Down to Earth Tours

23/01/2024

Hosted our Cultural Caper walking tour this morning along Adelaide's premier North Terrace, an area which lends itself to bringing history alive. A hot summer's day here in Adelaide with forecast to be 41 degrees C.

Our tours which are hosted on the hotter days allow for a degree of flexibility in that we might start the tour an hour earlier than usual (started at 9 am this morning) so as to avoid as much as possible the higher temperatures.

Also North Terrace luckily has a lot of shady spots which bring the temperatures down substantially as we amble along talking about history, culture and some of the wonderful jewels of architecture along the route.

On this particular tour, we also take the advantage of visiting the wonderful Mortlock wing within the State Library of SA, a welcome relief from the heat. The Mortlock library dates back to 1884 and is believed to be the best example of a Victoriana style library in Australia, as well as being voted as one of the top 20 beautiful libraries in the world.

The Melbourne visitor I hosted had booked the tour, following a strong recommendation from a friend of hers who had also travelled to Adelaide and booked on two of my tours previously. Word of mouth goes a long way in the tourism business.

Upcoming Cultural Caper tours:

Australia Day - Friday 26th January 10 am.

To view our range of tours as well as book:

https://www.down-to-earth-tours.com

Recent Reviews:

"Excellent guide with a thoughtful presentation" Julie, Minnesota US
"Loved it - learnt the history and found extra places to visit after the tour - I would recommend to everyone" - Joanne Brisbane Qld

07/10/2023

This beautiful old house is at risk of being demolished to make way for so called development. We have lost too many of these types of infrastructure already. This building and many others like it are what makes Adelaide and South Australia so unique.

Let's do all we can to save it!

Save 7-9 Palmyra Avenue, Torrensville - A Local Heritage Gem From Demolition

28/08/2023

If you have been a bit curious as to venturing beyond the gates of Government House in Adelaide, opportunities have arisen for another around of Lunch on the Lawns commencing this coming Friday 1st September and then the first Friday in each month up to and including May 2024.

Check out my latest Weekend Notes article with all of the details.

https://www.weekendnotes.com/lunch-on-the-lawns-at-government-house-adelaide/

21/07/2023

Great illuminations on the facade of Government House in Adelaide entitled "Into the Light" showcasing South Australia's most innovative and inspiring women of the past, present and future.

Photo: Down to Earth Tours

04/06/2023

If you wander down to the East End of Adelaide's CBD, you will find the facades of the historic former East End Markets, which are striking with their imposing architecture.

The original idea of having a fresh produce market in Adelaide stems from Colonel William Light's 1837 plan of the city, in which land was allocated at the western end of Franklin Street. However it was decided this location was too far from the city's early commercial areas.

A cattle market was established near the former Newmarket Hotel on the corner of North Terrace and West Terrace around 1847 and a small produce market was also located for some time near the corner of Gawler Place and Rundle Street (now Rundle Mall).

In the 1860's Robert Vaughan established the original East End market, located on East Terrace between North Terrace and Rundle Street. Vaughan himself owned a number of city buildings including the nearby Botanic Hotel.

The markets here became the focus for the East End of the city and other industries were established around this area, including pubs, taxidermists, umbrella makers, midwifery, letter carrying and a tannery - in fact around 294 different occupations, making this area between North Terrace and Grenfell Street a highly industrial one.

Not long after these markets were initiated, they soon become overcrowded with traders compared to the size of land allocated. It made sense that the East End was the ideal area for markets, as much of the fresh produce came from both the Eastern side of Adelaide (market gardens) as well as from the Adelaide Hills.

A small group of traders did not like the rules and regulations of these original markets, as well as the fact that it was overcrowded and unhygienic in some respects.

They then broke away and started up new markets between Grote Street and Gouger Street in 1869, which became known as our iconic Central Market today.

By the 1890's competition for stalls in the East End market was so great that trading spilled out into the street. Around 1900, an East End owner of a Fruit, Potato and Grocery Store purchased nearby land and established a new independent market, which became known as the Adelaide Fruit & Produce Exchange, which was operating by 1904.

The magnificent facades of the old East End Markets were designed by SA Architect, Henry J Cowell, who used significant ornamentation in his design, including cornucopias and elaborate gabled canopies.

Sadly the East End markets finally closed at this location in 1988 and moved out to Pooraka, where it still operates today. However we still have the incredible Central Market, which is believed to be the biggest undercover market in the Southern Hemisphere, offering us an opportunity to try all varieties of foods, of local sourcing.

Even though within the confines of the original East End markets you will find residential units, bars, cafes and other business houses, it is great that the old facades have been kept bordering East Terrace, Grenfell Street, Rundle Street and Union Street in Adelaide's CBD.

Tour Bookings: https://www.down-to-earth-tours.com

Photos: Down to Earth Tours & State Library of South Australia

23/04/2023

Autumn - one of the season's of change and with it brings a hue of colour to our world! This time of year is ideal for exploring parts of Adelaide and South Australia and capture as well as be a part of Autumn.

The ideal Autumn days are sunny, blue skies with cooler nights for sleeping, with an amazing kaleidoscope of reds, oranges and yellows transforming our landscape.

Many of our walking tours traverse areas that highlight the colours of Autumn, both in the city of Adelaide as well as historic North Adelaide.

