In May of 1837, a naming committee consisting of Governor John Hindmarsh, Colonel William Light, and ten other prominent settlers decided to name a street after a successful businessman and Whig politician. John Rundle, who also directed and financed the South Australian Co., lent his name to what is now the heart of retail in Adelaide.
It’s hard to imagine Rundle Street without the stores, arcades, restaurants, and foot traffic we see today. But Rundle Street restaurants haven’t been here forever.
The 1800s
Adelaide was surveyed in 1837, and construction began shortly after planning was complete. Until then, tents and temporary wooden huts claimed the future town’s grassy hills. Soon, however, building began and Rundle Street’s expansion took off.
By 1850, Adelaide’s first synagogue graced Rundle Street, in addition to offices, hotels, a grocery business, and shops.
It wasn’t until the 1870s that retail on Rundle Street began to grow. Drapers, tailors, jewellers, grocers, and more emerged. In the 1880s, several building projects solidified Rundle Street as the centre of retail. The Austral Hotel and Adelaide Arcade, with their many shops, were erected. It seemed there was always something new and exciting being built.
The 1900s
Since then, Rundle Street is the place to be for retail. Department Stores, such as Birks, and a theatre, the Savoy, were prominent as cars and pedestrians packed the street in the 1950s. A day in the city meant the bustle of automobiles and buses carrying hundreds of passengers. There wasn’t a night scene, as shops were only open until 5:30 during the week and 11:30 on Saturday mornings.
In the 1950s-70s, police officers were on duty, directing traffic, during peak hours. Families walked on the sidewalks in their Sunday best, heading towards the theatre or shopping. Rundle Street Restaurants included Coles Cafeteria and Balfours. The excitement of Rundle Street was evident on every face.
In 1976, Rundle Mall’s opening saw champagne running through the fountain. The next year, late-night trading was allowed. A new era was born – one where traffic to get to restaurants on Rundle Street in Adelaide was on foot. Major works of art began to adorn the street.
Near the turn of the century, Rundle Street east changed again, with a residential complex and cinemas showing art house movies and film festivals. Rundle Mall got new paving, lights, and trees, as well as new bronze sculptured pigs by artist Marguerite Derricourt.
Recent
More recently, the mall, laneways, and public art have been redesigned and refurbished. Restaurants on Rundle Street in Adelaide attract more visitors than ever before, and the nightlife has been touched up a notch.
It’s fun to look back at where our favourite street was…and see how it became what it is today. The centuries have been good to Rundle Street, and we can’t imagine it any other way.
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