The Rundle Mall Fountain

The fountain has had many homes since it was first cast in the late 1880s and currently resides adjacent to the entrance of Adelaide Arcade.

Two fountains, one of which now resides in Rundle Mall, once sat outside the Jubilee Exhibition building on North Terrace and were constructed in the late Victorian era, with both being prime examples of the domestic fountains of the time.

In 1908, the two fountains were handed over to the Adelaide City Council by the South Australian Government. One was to be relocated to a North Adelaide address and the other in South Adelaide, and since their first relocation, both fountains have been re-homed.

These days, the larger of the two fountains is situated in Creswell Gardens adjacent to Adelaide Oval and the smaller fountain in Rundle Mall —though has moved positions in the Mall a number of times— finding its current home adjacent to the entrance of Adelaide Arcade.

The fountain is often undergoing updates to its base, and has also been painstakingly repainted in colours of the Victorian era.

In 1976, then-Premier Don Dunstan famously filled the fountain with champagne donated by Hardy’s to celebrate the opening of Rundle Mall.

Today, the fountain is a popular photo moment for Rundle Mall shoppers, or just a spot to sit and watch the world go by.