Wakefield Street

Last updated

Wakefield Street

South Australia
Metropolitan Fire Station, Adelaide.JPG
The Metropolitan Fire Station was built in 1983
Australia South Australia City of Adelaide location map.svg
Red pog.svg
West end
Red pog.svg
East end
Coordinates
General information
TypeStreet
Location Adelaide city centre
Length1.2 km (0.7 mi) [1]
Opened1837
Major junctions
West end Victoria Square
Adelaide
 
East end East Terrace
Adelaide
Location(s)
LGA(s) City of Adelaide

Wakefield Street is a main thoroughfare intersecting the centre of the South Australian capital, Adelaide, from east to west at its midpoint. It crosses Victoria Square in the centre of the city, which has a grid street plan. It continues as Wakefield Road on its eastern side, through the eastern Adelaide Park Lands.

Contents

History

The street was named after Daniel Bell Wakefield, the solicitor who drafted the Act which proclaimed Adelaide. Like his brother Edward Gibbon Wakefield, he was also involved in the South Australia Association in London, but never visited Adelaide. [2]

In 1911 the Willard Hall and Willard Guest House were opened by the South Australian branch of the WCTU, named after Frances Willard, United States national president of Woman's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU). [3] The building, previously St Andrew's Presbyterian Church, was situated on the south side of the road, 2.75 yards (2.51 m) west of the east side of Gawler Place. In 1928 an old bell was found in the tower, which was probably the first bell cast in Adelaide and made for the church. [4] A 1939 photograph shows the new art deco additions to the building, and the premises of Frank J. Siebert, Funeral Director, on the left. [5]

The Star Theatre in Wakefield Street, Adelaide, c.1939 Wakefield Street Star.jpg
The Star Theatre in Wakefield Street, Adelaide, c.1939

The Central Picture Theatre, designed by R. R. G. (Rowland) Assheton (who also designed the Grand Picture Theatre in Rundle Street, among others) [6] opened at no. 70 in 1912, featuring silent films until its first talkie screened in 1930. On Saturday 14 May 1938, after a change of ownership and complete refurbishment, [7] the cinema was opened as the Star, as part of the Clifford Theatres Circuit (and variously referred to as the New Star Theatre, Wakefield Street; [8] Wakefield Street New Star; [9] and the Wakefield Street Star Theatre. [10] ). One reviewer described it as "the most modern theatre in S.A.". Architect Chris Smith had designed the new interior, and furnishings were supplied by John Martin & Co. [11] The refit was in Art Deco style. [12] The Star closed around 1959 or 1960 and reopened in 1962/63 as a Greek theatre, the Pantheon. It was demolished (date unknown) [7] and is now the site of a carpark next to an office block tenanted by SAPOL. The building was constructed around 1980, with its address no. 60. [13] [7]

Wakefield Hotel, Adelaide, c.1926 Wakefield Hotel B-3276.jpg
Wakefield Hotel, Adelaide, c.1926

The cinema was situated adjacent to the Wakefield Hotel on its western side. [14] The hotel had existed on this site, on the corner of Divett Place, [15] since 1864, [16] and the stone building stands at no. 76. [17] In 1927 its licensees were M.G. Henderson and V. Kenny. It is a stone building with cream brick decoration. [16]

The first training hospital for nurses in the colony and then state, Private Hospital, Wakefield Street, occupied various sites between Daly and Hutt Street from 1883 to 1884 [18] [19] until January 2020, when the new Calvary Adelaide Hospital opened on Angas Street. [20] [21]

The Unitarian Christian Church which once stood opposite Francis Xavier's Cathedral was sold to the Public Service Association in 1971. [22] It was replaced with a government building known as the "Wakefield House", a 20-storey building in brutalist style completed in 1980. [23]

Location and description

It runs in from east to west between East Terrace and Victoria Square, and is one of the three streets (along with Grote Street and King William Street) to run through Victoria Square in the middle of the Adelaide city centre. The same three streets are also the widest streets in the city centre, at 2 chains (130 ft; 40 m) wide (refer to Adelaide city centre#Layout). The western end of Wakefield Street is continued across Victoria Square as Grote Street, which extends to West Terrace. The eastern end of Wakefield Street continues as Wakefield Road across the Adelaide Park Lands to Britannia Roundabout on the City Ring Route, Adelaide. Wakefield Road continues on the eastern side of the roundabout as Kensington Road.

