Around the Square Adelaide Walking Tour

Adelaide, Australia

Join an easy-paced 2 hour small-group walking tours around Victoria Square in the city of Adelaide. The focus of this tour is on history, heritage and culture and covers not only the architecture and history of the varying buildings but also the people who have been associated with them, and the stories about Adelaide's development from colonial times to today. Most of the sites visited are public institutions, statues and monuments and tour participants, whether locals, interstate or from overseas get to experience the essence of what Adelaide is all about.

1. Adelaide Town Hall - Introduction including brief history of Adelaide and its development, route of tour, duration and other housekeeping. Talk about early local government in South Australia and ground-breaking activities occurring in Adelaide Town Hall. Discuss previous use of buildings and current use. (10 min)
2. Adina Apartments/Previously Treasury Building - Discuss history of building, tunnels, courtyard, famous people who have visited, role of Cabinet prior to 1968 (10 min)
3. John McDouall Stuart Statue - story of Stuart, role he played in exploration, his legacy ( 5 min)
4. State Admin Centre - Brief overview of buildings and current use for State Government ministers and staff ( 2 min)
5. Victoria Square - talk about history of square, indigenous connections, development of square (10 min)
6. Queen Victoria Statue - discuss significance of statue (3 min)
7. Charles Cameron Kingston Statue - overview of Kingston's career, personality, contribution, legacy ( 10 min)
8. Torrens Building - overview of history of building, inhabitants including Sir Richard Torrens, Land title system( 4 min)
9. Sir Francis Xavier Cathedral - mention its significance, history, architecture, relevance today (10 min)
10. Mother Mary Mackillop Statue - Story of Mackillop - her sainthood, order of nuns, charity work (5 min)
11. SA Water Building - Talk about usage of building - educational focus (2 min)
12. Dame Roma Mitchell Commonwealth Law Courts - outline usage of building and its inhabitants - types of courts contained in building(3 min)
13. Magistrates Court - brief overview and history of court building, usage, stories of noted lawyers attached, subsequent and current use of site (5 min)
14. Supreme Court - history of court building, architecture, usage (5 min)
15. Sir Samuel Way Court Building - history including its previous life as a department store and legacy of marble staircase, usage (10 min)
16. Three Rivers Fountain - story regarding erection of fountain, history, significance (4 min)
17. Transport - history of trams, trains in area(5 min)
18. Former SGIC Building - history, architecture and associated stories (2 min)
19. Former Harbour Board Building - engineering feat, architecture, history (5 min)
20. Former MLC Building - significance in our history (3 min)
21. GPO Building - history including clock tower and notable citizens connected with building (7 min)