Adelaide is renowned for being so accessible that one can reach any point in the city, including the airport, city centre and beaches, within just 20 minutes.

Whether or not the fact remains true in peak hour, Adelaide is a rather boutique Australian state capital compared to its east-coast counterparts. The city’s proliferation of churches, starting with the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in 1838, has earned it the nickname City of Churches, though some of them have now been repurposed as business premises or even lawyers chambers. A regular sight and sound in some of the city’s churches are the Adelaide Chamber Singers, who have been active on the local, national and international music scene since 1985. They have been active commissioners of Adelaide-based composers, including Anne Cawrse and Becky Llwellyn.

Adelaide has long been a city of firsts, with South Australia the first state to grant women the right to vote and stand for parliament in 1895, and to recognise Indigenous land rights in 1966. In 1918, the Elder Conservatorium became the first in Australia to award a doctorate in music to a women, the Sailsbury-born pianist, composer and educator Ruby Davy.

A little further afield, the Adelaide Hills are an idyllic getaway. Whether for a leafy hike or two, or to discover some of the state’s best food and wine, this is a destination of choice for Australian and international visitors alike. Miriam Hyde’s short piano work Brownhill Creek at Sunrise creates a musical picture of water tumbling over itself as it rushes downstream through the hills.