events right across the state, from the threads that bind family stories, places and peoples, to the lines that link past to present and South Australia to the world.

The History Festival began over 20 years ago in 2004, as SA History Week, and grew into a month-long festival in 2011. Its popularity and success are due to the hard work and enthusiasm of event organisers and volunteers across the state, who are passionate about sharing our history.

Overland to Darwin and Back | 100th Anniversary

Connections are the invisible threads that hold our stories together—linking people, places and moments across time.

As part of South Australia’s History Festival 2026, a special re-enactment will mark the 100th anniversary of Australia’s first commercial transcontinental passenger service. The original journey, the longest of its kind in the world at the time, spanned 7,000 kilometres from Adelaide to Darwin and back, and took six weeks to complete.

To commemorate the milestone, two 1925 Studebaker cars will depart from Rundle Street in a ceremonial send-off before retracing this historic route.

Brenton and Donna Taylor, Brenton and Amanda Whittenbury, David Stewart and an enthusiastic support team will undertake the journey, following in the footsteps of Whittenbury’s great-grandfather, businessman Clarence Judd, to celebrate the centenary of the original expedition.

The story also connects to a familiar South Australian name: Grundy’s Shoe Stores. Judd, whose direct descendants still own and operate the business today, was one of the twelve paying passengers on the epic first tour.

festival.history.sa.gov.au/events/overland-to-darwin-and-back

The People Behind the Connections

This year, the festival shines a light on South Australians who live these connections every day. The printed program covers, shot by acclaimed local photographer Henry Trumble, introduce their stories.

Meet: Sobia and Irfan Hashmi, who have spent two decades building community through healthcare and cultural celebration; Raphael Thomas, a Luritja Wambaya man, who knows the weight and gift of connection through generations; Esther and Matt Johnson, life and business partners preserving the 150-year legacy of Ditters Nuts; Hon. Ian Hunter MLC, who rebuilt connection after it was broken, creating a chosen family and championing LGBTQIA+ rights; and the Hugh Hamilton wine family, six generations of deep roots in South Australian soil.

Visit the website to book an event:
festival.history.sa.gov.au

South Australians will discover the ties that shape our shared identity with events right across the state.

Throughout May, thousands of South Australians will open doors to hidden histories, local treasures, and forgotten stories like this one. You’ll find exhibitions, walks, performances, talks, tours, digital projects and community events across the state – each one revealing the many ways we’re connected through history.

Discover South Australia’s Eucalyptus Oil History and explore the journey of 100% pure Eucalyptus Oil at Emu Ridge on Kangaroo Island or join the South Australian Historical Tool Association for a display and discussion of unique tools along with stories of their origin and restoration or preservation of wear.

Connect in a cosy workshop and share heirloom recipes with fellow food lovers with Cooking the Books: A Spoonful of History and discover the dishes that shaped our community. Swap stories and flavours – creating new memories with old recipes.

Take part in a guided tour of Railway Connections on Eyre Peninsula. Go behind the scenes in the former railway administrative offices at Port Lincoln and find out how the railways provided vital connections for Eyre Peninsula communities.

There is truly something for everyone during South Australia’s History Festival, with a huge range of interest categories covered in multiple regions across the state.

Discover the full program:
festival.history.sa.gov.au