This thesis focuses specifically on what was taught in schools in South Australia in the context of art and design education. The period covered by the study extends from the 1880s, when a Central Educational Authority was established in South Australia, to the late 1920s, when significant changes to art and design philosophies and course designs became identifiable. The nature and content of the art and design courses designed and used in South Australia is examined against an historical background of influences such as the South Kensington System of drawing and that devised by Walter Smith for the Massachusetts educational system in the United States of America. The significant contribution of Harry Pelling Gill to the teaching of art and design in schools is closely examined. It is posited that his single influence affected the teaching of art and design in South Australian schools until well into the twentieth century. The process of the study looks in detail at the overall philosophies behind the teaching of art and design, the methodologies employed and the classroom practice which pupils and teachers undertook in the pursuit of courses outlined. Issues such as methods of teacher training, correspondence courses, examinations and exhibitions are considered as these relate to the central theme of the study. The study concludes in the late 1920s, with the advent of a revised course of instruction for public elementary schools, which heralded significant changes in both the content and methodology of art and design teaching in South Australian schools.