Adelaide’s abandoned heritage: Edmund Wright House among 10 historic city buildings sitting empty and unloved
At least 10 of Adelaide’s grandest heritage buildings remain locked up, seemingly abandoned and a magnet for vandals. See how they’ve been left to decay inside and out.
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One of Adelaide’s grandest heritage buildings remains locked up, empty and has been targeted by vandals three years after being sold by the state government while similar historic properties languish across the city.
At the time Edmund Wright House was sold to Sydney investor Jie Chen in 2019, then Planning Minister Stephan Knoll said the state government was “looking forward to seeing how the purchaser intends to bring this beautiful heritage treasure back to life”.
Instead the building has become the target of vandals, who recently graffitied its facade, while rough sleepers regularly find refuge under its portico on King William St.
Its demise has prompted renewed calls from Heritage Council chair Keith Conlon for heritage agreements to be made mandatory for government sales of heritage sites, including “strict” maintenance and activation conditions for private owners to adhere to.
JLL director Roger Klem, who is working with Mr Chen on a strategy to lease Edmund Wright House, said the owner remained committed to the long-term ownership and preservation of the building, but negotiations with potential tenants had been affected by Covid-19.
“The building owners remain positive that with falling Covid cases and a high vaccination rate, the opportunity to lease the building this year will produce a positive outcome,” he said.
“JLL is continuing to work with a number of parties showing interest in the beautiful building.”
Edmund Wright House is steeped in history, built in 1878 for the Bank of South Australia, and later playing a key role in the establishment of heritage protection legislation that exists today.
In 1971 the Dunstan government famously acquired the property following protests and more than 67,000 people petitioned against a developer’s plan to demolish the building.
The campaign contributed to the enactment of the South Australian Heritage Act seven years later.
The building has accommodated various government departments, and was formerly a resource centre for newly arrived migrants, but has remained vacant since 2015.
However it is not the only heritage building sitting idle in the CBD.
A combination of high refurbishment costs, sluggish office and tenant demand and Covid-19 have left several prominent heritage buildings in a similar position.
They include Gawler Chambers on North Tce, which has remained abandoned since 2004, and the Newmarket Hotel site on the corner of North and West terraces, where several attempts at redevelopment have been attempted since the closure of the HQ nightclub in 2017.
Mr Conlon said more could be done to encourage private owners of heritage sites to invest in and activate their properties.
“It’s very concerning that a major heritage piece has, first of all, been graffitied, and secondly the fact that it has not been activated is a disappointment,” he said.
“The Heritage Council thinks that giving any sort of carrot towards activation is a very positive thing and there are a couple of ways to do that. The good news is there are grants - they’re back on the table.
“One of the other things that we would advocate for in future is that any government building that is sold will have a strict heritage agreement attached to it.
“In other words the package comes with conditions - that would mean that it’s not just it’s gone and that’s that. It would mean there are conditions that the owner has accepted in terms of making it usable and keeping it in good condition.”
Environment Minister David Speirs said most government sales of heritage properties already included a heritage agreement, which set out the terms and conditions for conservation and adaptive reuse.
“It is incredibly disappointing when buildings of such significance are left to decline, sometimes due to unforeseen circumstances,” he said.
“The state government is keen to work with the private sector to reactivate heritage places, which is why we have significantly expanded our heritage grants program.
“The first three rounds of this program have unlocked nearly $6 million worth of conservation work across the state, getting projects off the ground which otherwise may not have occurred.”
ADELAIDE’S DECAYING HERITAGE
EDMUND WRIGHT HOUSE
The building is one of the state’s most historic buildings, built in 1878 for the Bank of South Australia, and later inspiring much of the heritage protection legislation that exists today.
Sydney-based investor Jie Chen paid the state government $6.38 million to take over the site in 2019, but Covid-19 has posed a major challenge in attracting new tenants.
Property firm JLL has previously suggested future uses could include hospitality, function or office space, or conversion to a boutique hotel, with the potential for future occupants to “show the building off to the people of South Australia”.
In 1971 the Dunstan government famously acquired the property after protests and more than 67,000 people petitioned against a developer’s plan to demolish the building. The campaign contributed to the enactment of the South Australian Heritage Act seven years later.
The building has accommodated various government departments, and for many years housed the offices of the Registrar Of Births, Deaths and Marriages. It has been vacant since 2015.
ADELAIDE GPO
Construction of a new $200m hotel to tower above the historic GPO site in the CBD recently commenced, two years after the city’s central post office services relocated to a new outlet in the nearby GPO Exchange office tower.
The long-awaited development will include a 16-level luxury hotel with 285 rooms, a presidential suite, club lounge, restaurants and bars, swimming pool and fitness centre, and function and conference rooms. It is expected to take about two years to complete.
However at the time construction commenced last year, developer Greaton’s Nicho Teng said the second stage of the project, involving a refurbishment of the original State Heritage listed GPO building - including its grand postal hall - into a new retail and hospitality precinct, would depend on “market demand”.
DAVAAR HOUSE
The new owners of the historic CBD mansion are planning a multimillion-dollar restoration to bring the property back to its former glory.
Fiona and Oscar Fiorinotto took over the State Heritage listed Davaar House, on the corner of South Tce and Hutt St, last year with plans to convert it into a luxury wellness business.
Ms Fiorinotto said Covid-19 had caused a minor delay to the project, but after recently securing council approval, she hopes to have internal works under way by the middle of the year.
She is also in talks with heritage architects to assist in restoring the heritage-listed facade of the building.
It follows years of neglect and the financial collapse of disgraced developer Sam Sgherza, who was previously planning a restoration of the mansion as part of his $35m August Towers apartment block adjacent to the property.
