Port Adelaide redevelopment: Keith visits the Port in the Adelaide City region of South Australia

Captain Hart's flourmill and the big red brick mill next to it are two of Port Adelaide's best-known landmarks. Captain John Hart was a true visionary. He went from chasing whales off our coast before official settlement, to Premier of South Australia, and now, his old flourmill is overlooking a 21st century vision.

The Port River dolphins seem unphased by all the activity. The pylons are going in for the new road and rail bridges over the river, the tugs are working overtime - so too the contractors on the shore building the Outer Harbour connector for the grain trains and the seemingly endless convoy of trucks. In the commercial centre, a lot of buildings are being spruced up and more are planned.

It's all good news for people like Andre Stuyk. He's with the Port Centre Co-ordination Group, which is overseeing the area's 10-year one-point-five-billion dollar redevelopment, which includes a residential invasion round the old wharves.

And where better to survey it all? Port Adelaide's other landmark - the lighthouse. "The waterfront redevelopment project will incorporate 4000 people," said Andre "You'll find an infill development of about 3 to 4000, so there will potentially be 10,000 people within a stone's throw of the main streets. The Port is going to be a jumping place again!"

It includes six kilometres of walking paths along a waterfront development, which includes residential, commercial, retail, tourist areas and marinas. It'll transform the old wharves and riverbanks into something they reckon even Fremantle and Melbourne's Docklands fans will envy.

It's a vision that would no doubt bring a smile to the face of one of the first men to champion the Port's potential - Captain John Hart. Born in England in 1809 he first went to sea when he was only 12 and he was whaling and sealing along our coast well before South Australia's first official settlers arrived.

After Colonel Light did his thing, it wasn't long before Port Adelaide was booming. Its first wharf was built by 1840 and local historian and businesswoman, Christine Courtney tells us Captain Hart was quick to seize on its potential.

"Hart started out whaling, then he went into shipping and warehousing and bringing sheep here," she told us. "When he got here and saw that the colonists had nothing to eat … he moved on to overlanding cattle. He went onto insurance broking, buying shares in ships etc. He was a versatile man you might say!"

Indeed he was and seeing the potential for export he began the landmark flourmills on Princes Wharf. But there are two imposing buildings there - one made of stone the other red brick - so, which is which?

"The stone building is THE Hart's Mill," said Christine. "It was established in 1855 and being steam driven it was the biggest in Australia."

The Newport Quays redevelopment will see the old mills eventually become a centrepiece of a heritage precinct. From belching steam and bags of wheat to luxury living - Captain Hart would relate to that.

Work on stage one of Newport Quays is well underway. Appropriately named Edgewater, it will see nearly 200 apartments and villas, complete with marinas just south of the Jervois Bridge. It's due for completion late next year and the developers are pretty happy it's already 85 percent sold.

Further developments are planned along the river at the old Sugar Wharf and CSR Sugar Refinery site. The old boat yards will go too, the Port Adelaide Sailing Club will move downriver and the new developments will eventually go all the way around to the Birkenhead Bridge.

The grand vision for Port Adelaide is almost as sweeping as Captain John Hart's notable achievements. "He had a finger in the pie of everything that was happening in the Port," said Christine. "He was even Premier of the state (3 times)."

The display centre in the shadow of Hart's Mill gives a hi-tech look at how the whole project will unfold. And given Captain Hart was very much a man of the Port - its location is probably quite appropriate.

The Newport Quays information centre is in front of Harts Mill at the end of Mundy Street and a superb book about the history of Port Adelaide, "A Commodious Harbour" of which Christine is a co-creator is on sale at the Maritime Museum. Please email info@postcards-sa.com.au if you have any further questions

Newport Quays Info Centre
Adjacent Harts Mill
Mundy St
Port Adelaide
Ph 1300 100 700

"A Commodious Harbour"
Available at Maritime Museum
Port Adelaide

Published 9th July 2006