AURORA HOTEL
| Originally opened in 1859 as the Black Eagle Hotel, this grand establishment was built by Carl Goers (sometimes spelled Gors), offering a spacious frontage onto Hindmarsh Square. Designed with stables and a rear farrier’s forge, the hotel became a hub for Adelaide’s German immigrant community. Notably, artist Hans Heysen had some of his early works displayed here in the early 1900s. In 1866, Goers was fined £3 for illegally diverting water from the Adelaide Water Works for hotel use. He left the hotel in 1875 but continued operating the farrier service as the Black Eagle Shoeing Forge, before selling it in 1877 and moving to the Morning Star Hotel at Chain of Ponds. The Pirie Street Brewery purchased the hotel in 1878 and renamed it the Marquis of Lorne Hotel, undertaking significant renovations and adding an Athletic Hall. Boxing events became a drawcard, with the bar also serving as a source of the latest sporting news. In 1891, the hotel was renamed the Marquis of Queensberry Hotel, and finally in 1894, it became the Aurora Hotel under the ownership of Mrs Annie Bircher. It was later included in the 1902 sale of the Pirie Street Brewery to the South Australian Brewing Company. A major redevelopment in the 1920s saw a striking tower added to the building’s frontage, enhancing its already grand appearance. However, by the 1970s, the Aurora had fallen into decline. Despite public opposition and a large demonstration, the hotel was demolished overnight on Friday, 2 December 1983. Heritage features like stained glass, ironwork, and joinery were destroyed with the building, as developers rushed the demolition to avoid further protests. The loss of the Aurora Hotel remains one of Adelaide’s most regrettable heritage demolitions. Thankfully, four decades later, a similar public outcry successfully saved the Crown and Anchor Hotel, showing how community voices can make a difference in preserving our shared history.  c1983 Indaily 4th June 2024 |
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| BLACK EAGLE HOTEL | 1859 | 1878 |
| MARQUIS OF LORNE HOTEL | 1878 | 1891 |
| MARQUIS OF QUEENSBERRY HOTEL | 1891 | 1894 |
| AURORA HOTEL | 1894 | 1983 |
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1870
State Library [B 16004/3]
1912
State Library [B 1799]
Click here for a high resolution image
1938
State Library [B 7743]
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Hotel site in 2025
Click here for a high resolution image
Click here for a high resolution image
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5.001.H358.0030
| Publican Name | Start Date | Finish Date | Hotel |
| Carl GOERS | 1859 | 1875 | Black Eagle Hotel |
| Nathaniel DANN | 1875 | 1876 | Black Eagle Hotel |
| Mrs Catherine DANN | 1876 | 1880 | Black Eagle Hotel |
| William SMITH | 1880 | 1881 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Henry SMITH | 1881 | 1881 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Thomas GILMORE | 1881 | 1884 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Eduard KLAUER | 1884 | 1884 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Mrs Margaret Ann Mary GARDINER | 1884 | 1885 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Richard MOORE | 1885 | 1885 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Patrick James BURKE | 1885 | 1885 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| George Richard DOWDY | 1885 | 1886 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| David GREEN | 1886 | 1886 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| William Henry HARRIS | 1886 | 1887 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Richard DAVEY | 1887 | 1888 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| George MCLAUGHLIN | 1890 | 1891 | Marquis of Lorne Hotel |
| Dominick A LEONARD | 1891 | 1892 | Marquis of Queensberry Hotel |
| Alfred Edward RANKIN | 1892 | 1893 | Marquis of Queensberry Hotel |
| Joseph Josh GREEN | 1893 | 1893 | Marquis of Queensberry Hotel |
| Mary ELAND | 1893 | 1894 | Marquis of Queensberry Hotel |
| Mrs Annie C BIRCHER | 1894 | 1895 | Marquis of Queensberry Hotel |
| Mrs Margaret DALY | 1895 | 1899 | Aurora Hotel |
| Henry GEPP | 1899 | 1923 | Aurora Hotel |
| Nelson FULLER | 1923 | 1924 | Aurora Hotel |
| Harry C WIGHT | 1924 | 1926 | Aurora Hotel |
| Mrs Annie LYONS | 1926 | 1929 | Aurora Hotel |
| Sidney F HEASLIP | 1929 | 1931 | Aurora Hotel |
| Herbert H JOLLY | 1931 | 1937 | Aurora Hotel |
| Thelma Victoria BARNES | 1937 | 1942 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Jessie BARNES | 1937 | 1942 | Aurora Hotel |
| Thelma Victoria BARNES | 1942 | 1945 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Percy William BARNES | 1942 | 1945 | Aurora Hotel |
| Albert Arthur BUCK | 1945 | 1947 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Florence Annie BUCK | 1945 | 1947 | Aurora Hotel |
| Thelma Victoria BARNES | 1947 | 1951 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Percy William BARNES | 1947 | 1951 | Aurora Hotel |
| Thelma Victoria BARNES | 1951 | 1953 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Carroll Arthur BARNES | 1951 | 1953 | Aurora Hotel |
| Percy William BARNES | 1953 | 1953 | Aurora Hotel |
| Thelma Victoria BARNES | 1953 | 1966 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Carroll Arthur BARNES | 1953 | 1966 | Aurora Hotel |
| Mrs Hilda Martha ECKERT | 1966 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Kenneth DEWHIRST | 1972 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Mrs Hilda Martha ECKERT | 1972 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Kenneth DEWHIRST | 1972 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Mrs Hilda Martha ECKERT | 1972 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Kenneth DEWHIRST | 1972 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Mrs Hilda Martha ECKERT | 1972 | 1972 | Aurora Hotel |
| Kenneth DEWHIRST | 1972 | 1973 | Aurora Hotel |
| Mrs Hilda Martha ECKERT | 1973 | 1977 | Aurora Hotel |
| Reginald Ian RICHARDS | 1977 | 1979 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Joan Irene RICHARDS | 1977 | 1979 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Richard CRANE | 1977 | 1979 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Ronda Doreen CRANE | 1977 | 1979 | Aurora Hotel |
| John Francis ARBON | 1979 | 1983 | Aurora Hotel |
| & Joan Beatrice ARBON | 1979 | 1983 | Aurora Hotel |