During the upcoming SA History Festival which runs from 1 May to 31 May, we will be highlighting two of our tours as part of that program.

One will be our Around the Square tour, which focuses on Victoria Square in Adelaide's CBD and spots are available for both Friday 5th May at 10 am, as well as Friday 19th May, also at 10 am. Victoria Square or Tarntanyangga (meaning "Dreaming Place of the Red Kangaroo") in Kaurna language was always planned to be at the very heart/centre of the city with a high proportion of government buildings facing the square.

The other tour will be our Hills, Squares & Parklands tour, which concentrates on the southern fringe of North Adelaide, giving you a chance to view some magnificent historic mansions and homes, and at the same time, learning more about the people who lived behind their walls and their stories. This tour will be offered on both Saturday 13th May at 10 am, as well as Saturday 27th May, also at 10 am.

Hope to see you out and about during the SA History Festival.

Photos: Down to Earth Tours - Autumn in Wellington Square, Autumn Leaves, Hahndorf tree colours, Ceiling of Adelaide Town Hall, Bishop's Court, North Adelaide.

Tour Bookings: https://www.down-to-earth-tours.com

07/04/2023

As we pause to enjoy the Easter long weekend, it makes you stop and think about some of the impressive churches and cathedrals we have in South Australia.

One of the finest would have to be St Peter's Cathedral up at North Adelaide overlooking the grounds of Adelaide Oval and beyond to the city skyline.

Did you know that the cathedral was originally planned to be built in Victoria Square in the heart of Adelaide's CBD? If you look at Colonel William Light's original layout of Adelaide in 1837, there was a cross included in the middle of the square. In fact a parcel of land had been allocated to the Anglicans ready to built their imposing cathedral surrounded by the square.

The story goes that the Adelaide City Council by the early 1840's had a different vision for the square and did not believe the Anglican cathedral should be built in that location. In fact the council took the Anglicans to court over it and unfortunately for the church hierarchy at the time, they lost the case and the land deal fell through.

Eventually another parcel of land was bought up the hill in North Adelaide, St Peter's Cathedral's current location (in 1862).

In December 1847 Bishop Augustus Short migrated to South Australia and brought with him 1,000 pounds and plans to build a gothic-style Anglican cathedral.

The cathedral was built in stages from 1869 until the early twentieth century.

What is now the rear of the cathedral is the original 1860's build and the iconic twin spires viewed from the city were finally completed in the first decade of the 1900's.

Happy Easter everyone!

Tour Bookings: https://www.down-to-earth-tours.com



Sources: St Peter's Cathedral

Photos: Down to Earth Tours and State Library of South Australia c 1902

02/04/2023

One of the outstanding examples of re-juvenation of heritage buildings around Adelaide is the magnificent and majestic Mayfair Hotel on the corner of King William Street and Hindley Street.

This complex started it's life as CML (Colonial Mutual Life) Assurance Society Ltd and was originally built in two stages, the first facing King William Street completed in 1934 and the second facing Hindley Street in 1936.

The original architects were a father and son team originally from Ireland, Jack Hennessy Snr and Jack Hennessy Jnr, who built in what was classified at the time as a Romanesque style.

It was one of the earliest buildings around at that time to use Benedict stone (artificial stone) from Queensland, and featured parapeted facades and projecting gargoyles and flagpoles.

Amazing to think the main structure was built within 9 months, considering its construction during the Great Depression of the 1930's.

CML at the time were undertaking massive construction projects around the world, across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

After major renovation work, the complex was re-opened as the Mayfair Hotel in January 2015 with the Hennessy Roof top bar launched in December of that year (named after the original architects).

Entering the Mayfair today, you will discover some of the original features of the old 1930's building, which indicates how ornate and well structured it really was.

Its great that you can either stay at the hotel, or go in and catch up with friends and family for cocktails, coffee or a meal.

The location is prime, as it is directly opposite Rundle Mall, our major shopping precinct.

Photos: Down to Earth Tours and State Library of South Australia B6622 c 1935

Tour Bookings: https://www.down-to-earth-tours.com

03/11/2022

It's not everyday you get to indulge in a picnic lunch and even more so within the grounds of Government House in Adelaide. Check out my latest Weekend Notes article about that opportunity.

It is not often the opportunity arises when you can enjoy your own picnic lunch on the lawns of historic Government House in Adelaide, with this occurring for a 6 month period on the first Friday of each month except for April 2023 from 12 pm until 2 pm, commencing on Friday 4th November.

22/08/2022

If you like the idea of getting up front and personal with giraffes as well as other animals then you can't go past a booked experience at Monarto Safari Park. Also a great way to learn more about them and the importance of their conservation. Check out my latest Weekend Notes article.

https://www.weekendnotes.com/giraffe-safari-monarto-safari-park/

Booking for our tours: https://www.down-to-earth-tours.com

Tours for the soul

26/07/2022

If you like historic museums, found an interesting one recently relating to South Australian Police.

Check out my latest article published recently.

https://www.weekendnotes.com/south-australian-police-historical-society-museum/

The SA Police Historical Society Museum reveals much about the history of our police force via interpretive displays covering technology, vehicles, forensics, uniforms, and police branches.