Rundle Street Mall

With over seven hundred retail stores within this pedestrian-only space, the Rundle Street Mall has become the center piece for Adelaide’s Central Business District (CBD). Created in 1976, this is some of the most expensive real estate in Southern Australia (at approximately $3700 per square foot per year). Among its features are a number of arcades (including the Italianate Adelaide Arcade which boasts having had the first electric lights within a building in the CBD, as well as being home to six ghosts), plazas, and a number of large South Australian flagship stores. Rundle Street itself was named after John Rundle, a member of the British House of Commons and the original director of the “South Australia Company”, ( formed in London in 1835 to develop the new South Australian settlement). In 1895, the first electric lights were installed at the corner of Rundle and King William streets. While the mall includes many modern sculptures by local artists, perhaps the best known is the twelve foot tall “The Spheres” by Bert Flugleman, two large stainless steel spheres (a little over six feet wide), balanced one on top of the other. Coming in a close second are a group of life size bronze pigs (named Horatio, Truffles, Augusta, and Oliver). On the same corner of the mall where the first electric lights were installed, is the Historic “BeeHive Corner”, built in the mid-1800’s and named to denote a busy trading center. Now the home of Haigh’s Chocolates, this building was once owned by John Rundle. We obviously don’t do much shopping because of the way we travel, but still, this was a fun area to explore.

Rundle Street pedestrian mall as viewed from an external elevator. This portion of Rundle Street was closed off to vehicular traffic in 1976 to create a pedestrian-only shopping district.

Known as the “Beehive Corner” (at the junction of Rundle and King William streets), this is the north-eastern entrance to the mall. The Haigh’s Chocolate building was once owned by John Rundle. The first electric lights in the CBD were installed at this corner in 1895.

The building was given this name to denote it being a busy trading center.

Among the many sculptures decorating the mall, “The Spheres” by Bert Flugelman are reportedly the best known...

...however, coming in a close second are the bronze pigs named Horatio, Truffles, Augusta, and Oliver.

The Adelaide Arcade is one of several malls within the Mall. Designed in the “Italianate” style, it claims to have been the first building in the CBD to have had electric lights installed...

...as well as being home to six ghosts (we did not see any, however).

As with any big city, especially during holidays, street performers could be seen everywhere.

Of course, at this time of year, the stores are all decorated for Christmas.