Overway Hotel in Gawler turned into housing under new plan

It’s been sitting empty for years – now one of SA’s most historic former pubs will get a new life under a plan for new apartments.

Artist impressions for a proposed 12-home development on the site of the heritage Overway Hotel. Picture: Hosking Willis Architecture

A 164-year-old heritage Gawler hotel would be renovated as housing, with extra homes built around it, after its owners decided it wouldn’t make money as a pub or offices.

The historic Overway Hotel, which closed in early 2019, is one of the area’s oldest pubs and was placed on the state heritage list in 1985.

Two new double-storey buildings are proposed for the Gawler South site on either side of the pub, which will be refitted with two apartments designed by specialist heritage architects.

Under plans signed off by Heritage SA, a new internal staircase will be built, windows altered and and the exterior freshened up, likely back to its original stonework.

Artist impressions for a proposed 12-home development on the site of the heritage Overway Hotel. Picture: Hosking Willis Architecture

A bird’s eye artist impressions for the development. Picture: Hosking Willis Architecture

The overall plans include twelve inward-facing homes along with a common open space area, bike lockup and landscaped carpark.

Bedrooms will go above ground-floor living spaces. The hotel will contain two three-bedroom apartments, while the other row homes are all two bedrooms, aside from one with three.

The Overway building will look “better” after work is finished, planning consultant David Hutchison from Access Planning said.

“(Heritage SA’s) main concern is to protect the heritage appearance of the building, so external changes don’t radically change what it’s being used for,” he said.

“Heritage SA supports adaptive reuses of old building and this was never going to proceed as a pub – a change to residential use was at the end of the day the most sensible fit.

“(The building) is going look a lot better, one of the things we’re considering is the paint might be removed and the stone brought back.”

The Overway Hotel in Gawler South, where a 12-home residential development is proposed.

Mr Hutchison said the proponents had considered turning the Overland into offices or tourist accommodation, but that was “never going to fly”.

“It’s always difficult to know what to do with old heritage building, particularly pubs – it wasn’t really successful as a pub for the past few years that it operated and it’s been sitting vacant and the property has been vandalised.

“This development provides an opportunity to preserve the old building.

“We’ve been at pains to preserve what we can internally, it is a little dated. There are some external stairs going in, some changes to windows, but it’s all done reflecting the existing character of the building.”

The Overway, which is on Eighteenth St opposite the railway station, was established in 1858 and has been known as the Terminus and Railway Family Hotel over the years.

The plans are open for public submissions until January 13./