The property had become a haven for squatters and vandals in recent years.
HOTEL TIVOLI
The State Heritage listed property sold last year, eight years after the pioneering live music venue closed its doors for the last time.
It was being offered as an opportunity for a new owner to convert the venue into offices or showroom space.
Local businessman Tom Waltham picked up the property for $2.31 million in December, but his plans for the site are unknown. He did not return calls.
The Tivoli was one of Adelaide’s leading live music venues in the 1970s and 1980s, hosting everyone from Nick Cave to Cold Chisel.
However like many other CBD pubs, it struggled to compete as Adelaide’s live music scene dwindled and the city’s small bar scene emerged.
FREEMASONS HALL
The grand building on North Terrace is currently occupied by the Freemasons, but requires millions of dollars of investment to bring it up to modern safety standards.
Last year the Freemasons voted in favour of plans to build a skyscraper behind the main building as a way to raise much-needed funds for repairs and ongoing maintenance.
It was revealed in July 2020 that the building had “extensive concrete cancer”, and $2.2 million was needed for urgent repairs to address public safety concerns.
A further $6.4 million was needed over the coming decade to bring the building up to modern standards and compliance requirements.
A heritage management plan for the proposed tower is currently being prepared, ahead of discussions with the Adelaide City Council and ultimately an application for development approval.
A memorandum of understanding has been entered into with the History Trust of South Australia to explore the opportunity to transform part of the existing 1927 building into a museum showcasing artefacts and other historic South Australian items.
NEWMARKET HOTEL
Last July the State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) approved plans to build two 32-storey towers behind the heritage-listed Newmarket Hotel, which has been vacant since 2017.
The mixed-used towers, designed by Cox Architecture, include ground-floor retail tenancies, five floors of office space and 352 residential and serviced apartments.
The development will restore the 138-year-old Newmarket Hotel, on the corner of North and West terraces, but will see the demolition of its two-storey side wing, an adjacent outbuilding and connecting yard wall – all of which are part of the building’s State Heritage listing.
Vandals have damaged large parts of the historic building, previously home to the HQ nightclub before its closure in 2017, including a historic spiral staircase.
Future Urban managing director Chris Vounasis, planning consultant for developer One North Terrace Pty Ltd, has previously said construction timing would be “influenced by the detailed design process including documentation associated with the conservation works”.
GAWLER CHAMBERS
One of Adelaide’s most prominent heritage buildings, Gawler Chambers on North Tce has been owned by the Roche family since 1945.
The family’s property business, Adelaide Development Company (ADC), secured approval to transform the site into a high rise office tower a decade ago, but the absence of an anchor tenant has meant the historic site has remained abandoned since 2004.
The approved $25 million development would involve preserving the State Heritage listed facade, which dates back to 1914, but transforming the rest of the site into a 15-storey tower with offices and shops.
A company spokesman said it would continue to look for an anchor tenant in a “very tight market” before proceeding with the build.
FORMER PRIMITIVE METHODIST CHURCH - NORTH ADELAIDE
The former Primitive Methodist Church on Wellington Square, which previously formed part of the old Channel 9 studios site, was acquired by the Paley family in 2019.
Last December it secured development approval to transform the State Heritage building into three high end residences, with carparking, courtyard areas, landscaping and heritage conservation works.
According to the building’s heritage plaque, the Primitive Methodists built the church in 1881-82, expanding the earlier chapel which was built in the 1850s.
Channel 9 occupied the property and an adjoining site for more than 50 years until 2014, when the station relocated to Hindmarsh Square.
The Majestic M Suites hotel was built on part of the site in 2020, while the church building has remained vacant since the station’s departure.
FORMER G&R WILLS WAREHOUSE
Work on a student accommodation tower behind the heritage facade of the former G&R Wills warehouse on North Tce is nearing completion.
The $30 million project, led by developer Accord Property, includes retaining and restoring the facade of the historic 1878 building.
The State Commission Assessment Panel (SCAP) approved the 35-storey building behind the facade in September 2019, but its architectural design has divided opinion.
Members of pro-heritage Facebook page Help Save South Australia’s History From Demolition have described the building as a “travesty”, “hideous”, “revolting” and an “eyesore”.
It is understood several heritage features of the original building will be retained on the ground floor. Accord Property managing director Lachy Hogarth did not return calls.
FORMER SALVATION ARMY WOMEN’S HOSTEL
The State Heritage listed building on Angas St is in line to be redeveloped into apartments after a $7 million project was given approval in November.
Edberg Developments will build an extra storey on the existing three level building, while also adding a four-level modern extension at its rear.
The Salvation Army Women’s Hostel was built in 1922 for young women arriving from the country to pursue clerical and professional work in the city.
It operated until 1988 and then was used as a backpackers hostel until 2016.
The property, which Edberg Developments bought for $1.98 million in February 2019, has been vacant since. Construction will start in 2023.
ROMILLY HOUSE
Vandals have trashed historic Romilly House on the corner of Hackney Rd and North Tce in Kent Town, graffitiing the walls, smashing windows and ripping apart a grand staircase.
The 140-year old State Heritage listed building was initially a hotel, then hosted nightclubs and was most recently a boarding house but has remained vacant since about 2017 when occupants were ordered out because of a cockroach infestation.
Owner Rudy Bodonyi recently told The Advertiser that his preference was to lease the building rather than sell it.
“It has tremendous long-term opportunities,” he said late last year.
“I have got a number of requests from different organisations (to buy the building) but you would have to have someone who would really want to do a lot of work.”
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