Notable buildings

Buildings on Wakefield Street include (more or less west to east):

Junction list

Locationkm [1] miDestinationsNotes
Adelaide city centre 00.0 Victoria Square, King William Street Continues as Grote Street
0.20.12 Gawler Place
0.550.34 Pulteney Street
0.750.47 Frome Street
1.10.68 Hutt Street
1.20.75 East Terrace
1.000 mi = 1.609 km; 1.000 km = 0.621 mi

See also

Australia road sign W5-29.svg Australian roadsportal

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Square, Adelaide</span> Public square in the centre of Adelaide, South Australia

Victoria Square, also known as Tarntanyangga, is the central square of five public squares in the Adelaide city centre, South Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rundle Mall</span> Pedestrianised shopping precinct in Adelaide, South Australia

Rundle Mall is a pedestrian street mall located in Adelaide, South Australia. It was opened as a pedestrian mall in September 1976 by closing the section of Rundle Street between King William Street and Pulteney Street, to vehicular traffic. The street continues as Rundle Street to the east and Hindley Street to the west.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Terrace, Adelaide</span> Street in Adelaide, South Australia

North Terrace is one of the four terraces that bound the central business and residential district of Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It runs east–west along the northern edge of "the square mile". The western end continues on to Port Road and the eastern end continues across the Adelaide Parklands as Botanic Road.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norwood, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Norwood is a suburb of Adelaide, about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of the Adelaide city centre. The suburb is in the City of Norwood Payneham & St Peters, whose predecessor was the oldest South Australian local government municipality.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King William Street, Adelaide</span> Street in Adelaide, South Australia

King William Street is the part of a major arterial road that traverses the CBD and centre of Adelaide, continuing as King William Road to the north of North Terrace and south of Greenhill Road; between South Terrace and Greenhill Road it is called Peacock Road. At approximately 40 metres (130 ft) wide, King William Street is the widest main street of all the Australian State capital cities. Named after King William IV in 1837, it is historically considered one of Adelaide's high streets, for its focal point of businesses, shops and other prominent establishments. The Glenelg tram line runs along the middle of the street through the city centre.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodville, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Woodville is a suburb of Adelaide, situated about 8 km (5 mi) north-west of the Adelaide city centre. It lies within the City of Charles Sturt. The postcode of Woodville is 5011. Woodville is bound by Cheltenham Parade to the west, Torrens Road to the north, Port Road to the south and Park Street to the east, excluding the area of Cheltenham Park Racecourse. The population was 2,180 at the 2021 Australian census.

Australian non-residential architectural styles are a set of Australian architectural styles that apply to buildings used for purposes other than residence and have been around only since the first colonial government buildings of early European settlement of Australia in 1788.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adelaide city centre</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Adelaide city centre is the inner city locality of Greater Adelaide, the capital city of South Australia. It is known by locals simply as "the City" or "Town" to distinguish it from Greater Adelaide and from the City of Adelaide local government area. The population was 15,115 in the 2016 census.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pulteney Street</span> Street in Adelaide, South Australia

Pulteney Street is a main road which runs north-south through the middle of the eastern half of the Adelaide city centre, in Adelaide, South Australia. It runs north-south from North Terrace, through Hindmarsh and Hurtle Squares, to South Terrace, where it becomes Unley Road. It is the only one of the city centre's major north-south thoroughfares that does not continue northwards over North Terrace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindmarsh, South Australia</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

Hindmarsh is an inner suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. It is located in the City of Charles Sturt.

Calvary Hospital North Adelaide is a private, not-for-profit Catholic hospital in North Adelaide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hindley Street</span> Street in Adelaide

Hindley Street is located in the north-west quarter of the centre of Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. It runs between King William Street and West Terrace. The street was named after Charles Hindley, a British parliamentarian and social reformist.

The Calvary Wakefield Hospital, formerly Private Hospital, Wakefield Street (PHWS) and variants, Wakefield Street Private Hospital, Wakefield Memorial Hospital and Wakefield Hospital, referred to informally as "the Wakefield", was a private hospital founded in 1883 or 1884 on Wakefield Street in Adelaide, South Australia. In 1935, the hospital occupied new, purpose-built premises on the corner of Wakefield and Hutt Streets. In 2006 it was acquired by Little Company of Mary Health Care Ltd., known as Calvary Health Care, a Roman Catholic not-for-profit organisation. In 2020 it was vacated, being replaced by a newly constructed facility, the Calvary Adelaide Hospital. The hospital provided acute care with inpatient and outpatient facilities, orthopaedic, and neurosurgical services to patients. It specialised in cardiac care, and was the only private 24/7 accident and emergency unit in the city. It employed 600 staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hutt Street</span> Street in Adelaide, South Australia

Hutt Street is the easternmost of the five major north–south roads running through the City of Adelaide. It runs from Pirie Street to South Terrace, from where it continues south as Hutt Road. Flanked by leafy side streets with many late 19th-century dwellings, it is home to a wide range of restaurants, two pubs, shops, offices and professional and medical suites.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grenfell Street</span> Street running east-west across Adelaide city centre

