Rundle Mall Source Sheet No. 16
The heart of Adelaide’s retailing activity, Rundle Street (as it was before 1976) was delineated by Colonel Light on his original plan of the City in 1837. It was named by the Street Naming Committee on 23 May 1837, after John Rundle (1791-1864) a Member of the House of Commons and an original director of the South Australian Company, which had been formed in London in 1834 to promote settlement of the new colony. For many years Rundle Street was a conventional two-way street, along which public and private transport traveled. During the postwar period, however, the increasing concentration of major retailing outlets in the street, and extreme congestion of motor and pedestrian traffic on the roadway and footpaths, led to calls by planners, politicians and the public for Rundle Street to be converted to a pedestrian mall. It was not until Premier Don Dunstan initiated action in November 1972, that this proposal was realised, culminating in the opening of Rundle Mall by the Premier on 1 September 1976. An upgrade of the Mall was commenced by the City Council in 1995, including a complete repaving of its surface, installation of new signage, seating and other cosmetic improvements, and construction of a canopy at the intersection of Gawler Place.
Archival Sources
Record Description / Date Range / Accession Number(s)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 317 A-E ‘One-Way Traffic Rundle, Hindley Streets’ / 1950 -1965 / 352
Town Clerk’s Special File 317 ‘Rundle Street Pedestrian Mall’ / 1970 -1976 / 352
City Engineer’s Dockets / c1902 -1979 / 2354, 3080,
4612
City Engineer’s Documented Index / 1902-1970
City Engineer’s File 45/65 ‘Improved Pavements- Rundle St and Proposed One-Way’ / c1965 / 3726
Smith Survey Sheets / 1880 / 1619
City Treasurer’s Assessment Books / 1847 - / 5235, 5236
Building Plans Register / 1924-1981 / 1170
Building Application Plans / 1924 - / 2482
Town Clerk’s Department Newspaper Clippings - General / 1898 -1971 / 283
Town Clerk’s Department Newspaper Clippings - Traffic / 1928 -1972 / 288
Newspaper Clippings (Lord Mayor’s Office) ‘Rundle Street Mall’ / 1972 -1975 / 40/2
City Engineer’s Department Photo Album ‘Rundle Street’ / 1965 / 3261/15
Photos of Rundle Street and Rundle Mall / 1960s,1970s / 3554/103
Display Photos re Rundle Mall (includes construction and official opening) / c1976 / 4758
Archives Display Photos (1992) re Rundle Street / c1860 -1976 / 5446
Rundle Mall Design and Implementation Report / 1977
Newspaper Cuttings re Rundle Mall / 1969 - 1982 / 2600/21-28
Plans of Acres Books / c1875 / 465
Rundle Mall Opening – Photographs / 1976 / 5641/85
Rundle Mall Advertising: Opening – Newspaper Clippings / 1976 / 1147/2
Commercial Department Photographs / c1960s / 3554
Historical Pictorial Collection / 1850 - 1970 / S59,1461
3016,5531
Town Clerk’s Lantern Slides Collection / 1860-1940 / 4351
A Brief Source Guide for Research of Buildings and Sites in the City of Adelaide (ACC Heritage Services, 1995) / 1999 / 5800
Further sources
Information on heritage listed buildings in Rundle Mall is contained in the book by Susan Marsden, Paul Stark and Patricia Sumerling (eds.), Heritage of the City of Adelaide. AnIllustratedGuide (Corporation of the City of Adelaide, 1990). See also Mayors’ Reports which, from 1901, became Annual Reports of the Council the annual Council Digests of Proceedings.
Further Information
City Archives: Topham Mall, off Currie and Waymouth Streets, Adelaide 5000
Telephone: 8203 7439 Fax: 8203 7336 Email: