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ADELAIDE HOTEL
Date Opened : 1839
Date Closed : 1921
Address :
155 Hindley Street, Adelaide
History
| TASMANIAN HOTEL | 1839 | 1846 |
| PRINCE ALBERT HOTEL | 1846 | 1849 |
| ADELAIDE HOTEL | 1849 | 1852 |
| PRINCE ALBERT HOTEL | 1852 | 1853 |
| ADELAIDE HOTEL | 1853 | 1921 |
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Hotel Photos
Publicans
| The Adelaide Hotel began life in 1839 as the Tasmanian Hotel, built by John Wheland and named in honour of explorer Abel Tasman. At the time, the island we now know as Tasmania was still called Van Diemen’s Land. The hotel quickly became a popular stop for travelling captains and ship hands, known for its imported ales and spirits. In 1846 the name was changed to the Prince Albert Hotel, though its reputation suffered during this period with several deaths recorded on the premises, mostly among visiting sailors and deckhands. By 1853 it was renamed once again, this time as the Adelaide Hotel. The hotel was completely rebuilt in 1880 as a two-storey structure with fourteen apartments and a much larger cellar. Despite the grander design, it continued to carry a reputation as a low-class public house. That began to change in 1907 when Eliza Woodhead became publican. She invested in renovations and worked to make the accommodation more respectable, lifting the hotel’s standing. In 1913 the cellar was badly flooded, forcing staff to salvage what they could. Just a few years later, in 1921, the Adelaide Hotel closed its doors for good as part of a widespread reduction in licensed premises across the city. Although the building survived, serving a variety of businesses over the years, most famously Cartoons Nightclub, it was eventually demolished in 2017. Today, a modern restaurant complex occupies the site, though the Adelaide Hotel remains part of Hindley Street’s colourful history.  c1909 State Library [B 8981] Click here for a high resolution image |