Adelaide Railway Station

An architectural competition held in 1924 saw 19 designs submitted for the Adelaide Railway Station, with Daniel Garlick and Herbert Jackman awarded the winning design. Construction cost an estimated £800,000 and, while it almost bankrupted the state during the onset of the Great Depression, it kept hundreds of construction workers in paid employment.

The station soon became the epicentre of train travel in South Australia and a thriving place to shop and socialise. People flocked to experience its giant, American-style locomotives, as well as to dine at the Overland Dining Hall (now The Guardsman), buy sweets and tobacco, get their hair cut, visit the beauty parlour, send a telegram or have their baby weighed.

Located in the heart of the Adelaide Riverbank, the Adelaide Railway Station is now one of the CBD’s busiest destinations, attracting a steady mix of commuters, city workers, tourists and event-goers. Approximately 230,000 commuters use the station every week, totalling 12 million commuters per year.

The station is a State Heritage Place and one of the finest remaining examples of neoclassical architecture in Australia.

The Adelaide Railway Station is surrounded by exciting development projects which are transforming the Adelaide Riverbank.

As an important part of this precinct, the station itself is also undergoing a revitalisation. On behalf of the State Government, Renewal SA is overseeing and managing the revitalisation of the Adelaide Railway Station, including the restoration of heritage façades and features, the upgrade of commercial tenancies and the negotiation of future leasing opportunities.

Due to be completed in 2023, these works are being designed to complement the Festival Plaza upgrade, including the creation of the impressive northern entrance known as Station Entry which opened in 2021.