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CRITERION HOTEL
Date Opened : 1864
Date Closed : 2005
Address :
137 King William Street, Adelaide
History
| CRITERION HOTEL | 1864 | 1990 |
| BERNADI'S BAR HOTEL | 1990 | 1990 |
| CRITERION HOTEL | 1990 | 2005 |
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Labels
Hotel Photos
Ephemera & Paperwork
Publicans
| The Criterion Hotel, originally also known as the Family Hotel, was built in 1864 by William Hubble and stood prominently near the General Post Office in Adelaide’s city centre. Despite the prime location, Hubble faced ongoing financial troubles, including court cases brought by unpaid staff. He left the hotel in 1871. Ownership passed to Edward Lockyer, who later became involved with the Unicorn Brewery in Burra during the 1880s. In the 1890s, the South Australian Brewing Company acquired the hotel and undertook a significant renovation in 1897. A takeaway bottle shop was added in the late 1920s, quickly becoming one of the city’s most popular. In 1929, during a severe heatwave, it recorded record-breaking sales. Due to its proximity to the Advertiser newspaper office, the hotel was a regular haunt for journalists. A long-standing rumour suggests a direct telephone line was installed from the Advertiser editor’s office to the hotel bar to locate absent reporters enjoying a pint. Tragically, the Criterion Hotel was demolished in 2010 to make way for an alleyway leading to Post Office Lane. The loss of this historic Victorian-era building in the heart of Adelaide remains a frustrating example of the city’s neglect for its architectural heritage.  |