Adelaide Town Hall Source Sheet No. 19
The Town Hall stands on Town Acre 203, originally purchased by the Corporation from the Colonial Treasurer for 12 shillings on 15 February 1841. It was designed by Edmund Wright and built by Thomas English (both early Mayors of Adelaide) at a cost of 20,000 pounds. The foundation stone (whereabouts now unknown) was laid on 4 May 1863 and the Town Hall was opened on 20 June 1866.An adjoining south wing was added in 1869, serving as the Prince Alfred Hotel until 1953 when it became Corporation offices. Queen’s Chambers was also built in 1869 in Pirie Street, with Eagle Chambers being completed in 1876 and Gladstone Chambers in 1882. In 1880 a new Council Chamber was erected at the rear of the Town Hall. Sir J. Lavington Bonython, a former Lord Mayor donated the Albert Tower clock, in 1934. Major alterations were carried out to the Town Hall foyer during the 1950s, including installation of a marble staircase, while substantial refurbishment of the entire complex was undertaken during the late 1980s.
Archival Sources
Record Description / Date Range / Accession Number(s)Council Minute Books / 1840 - 1874
Master Index [to Town Clerk’s Dockets andSpecial Files] / c1930-1976 / 2426
Town Clerk’s Department Dockets / 1856–1976 / 2530
Town Clerk’s Letters Received Books / 1862 –1976 / 4182
Index of Town Clerk’s Letters Received / 1856 –1973 / 4183
Town Clerk’s Department Letter Books – General / 1853-1924 / 602
Town Clerk’s Special File 43 ‘Town Hall Building - Alterations and Additions’ / 1913 - 1921 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 128 ‘Enlargement of Town Hall’ / 1926 -1935 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File1 205 ‘Prince Alfred Hotel / Town Hall Improvements’ / 1935 - 1939 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 349 ‘Town Hall Accommodation / Amenities / Alterations’ / 1946 --1976 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 371 ‘Town Hall - Sundry Matters’ / 1947 - 1976 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 400 ‘Town Hall Lettings’ / 1956 - 1976 / 352
Records of Albert Bells Fund / 1861 - 1867 / 1704
Town Hall Visitor’s Book / 1884-1902 / 676
Town Clerk’s Department Newspaper Clippings – General / 1898 - 1971 / 283
Town Hall Engagements Diary / 1904-1934 / 1916
Town Hall ‘Pencillings’ Books / 1956-1970 / 714
Records Relating to Hiring of the Town Hall / 1890-1981 / 249,330,714,716,1011,1630,
2219, 2280, 3273, 5059
Invitations, Menus, etc (re Town Hall functions) / 1866-1966 / 2087
Band Concerts in the Town Hall / 1922-1955 / 739
City Engineer’s Dockets / c1902 -1979 / 2354, 3080, 4621
City Engineer’s Documented Index / 1902 - 1970 / 741, 743, 745, 749, 2117, 2121
City Engineer’s File 14/53-67 ‘Town Hall Maintenance’ / 1954-1968 / 3726
City Engineer’s File 41/55 ‘Alterations to Prince Alfred Chambers’ / 1956 - 1962 / 3762
Contracts and Related Documents / 1858-1951 / 880
City Engineer’s Newspaper Clippings / 1852 - 1885 / 1920
Plans of the Town Hall / 1914 - 1927 / 1099/1-6
Plans of the Adelaide Town Hall [Original Drawings] / c1862- 1866
Plans of Proposed Alterations to the Town / 1899-1981 / 423, 1099, 2004, 2207
Town Hall Plans as Listed in the Catalogue of Maps and Plans in the Museum Collection / c1862-1968 / 4889/802-853
Plan of the Town Hall Banqueting Room and Exchange Room / c1900 / 5387
Commercial Department Photographs / c1960s / 3554
Historical Pictorial Collection / 1850 - 1970 / S59,1461,3016, 5531
Town Clerk’s Lantern Slides Collection / 1860-1940 / 4351
Further sources
See Mayor’s Reports and Annual Reports, and the annual Council Digests of Proceedings. Also the small visitor guide Adelaide Town Hall - Discover the History (ACC, 2007). For a detailed history of the Town Hall buildings see Volume 2 Item 71 City of Adelaide Heritage Study (Department of Planning and Development, 1986).
Further Information
City Archives: Topham Mall, off Currie and Waymouth Streets, Adelaide 5000
Telephone: 8203 7439 Fax: 8203 7336 Email: