In keeping with its climate, Adelaide, capital of South Australia, has a Mediterranean ambience as it straddles the Torrens River, and is filled with churches, gardens, civic buildings, sidewalk cafes and a plethora of museums, galleries and festivals catering to the culturally inclined. The city was originally laid out in 1836 by Colonel Light in a square mile (three sq km) grid of wide streets with gracious colonial architecture. This has resulted in a compact inner city area, geared for easy exploring on foot, allowing the central area to be surrounded with hectares of parklands, walking trails, sports grounds and picnic areas on the banks of the river. The main boulevard is North Terrace, along which are the restored Mortlock Library, the Art Gallery of South Australia and the South Australian Museum with its spectacular whale skeleton and collection of Aboriginal history. Aboriginal culture is also catered for at Tandanya, a multi-arts cultural centre that has galleries, performance areas and a café serving native cuisine.
