Whenever the discussion turns to beautiful old buildings that have been lost to our city over the years, the first one that comes to my mind is the South Australian Hotel which stood proudly on North Terrace for almost 100 years. The ‘South’ opened in 1879 and represented the finer things in life. In 1964 it became the centre of the universe when The Beatles stayed there during their famous Adelaide visit. It was bulldozed in 1971 to make way for a more modern hotel.
There are many legends and stories about the South which we will expand on in a later post.
Photo courtesy Frank Hall. The South Australian Hotel, just before it was demolished in 1971
The Foy and Gibson building on the corner of Rundle and Pulteney Streets began its life as ‘The Grand Hotel.’ in 1911. It was indeed a very grand building but despite that, as a hotel, went bankrupt by 1924 and was turned into a department store by Foy & Gibsons. In the mid 50s Foy & Gibsons moved to new premises in Rundle Street as Cox Foys. The old building was then used by the Government to house several departments and was allowed to rundown. Sadly, the building was demolished in 1975/76 to make way for a multi-storey car park which still stands there today.
Photo courtesy of State Library of SA. The Grand Central Hotel in 1924, a truly magnificent building
The Regent Theatre in Rundle Street, The Metro and the the Adelaide City Baths have all been covered in recent posts.
Photo from the State Library of SA. The beautiful old Theatre Royal in Hindley Street
The Theatre Royal in Hindley Street was built in 1878 and became Adelaide’s best known and most loved theatre and featured such famous performers as Sarah Bernhard, the Oliviers and Sir Robert Helpmann . The building was modified in 1913 to show ‘moving pictures’ in Adelaide. In 1962 it was demolished by department store Miller Anderson and Co to make way for a multi-level car park.
Although not a classically beautiful building, I do miss the old Advertiser building which stood on the corner of King William and Waymouth Streets for almost 50 years. I worked there when 5AD was on the tenth floor and sometimes, finishing my shift at midnight, would walk out into Advertiser Lane as the papers came off the printing presses and were loaded onto the trucks. There was the smell of freshly printed newspapers and ink, and how many remember waiting to buy a paper in that lane to get their exam results as they came off the press?
Photo courtesy of Frank Hall. I miss the Advertiser building. Somehow it represented so much about Adelaide for me
Just finally I’ll mention the old ABC Buildings on the eastern side of Hindmarsh Square. The ABC commenced broadcasting as 5CL in the 1930s (later 5AN) out of these two buildings. One of the buildings had been used as horse stables, the other a Congregational church and were often referred to by the staff as a ‘rabbit warren’ of offices. In 1959, the ABC bought an old mansion in Collinswood known as Tregenna on a four and a half acre block and it was set up as offices for television staff. In the early 1970s the Tregenna mansion was demolished, making way for an eight-story building with the rest of the ABC staff relocated to the new building in Collinswood in 1974.
There are many other fine old buildings that have disappeared from our city, some of which we’ll touch on in a later post.
Photo courtesy of Frank Hall. The old ABC buidings in the eastern side of Hindmarsh Square
We are still here! Gearing up for our 95th year of continuous service at The Grosvenor at 125 North Tce. Not all grand buildings are lost…we are still here!…and very proud of where we have been and where we are heading…towards our 100th in 2019.
Cameron Jeffery
General Manager
Mercure Grosvenor Hotel Adelaide
Cameron, would love to do a story on the Grosvenor. I’ll be in touch soon
The ‘VERY” best examples of Adelaide’s classic 19th century Architecture have been lost, leaving in many cases the second string to take up the mantle. What a grieving, crying, heart bleeding shame the South Australian and the Grand on the corner of Pulteney and Rundle street have gone. Such majestic examples of the Victorian era, classical buildings with so many hidden stories to tell. Razed for the most sad and embarrassing structures to take their place in a city.
I remember welll the west end brewery on Hindley street was a very imposing building with red brick walls and arches through which the horse and carts would appear carrying the barrells of beer. On one corner of the block was an original settlers cottage that a chinaman lived in which obviously he would not sell to the brewery.
Visiting my 86 year old father in his Aged Care facility in Melbourne today. He grew up with his 8 siblings in Gray Street in the West End of Adelaide. He was telling me today of seeing Test Cricket ‘screened’ onto the side of a building (Hedleys/Headleys?) in Hindmarsh Square in the late 1930s. Can you confirm any details for me on this, as his memory is a tad patchy, but he was most adamant that he walked there as a young lad and watched the screening.
Hi Susan
A bit off topic but you mentioned that your father grew up in Gray St. I’ve been putting together a little of the story about another Grey St resident; Julius (Treacle) Fimeri, wood merchant, 63 Grey St.
Treacle was the “Mr Fix-it” for the West End of Adelaide during the 1920’s and 1930’s. It was rumoured that he owned a revolver.
My grand father was the licence of the Royal Oak Hotel, just around the corner, in Hindley St and Fimeri’s “Mr Fix-it” services were occasionally called upon to resolve an occasional debt problem – so I was told.
I would be interested if your father can add to this story. In saying this, I realise this is all a bit of a long shot.
Regards
Warren Kennedy
28 Parriwi Rd, Mosman, NSW.
A suggestion – a story on the old tram barn, which has now been replaced by the Water building. As a starter, you could have a look at a fabulous book called “City & Glenelg”, which is (mostly) about those marvellous old “H” class trams and the history of the tram line and the two “heavy” railway lines that preceded it. I’ve just been reading it here at the National Library in Canberra. There are great “action” pictures of trams at the Angas Street tram barn, which also housed some buses in its later years.
In 1987 I worked for the SA Industrial Court. Some of our “archived” files were kept at the tram barn, and I never complained when I was asked to go and retrieve a box of files from “The Barn”. It was a great old building even when it was largely empty.
Now that I think of it, perhaps you could look into the second Glenelg railway, which started on North Terrace and went through current suburbs like Mile End, Marleston, Kurralta Park and Camden. In the street directory you can clearly see the ghost of this line all the way to Morphettville Racecourse.
How about the wonderful Union Hall at Adelaide Uni? Demolished in an act of vandalism on Uni Inc. CEO Prof McWha’s watch. (After receiving a Heritage protection, waived by the Labour govetnment ‘Heritage’ Minister.) I have vowed to never again enter the Uni grounds after that.
Does anyone remember a lovely little place to have lunch called the Bohemian? It was situated on North Terrace and you had to go down some steps. I remember being treated there when my grandmother took me to town. The tables werel set out with crisp white table clothes and I remember the cutlery was stainless steel. Usually we also went to the Globe cinema on Rundle street to watch a news real and sometimes were treated to a ‘Dad and Dave’ short movie.
A survival story – the Harbour’s Board building in Victoria Square. Not all of it survives, but the facade was relocated ( 34 metres I think) in 1979 when the SGIC building was constructed.
Are there more photos? There is a website on Facebook called ‘Adelaide Remember When’. Its got some photos from the bygone years.
Hi,
Looking for a photo and some details of the Peoples Palace which I recall was on North Tce. Used to come down from Pt Pirie in the 50’s and 60’s and stay there with mum and dad.
Barry
G’day there!
I absolutely love all of your stories of bygone Adelaide.
I lived in Adelaide between the years 1963 to 1969.
Worked at Hooper’s Picture Framers, Hindmarsh Square. That building was demolished as I discovered years later. I remember, it was near Birdseye Coaches, which was in the corner.
Please keep up those interesting stories.
Nannette.
Love these stories
What happened to the old people’s palace in Hindley street.