Remnants of Adelaide’s first Exhibition Building have been unearthed as development continues at Lot Fourteen.

This purpose-built pavilion, designed by Colonial Architect Edward Angus Hamilton and constructed in 1859 ready for the Australian Agricultural and Horticultural Show, was located near Frome Road, Adelaide Botanic Garden and behind the Adelaide Hospital.

The excavation team, contracted by Renewal SA, uncovered footings and walls from the building which were then documented and recorded by a heritage architect.

During the documentation, fragments of pottery, metal work and a spent shot gun cartridge were also found and removed, in line with heritage protocols and under the permit issued via section 27 of the Heritage Places Act 1993.

The original two-storey Exhibition Building was one of the first structures on site and cost $2,000 pounds to build. It supported wide verandas on two sides and three front entrances, and a rotunda stood at the rear in the surrounding grounds.

The building was surpassed by the Jubilee Exhibition Building which opened in 1887 and was demolished in 1962, to make way for what is now the University of Adelaide’s Napier Building.

Lot Fourteen public realm works are underway, finalising the internal road layout, formalising vehicle and pedestrian routes, extending streetscapes from Frome Road with tree plantings and garden beds and the installation of stormwater and other services. These works are expected to be completed by March 2026.

Lot Fourteen has a strong development pipeline with construction of the flagship Innovation Centre, at the heart of the seven-hectare site, scheduled to commence in early 2026.