When Rundle Mall and Rundle Street were the same thing?
Before then-Premier Don Dunstan first announced the closure of Rundle Street between King William Street and Pulteney Street in early 1970s, you could drive all the way along Rundle Street from East Terrace to King William Road.
The street had become so congested with traffic and pedestrians, the government decided to stop the traffic between King William and Pulteney Street and instead turn it into a pedestrian only thoroughfare named Rundle Mall.
A congested Rundle Street, with bumper-to-bumper traffic and thousands of pedestrians.
Do you know who designed Rundle Mall?
In the 1970s, Architect Ian Hannaford was tasked with designing Rundle Mall. His team travelled to Canada, Scotland and Europe looking for inspiration which they could bring back home.
Cobbled bricks, shady trees and comfortable seats were included within the design for the benefit of the future Mall-goers.
It was all designed so people would psychologically feel that they were being looked after, it was human-scale and they liked being there — that was the secret.
Laying down the new pavement in Rundle Mall.
When Rundle Mall officially opened?
On 1 September 1976, Rundle Mall was officially opened to the public for the very first time by Don Dunstan. Champagne flowed through the iconic fountain and 10,000 people packed the footpath while the SA Police Marching Band played "The Night they Invented Champagne".
When the Rundle Mall fountain was at the intersection of Rundle Mall and Gawler Place?
The fountain, given to City of Adelaide in 1908 lived at the intersection of Rundle Mall and Gawler Place for nearly twenty years before moving to its new home outside Adelaide Arcade in 1995.
When Boy George and Culture Club visited Rundle Mall?
On 5 July 1984, pop sensation Boy George and his group Culture Club created absolute mayhem in the city centre as 25,000 fans —many of whom were school girls skipping school— packed Rundle Mall to catch a glimpse of the star.
Positioned atop the now-demolished Richmond Hotel overpass, fans were treated to more than just a quick wave, as Boy George decided to perform 2 songs, one of which being 'Karma Chameleon', which went on to clean up at awards season later in the year.
Dazzleland?
Dazzleland was a huge, two-storey indoor theme park which lived in the top levels of the Myer Centre.
From its opening in 1991 to the time it closed in 1998, Dazzleland was extremely popular with children, teenagers and adults and many South Australians have fond memories of taking a ride on the signature attraction 'Jazz Junction', a figure 8 roller coaster with an overhead track that sat 5 storeys high.
Dazzleland also featured a carousel, dodgem cars, a big lego expo, a giant playground, musical fountain and train amongst many smaller arcade games and rooms.
Dazzeland's Jazz Junction roller coaster.
Set of bronze sculptured pigs first called Rundle Mall home?
On 3 July 1999, Rundle Mall welcomed four new residents —Horatio, Oliver, Truffles and Augusta.
The art installation officially known as 'A Day Out' are made completely from bronze by artist Marguerite Derricourt.
Derricourt was the winner of a national sculpture competition instigated by the City of Adelaide in the final stages of Rundle Mall's late 1990s upgrades.
The Richmond overpass & escalators?
Up until 2000, outdoor escalators that ran parallel with the Mall transported people on and off the Richmond overpass — a bridge which connected Hotel Richmond and the Renaissance building.
During its time in the Mall, the overpass acted as a stage for both Boy George and his group Culture Club in 1984 as well as Shania Twain in 1998.
The Rundle Mall escalators and overpass, linking Hotel Richmond and the Renaissance Building.
