Walking trail in Wellington Square / Kudnartu
| Suitable for mobility aids | Short and easy walk | North Adelaide |
What to expect in Wellington Square / Kudnartu
| Difficulty level | Easy |
| Length | 700 metres |
| Walking surfaces | Bitumen, grass and pavement |
| Mobility suitability | Suits all prams Suits walking aids Wheelchair access |
| Dogs | Suitable for dog walking |
| Path width | Approximately 2 metres at narrowest |
| Possible hazards | Leaves and sticks on paths On road traffic Uneven surfaces |
| Amenities | Shaded seating Drinking fountain |
| Parking | Free parking on Tynte Street |
History
Kudnartu Name
Kudnartu (also known as Kudnarto) was the name of a Kaurna apical ancestor from the Crystal Brook area in the north of Kaurna land. Her marriage to Tom Adams was the first official Aboriginal/settler marriage in South Australia. Kudnarto (Mary Ann Adams) and a shepherd, Tom Adams, married in January 1848 at the Registry Office in Waymouth Street.
Before they married, Kudnarto attended the ‘Native Establishment School’ in Kintore Avenue for ‘initiation into the arts of domestic life and household duties’. In fact, she taught her illiterate husband to write. Kudnarto and Tom Adams had two sons, Tom and Tim Adams born in 1849 and 1852. Following Kudnarto’s death in 1855 at about 23 years-old, Tom and his two sons were left destitute as land allocated to Kudnarto was resumed by the government. Many Kaurna people alive today trace their ancestry to Kudnarto.
Wellington Name
Arthur Wellesley, the first Duke of Wellington, was instrumental in defeating Napoleon at Waterloo and as a result was widely regarded as a European hero. Born in Ireland in 1769, he served as a commander in the British Army and then as prime minister of Great Britain from 1828 to 1830. Colonel William Light briefly served as a junior officer under the Duke of Wellington during his time as a commander.
Information as supplied by Dr. Robert Amery, 1997. For more information on Kudnarto’s life see ‘History in portraits: Biographies of nineteenth century South Australian Aboriginal people’, 1998, p.133-157, edited by Jane Simpson and Luise Hercus.