General Post Office, Adelaide

General Post Office
Adelaide
View from Victoria Square / Tarntanyangga, c. 1885
Map
General information
Architectural styleNeoclassical
LocationAdelaide, South Australia, Australia
Coordinates34°55′33.96″S 138°36′0.66″E / 34.9261000°S 138.6001833°E / -34.9261000; 138.6001833
Construction started1867
Completed1872
Closed11 October 2019
Design and construction
Architect(s)Edmund Wright and Edward Woods

The General Post Office is a colonial-era building situated on 141 King William Street on the north-west corner of King William Street and Victoria Square. It is the former General Post Office for South Australia. Postal services operated from the building between 6 May 1872 and 11 October 2019.

A 14-story hotel was built behind the historic structure, starting in 2021. It opened as the Adelaide Marriott Hotel in 2024.

History

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General Post Office

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The original building was constructed in the period 1867–1872, and was the most expensive building constructed to that time by the colonial government in South Australia.[1] It was constructed from Glen Osmond and Glen Ewin stone, and ornamented with Bath limestone.[1]

A competition was held in March 1866 for the design of the building, with the winning design submitted by Edmund Wright in collaboration with Edward Hamilton. They were at the time in practice with Edward John Woods,[2] and Robert G. Thomas may have had a hand in the design.[1]

Prince Alfred, The Duke of Edinburgh, was involved in laying the foundation stone,[1] who also officially named the clock tower Victoria Tower on 1 November 1867.[3] The capstone was put in place at a ceremony on 25 May 1870. The height of the tower was put at 154 feet (46.9 m), a little taller than the Albert Tower of the Town Hall on the other side of King William Street.[4] The original plans had the tower somewhat taller, but R. G. Thomas was obliged to redesign it, as a cost-saving measure.[5]

The building was extended in 1891-92.[6]

There was also an office tower addition to the original post office in the 1920s.[7]

Hotel

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On 14 October 2019, Adelaide's GPO was relocated to the adjacent GPO Exchange tower at 10 Franklin Street. Plans were announced for the original building to have with a Westin hotel built atop it.[8]

In April 2021, South Australian premier Steven Marshall attended a sod-turning ceremony, to mark the beginning of construction on the hotel. The hotel was estimated to cost A$200, with property developer Greaton handling the construction.[9] Designed by local architects Baukultur,[10] the tower, on the site of the 1920s addition, will retain the entire original GPO building, with some sections incorporated into the new hotel. Upgrades to the structure as well as additional seismic retrofit have been added, to ensure the structural integrity of both the old and new buildings.[7] The topping out ceremony took place in October 2023, and included an Aboriginal smoking ceremony by traditional owner representatives Kuma Kaaru.[10]

The 285-room, 14-story hotel opened as the Adelaide Marriott Hotel[11][12] on 22 August 2024.[13]

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  • 1872. Looking north from Victoria Sq
    1872. Looking north from Victoria Sq
  • 1950. Looking NE from Victoria Sq with the GPO and Treasury buildings in the foreground
    1950. Looking NE from Victoria Sq with the GPO and Treasury buildings in the foreground
  • 2012. Looking north from the centre of Victoria Sq
    2012. Looking north from the centre of Victoria Sq
  • 2014. Looking north from Victoria Sq
    2014. Looking north from Victoria Sq
  • Main entrance detail
    Main entrance detail

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Place Details: Adelaide General Post Office, 141 King William St, Adelaide, SA, Australia". Australian Heritage Database. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  2. ^ Sullivan, Christine (2008). "Architect Personal Details: Wright, Edmund William". Architects of South Australia. University of South Australia. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
  3. ^ "The Victoria Tower". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XXV, no. 1361. South Australia. 2 November 1867. p. 4 (Supplement to the Adelaide Observer.). Retrieved 27 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  4. ^ "The New Post-Office Tower". Evening Journal (Adelaide). Vol. II, no. 423. South Australia. 26 May 1870. p. 3. Retrieved 27 December 2016 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "The Late Mr. R. G. Thomas". Adelaide Observer. Vol. XL, no. 2168. South Australia. 21 April 1883. p. 34. Retrieved 4 January 2017 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ "Building Details: General Post Office". Architects of South Australia. University of South Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  7. ^ a b Duggan, Lyndall (18 April 2023). "GPO Hotel Progress Update – RCP Australia". RCP Australia. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  8. ^ Villani, Celeste (10 October 2019). "147 years of history farewelled as CBD GPO moves out of King William St home and into neighbouring tower". Messenger Newspapers. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
  9. ^ Lennon, Matt (28 April 2021). "Marriott named to manage new Adelaide GPO hotel". Hotel Management. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  10. ^ a b Grogan, Ashley (12 October 2023). "GPO Hotel Marriott project in Adelaide tops out". Inside Construction. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  11. ^ "Adelaide Marriott Hotel to open in 2024". Karryon. 13 December 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  12. ^ "Marriott targets mid-2024 opening for its Adelaide debut". Business News Australia. 11 December 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2024.
  13. ^ "Marriott International's 600th Property in APAC Opens in Adelaide".
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