Since the 1989 Newcastle earthquake event, a number of studies on earthquakes have been carried out in South Australia. This report brings together most of these studies, focussing on the probability of ground shaking in Adelaide (hazard), and the variability of that shaking across the metropolitan area (microzonation). These microzonation studies are the first to have been done in Adelaide. The first hazard studies of Adelaide were carried out over 20 years ago with a limited data set. Recent studies have improved the completeness of the earthquake database, but there remains a considerable level of uncertainty in the hazard analysis due to poorly measured attenuation effects, and a small sample number of moderate to large earthquakes. For a return period of 500 years the peak velocity may range from 50 to 120 mm/sec, with a most likely value of 75mm/sec for average ground conditions. The return period for damage (as measured on the Modified Mercalli Vibration Intensity Scale) in Adelaide is in the range 75 to 330 years, with a most likely value of 180 years. Adelaide has suffered widespread damage once, and minor damage twice, since settlement in 1837. Deficiencies in the estimation of hazard include: the lack of strong motion recordings in Australia, and insufficient recorded events near the metropolitan areas. The Joint Urban Monitoring Program (JUMP) of installing strong motion instruments in major cities is addressing part of the strong motion problem. To date the microzonation studies done locally are minimal and can only be regarded as preliminary. More detailed work is required. Thirteen soil profiles have been selected as being representative of most of the Adelaide metropolitan area. Ten earthquake motions from Australia and California which were considered to be representative of possible future events were selected and scaled. Synthetic ground vibrations were computed for the thirteen profiles using the ten earthquakes. The vibrations showed only moderate amplification. Microtremor measurements (in-situ recordings of everyday, natural vibrations) were carried out at some profile sites. This is a cheap way to get information on dangerous resonances caused by near surface geology. Liquefaction has been highlighted as a possible problem over a considerable portion of the coastal and north-western Adelaide metropolitan area. This is due to the shallow water table and also the occurrence, or possibility of occurrence, of silty and sandy layers at shallow depths. The problem is not considered to be great, given the high magnitude of earthquake that is normally required to produce liquefaction.