Grenfell Street is a major street in the north-east quarter of the Adelaide city centre, South Australia. The street runs west-east from King William Street to East Terrace. Its intersection with Pulteney Street is formed by Hindmarsh Square. On the west side of King William Street, it continues as Currie Street towards West Terrace.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grote Street</span> Street in Adelaide, South Australia

Grote Street is a major street running east to west in the western half of Adelaide city centre, South Australia. It is on the northern border of Chinatown and the Adelaide Central Market, and is a lively centre for shopping and restaurants. The historic Her Majesty's Theatre is located here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Adelaide</span> Suburb of Adelaide, South Australia

North Adelaide is a predominantly residential precinct and suburb of the City of Adelaide in South Australia, situated north of the River Torrens and within the Adelaide Park Lands. Laid out in a grid plan in three sections by Colonel William Light in 1837, the suburb contains many grand old mansions.

Christopher Arthur Smith, also known as Chris Smith and Chris A. Smith, was a South Australian architect. He was a prolific designer of picture theatres and public buildings in Adelaide and regional South Australia during the 1920s and 1930s, and is recognised as one of the leading South Australian exponents of the Art Deco style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dan Clifford (theatre entrepreneur)</span> South Australian cinema entrepreneur

Dan Clifford was a well-known cinema entrepreneur and philanthropist in South Australia. He was also a keen promoter of the cinema industry, and owned 20 cinemas across the state at the time of his death, including several in Art Deco style, such as the Piccadilly Theatre and the Goodwood Star.

References

  1. 1 2 Google (1 June 2022). "Wakefield Street" (Map). Google Maps . Google. Retrieved 1 June 2022.
  2. ↑ "Nomenclature of the Streets of Adelaide and North Adelaide" (PDF). State Library of South Australia . Retrieved 29 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "Women's Christian Temperance Union". Adelaidia. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  4. ↑ "Wakefield Street, Adelaide [B 6904]: Photograph". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  5. ↑ "Wakefield Street, Adelaide [B 7386]: Photograph". State Library of South Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2019.
  6. ↑ "Personal". The Mail (Adelaide) . Vol. 5, no. 239. South Australia. 16 December 1916. p. 6. Retrieved 30 December 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  7. 1 2 3 "Central / Star / Pantheon, Adelaide". Cinema and Audience Research Project (CAARP). Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  8. ↑ "Star Programmes". The Advertiser (Adelaide) . South Australia. 30 May 1938. p. 16. Retrieved 15 December 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  9. ↑ "Star Programmes". The Advertiser (Adelaide) . South Australia. 11 July 1938. p. 20. Retrieved 15 December 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  10. ↑ "Star Programmes". The Advertiser (Adelaide) . South Australia. 18 July 1938. p. 23. Retrieved 15 December 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  11. ↑ "Advent of a New Star in Adelaide". West Coast Recorder . Vol. 32, no. 2105. South Australia. 19 May 1938. p. 4. Retrieved 13 December 2022– via National Library of Australia.
  12. ↑ "Wakefield Street, Adelaide" (photo + text). State Library of South Australia . Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  13. ↑ Pallisco, Marc (4 November 2020). "Charter Hall pays $51m for neighbouring Adelaide offices". Savills. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  14. ↑ "Wakefield Street, Adelaide" (photo + text). State Library of South Australia . Retrieved 13 December 2022.
  15. ↑ "Wakefield Street [B 3276]" (photo + text). State Library of South Australia . 9 February 1926. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  16. 1 2 "Wakefield Street [B 4165]" (photo + text). State Library of South Australia . 1927. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  17. 1 2 "Home". Wakefield Hotel. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
  18. ↑ Nursing in South Australia: First Hundred Years 1837-1937. Adelaide: South Australian Trained Nurses’ Centenary Committee. February 1938.
  19. ↑ Lyon (May 1977). "Short history of PHWS (Private Hospital, Wakefield Street) First= E. E.". The Australasian Nurses Journal. 6 (10): 18. ISSN   0301-018X.
  20. ↑ Starick, Paul (28 May 2016). "Mega private hospital works to create 500 jobs". adelaidenow (Sunday Mail). Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  21. ↑ "About and Executive team at Calvary Adelaide Hospital". Calvary Adelaide Hospital. 29 March 2021. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
  22. ↑ State Library of South Australia. Unitarian Church of South Australia (PDF). SRG 122 Series List. Retrieved 17 June 2020.
  23. ↑ "Wakefield House". Emporis. Archived from the original on 17 June 2020. Retrieved 17 June 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.