West Thebarton Hotel ordered to close by July 2025 because of Torrens to Darlington Project

The heritage-listed venue has been given an eviction date after years of uncertainty caused by the South Rd upgrade.

The West Thebarton Hotel on South Rd will close by July 2025 as the land underneath has been acquired for the River Torrens to Darlington Project. Picture: Tom Huntley

The operators of the heritage-listed West Thebarton Hotel have been given until mid-year to close shop so that the building can be bulldozed for the North-South Corridor upgrade.

Under design plans for the $15.4bn River Torrens to Darlington Project, meant to minimise congestion on South Rd, the land the pub and live music venue sits on would be cleared for road expansion to accommodate the Northern Tunnels.

On Thursday, a spokesman for Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis said lawyers for the publican, Reserve Hotels, had been advised the site was needed as of July 2025.

Visual plans for the Torrens to Darlington Project at the intersection of South Rd and West Thebarton Rd. The West Thebarton Hotel would be demolished and replaced with green space as part of road widening needed for new tunnels. Picture: Department of Infrastructure and Transport

It is unclear whether the ‘West Thebby’ will stay open until July or close earlier, but the venue’s kitchen has been shut since late last year with no indication of reopening.

Reserve Hotels said it did not wish to comment on the matter.

Built in the 1880s, the hotel was refurbished with an Art Deco-inspired facelift in the 1940s-50s, according to a West Torrens Council review, and was awarded Local Heritage status in the 1990s.

With construction beginning in 2025, the Torrens to Darlington Project will allow motorists to bypass 21 sets of traffic lights, finishing the North-South Corridor between Gawler and Old Noarlunga, according to the project website.

As a result of land acquisitions for the project, at least two longstanding businesses have closed doors, including Smythe’s Confectionery and Mega Fast Karts & Laser Skirmish, due to the costs associated with relocating.

The upgrade is expected to be fully complete by 2031, but it remains unclear when the hotel will be bulldozed.

Originally published as West Thebarton Hotel ordered to close by July 2025 because of Torrens to Darlington Project