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STURT ARCADE HOTEL
Date Opened : 1837
Date Closed : 1990
Address :
110 Grenfell Street, Adelaide
History
| FORDHAM'S HOTEL | 1837 | 1843 |
| STURT HOTEL | 1843 | 1886 |
| STURT ARCADE HOTEL | 1886 | 1990 |
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Labels
Hotel Photos
Publicans
| One of Adelaide’s most significant early pubs once stood where shoppers now pass through Regent Arcade. The Sturt Arcade Hotel originally Fordham’s Hotel was built in 1837 by Abraham Fordham, making it one of the first licensed premises in the colony. Fordham was a well-known figure in early Adelaide and a close friend of Colonel William Light. After Light’s death, Fordham played a key role in raising funds for the monument that still honours the city’s surveyor. His hotel also played host to a much-loved tradition: in the stable, a small agricultural group met to judge two classes of produce; watermelons and sweet melons. This humble beginning marked the birth of the Agricultural Society of South Australia, which would evolve into the Royal Adelaide Show. In 1843, the hotel passed to Joseph Barnett, who renamed it the Sturt Hotel. It was modernised in 1856, then completely rebuilt in 1885 as a grand Victorian structure, its façade styled to complement the neighbouring Adelaide Arcade. The Sturt Hotel remained a lively city venue for over a century, but by the late 20th century, the land beneath it was valued more than the business itself. In 1990, the pub closed and was demolished, replaced by the entrance to Regent Arcade. The new frontage was designed to echo the Victorian character of the lost hotel, though today most passers-by have no idea that one of Adelaide’s earliest; and most influential hotels once stood there. The Hotel Brewery operated from the hotel in 1839.  1979 State Library [B 37500] |