The City of Elizabeth was a Local Government Area located in the northern suburbs of Adelaide

Adelaide

Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...

 from 1955 to 1997.

History

Prior to the 1950s, most of the area surrounding today's suburb of Elizabeth

Elizabeth, South Australia

Elizabeth is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Playford.-History:Elizabeth was established in 1955 as part of a planned satellite town by the South Australian Housing Trust on rural land between the older towns of Salisbury and...

 was farming estates. After the end of the Second World War and the accompanying shortage of materials, the state government decided that South Australia needed to grow and become an industrialised state.

A "satellite city" was planned for the Elizabeth area, and the South Australian Housing Trust

South Australian Housing Trust

The South Australian Housing Trust was a statutory authority established by the of the Government of South Australia responsible for providing low-cost rental housing to working people and their families.-History:...

 initiated a housing development program in the area, with a purchase of 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) of rural land between the older "country towns" (now Adelaide suburbs) of Salisbury

Salisbury, South Australia

Salisbury is a northern suburb in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the seat of the City of Salisbury, and in the South Australian Legislative Assembly electoral district of Ramsay and the Australian House of Representatives divisions of Wakefield and Port Adelaide...

 and Smithfield

Smithfield, South Australia

Smithfield is a suburb in the northern outskirts of Adelaide, South Australia. It is in the City of Playford.Gawler Plains Post Office opened on 12 July 1850 and was renamed Smithfield in 1855.-References:...

.

The City of Elizabeth was formed on 16 November 1955, being named after Queen Elizabeth II

Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom

Elizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...

, who visited the city in 1963.

As well as the Town Centre

Elizabeth Shopping Centre

The Elizabeth Shopping Centre is a large regional shopping centre located in the outer Adelaide suburb of Elizabeth, South Australia The centre is the third biggest in Adelaide, behind Westfield Tea Tree Plaza, and Westfield Marion....

, originally with open air shopping malls and theatre (named "The Octagon"), Elizabeth had residential suburbs (the earliest being Elizabeth South

Elizabeth South, South Australia

Elizabeth South is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Playford.-References:...

 and Elizabeth North

Elizabeth North, South Australia

Elizabeth North is a northern suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Playford.-References:...

) each configured as a local community around a small shopping centre - each originally contained a supermarket, bank, hotel and service station along with other shops. Major employers such as Holden

Holden

GM Holden Ltd is an automaker that operates in Australia, based in Port Melbourne, Victoria. The company was founded in 1856 as a saddlery manufacturer. In 1908 it moved into the automotive field, before becoming a subsidiary of the U.S.-based General Motors in 1931...

 and the Long Range Weapons Establishment (later Weapons Research Establishment (WRE), now Defence Science and Technology Organisation

Defence Science and Technology Organisation

The Defence Science and Technology Organisation is a branch of the Australian Department of Defence which researches and develops technologies for use in the Australian defence industry....

 (DSTO)) moved into the area, and migrants were encouraged to settle in Elizabeth and its suburbs.

Elizabeth had large areas of open space, with the most prominent being Fremont Park, on Main North Road

Main North Road

Main North Road is the major north-south arterial route north of the city of Adelaide, South Australia.From the Adelaide city centre, it passes through the Adelaide Parklands and the suburbs of Thorngate, Medindie, Medindie Gardens, Nailsworth, Prospect, Sefton Park, Blair Athol and Enfield before...

. Elizabeth was the sister city of Fremont, California

Fremont, California

Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California. It was incorporated on January 23, 1956, from the merger of five smaller communities: Centerville, Niles, Irvington, Mission San Jose, and Warm Springs...

; Lake Elizabeth

Lake Elizabeth (Fremont, California)

Lake Elizabeth, located in Fremont, California, is a man made lake. When at average capacity, water rises to a depth of about seven feet.-About:...

 in Fremont Central Park

Fremont Central Park

Fremont Central Park is a park that lies in the central area of Fremont, California. The park is on Paseo Padre Parkway at Stevenson Boulevard and is easily accessible from both I-880 & I-680. It began development in 1960. In the park lies Lake Elizabeth, an man made lake that serves as a...

 is named for the city.

Elizabeth also had a strong music scene, providing homes for many including Jimmy Barnes

Jimmy Barnes

James Dixon Swan , better known as Jimmy Barnes, is a Scottish-born Australian rock singer-songwriter. His father Jim Swan was a prizefighter and his older brother John Swan is also a rock singer. It was actually John who had encouraged and taught Jim how to sing as he wasn't really interested at...

, John Swan

Swanee (singer)

John Swan, better known as Swanee, is a Australian rock singer. He was born John Archibold Dixon Swan in Glasgow, Scotland in 1952. He is the older brother of rock singer Jimmy Barnes and the uncle of singer and stage performer David Campbell. He emigrated to Australia with his family in 1961...

, Glenn Shorrock

Glenn Shorrock

Glenn Barrie Shorrock is an English-born Australian singer-songwriter. He was a founding member of pop groups The Twilights, Axiom and Little River Band as well as being a solo performer....

 and others.

Amalgamation

Elizabeth is now part of the City of Playford

City of Playford

The City of Playford is a Local Government Area of South Australia, located in Adelaide's northern suburbs. The name 'Playford' comes from the recognition of Sir Thomas Playford, who played a part in the development of the area, and was South Australia's premier from 1938-1965...

, the City of Elizabeth having merged with the City of Munno Para in 1997.