Lord Mayor Jane Lomax-Smith has today presented the Key to the City to veteran broadcaster and Park Lands and heritage champion Keith Conlon OAM.
The Key to the City acknowledges and recognises outstanding contributions to the City of Adelaide.
Affectionately known as "Mr South Australia", Keith Conlon has dedicated more than 50 years teaching us all so much about our city and our state.
The Lord Mayor said it was a great privilege to present extraordinary individuals with the Council's highest honour, especially so in a year that marks the 35th anniversary since Lord Mayor Steve Condous established Adelaide's own version of the century-old Key to the City tradition.
"Keith Conlon now joins an exclusive group, having first come to our attention in the '60s as part of
folk-singing troupe The Wesley Three, and through his long association with jazz bands," said the Lord Mayor.
"However today is about honouring someone who has used storytelling to become the unrelenting champion of the Park Lands and Adelaide's heritage.
"A combination of a trusted voice and a passion for the past has seen Keith Conlon fill the role of urban anthropologist - helping us understand Adelaide.
"Keith has woken us all up at some point with a story on FIVEAA Breakfast, telling us what we needed to know to get our day started.
"He's also starred on the small screen over decades as host of State Affair and perhaps most prominently as the face of the long-running Channel 9 series Postcards.
"While carrying out his role as the state's chief storyteller, Keith has also been one of its most ardent defenders - using information and knowledge to help protect our built heritage and Park Lands.
"Today we honour Mr South Australia not only for what he's achieved but for the way he's gone about it and we say to Keith - Adelaide's unofficial narrator - thank you for telling our stories so well."
On top of all of these achievements, during his six years at the helm of the SA Heritage Council, Keith focused on making the heritage listing system more transparent and accessible.
Keith has also continued to be a strong advocate for First Nations people and the importance of including their stories in heritage listings - work that has since become a daily priority for Heritage SA officers.
He was inaugural chairman of the Adelaide Football Club's Crows Foundation for children in need.
Keith remains deeply involved in community groups, has written plays, leads the weekly Ride with Keith cycling group, and is a regular on the speaking circuit.
