Currie Street#History

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File:Currie Street, Adelaide, 1925.jpg

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The street was named after British MP Raikes Currie (1801–1881), a founder of the South Australian Company and treasurer of the South Australian Church Society. The street was named after Currie by the Street Naming Committee in 1837.Nicholas, Jeff (2016): Behind the streets of Adelaide, Vol. 2. From Rundle to Morphett. Torrens Press. {{isbn|9780994533005}}

English benefactor William Augustine Leigh (1802–1873),{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |first=Margaret M. |last=Press|title=Leigh, William Augustine (1802–1873)|id2=leigh-william-augustine-13042/text23583|others=Published first in hardcopy 2005|access-date=25 July 2019}} who bought many parcels of land in South Australia through his agent Sir John Morphett, bought two town acres{{cite web|url=https://data.sa.gov.au/data/dataset/historic-photos-of-adelaide/resource/4bf498ca-b63f-4ccf-acfe-916055a1c094|website=South Australian Government. Data SA|title=Town Acre Reference Map - Map of the City of Adelaide|access-date=25 July 2019}} between Currie and Hindley Streets. Hence the naming of Leigh Street,{{cite web|website=Flickr|url=https://www.flickr.com/photos/82134796@N03/7771381376|author=denisbin|title=1854 Bible Christian Methodist Church Clarendon, Adelaide Hills South Australia|date=6 April 2012 |access-date=25 July 2019}} a now pedestrianised street between the two, and a popular dining precinct.{{cite news|publisher=InDaily|url=https://indaily.com.au/news/2013/09/25/leigh-street-to-stay-closed/|title=Leigh Street to stay closed|first=Melissa|last=Mack|date=25 September 2013|access-date=25 July 2019}}

Thomas Topham Petheridge, of Plymouth, was a land grantee of Town acre 138 on Currie Street's south side, and of Town acre 176 on Waymouth Street's north side.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57131853 |title=EARLY ADELAIDE. |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |location=South Australia |date=27 December 1913 |access-date=22 January 2020 |page=18 |via=Trove}} Topham Street, now closed, which ran between Currie and Waymouth Streets over the land granted to Petheridge, was named eponymously.{{cite book |url=https://published.collections.slsa.sa.gov.au/placenamesofsouthaustralia/Streets_of_Adelaide_and_Nth_Adelaide.pdf |title=Nomenclature of the Streets of Adelaide and North Adelaide|publisher=State Library of South Australia|access-date=22 January 2020}} The street is now the site of Topham Mall.{{cite book|author=Carol Fort|title=Keeping a Trust: South Australia's Wyatt Benevolent Institution and Its Founder|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=HVH5tLjaOe8C&pg=PA37|year=2008|publisher=Wakefield Press|isbn=978-1-86254-782-7|page=37}}

The Currie Street Model School, one of four "model schools" in the city centre, was established in 1893.{{cite web | title=Government's model and practising schools in city set the standards for South Australian teachers in early 1870s| website=AdelaideAZ | url=https://adelaideaz.com/articles/education-compulsory-part-time-to-grade-4-from-1875--model-schools-set-standards | access-date=23 December 2022}}

In July 2012, bus lanes were introduced along the full length of Currie Street.[https://web.archive.org/web/20200227202823/https://www.dpti.sa.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0010/80011/Priority_Bus_Lane_Project_-_A3_fact_sheet_-_May_2012.pdf Installation of bus priority lanes Grenfell Street, Currie Street & East Terrace] Department of Planning, Transport & Infrastructure May 2012Adelaide bus lanes Australian Bus issue 53 September 2012 page 6

The street changes its name to Glover Avenue at West Terrace. It continues west through the Adelaide Park Lands and Bakewell Underpass. Glover Avenue was opened in 1925 and was named after the previous Lord Mayor of Adelaide, Charles Richmond Glover. The Bakewell underpass opened in 2008. It replaced the Bakewell Bridge which opened with Glover Avenue in 1925. The Bakewell Bridge was named after Edward Bakewell, the chairman of the Municipal Tramways Trust.{{plainlist|

{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60640570 |title=NEW CITY FACILITIES. |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=XC |issue=26,518 |location=South Australia |date=23 December 1925 |access-date=9 February 2019 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}}

• {{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60640571 |title=THE LUNCHEON. |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=XC |issue=26,518 |location=South Australia |date=23 December 1925 |access-date=9 February 2019 |page=10 |via=National Library of Australia}} }}

The purpose of the Bakewell Bridge was to reduce motor vehicle and tram traffic congestion on limited routes between the western suburbs and the Adelaide city centre. Glover Avenue and the Bakewell Bridge replaced a level crossing and Henley Beach Road crossing the parklands on a different alignment. The bridge carried tram and motor traffic over some busy railway lines.{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article60640457 |title=MUNICIPAL EFFICIENCY. |newspaper=The Register (Adelaide) |volume=XC |issue=26,518 |location=South Australia |date=23 December 1925 |access-date=9 February 2019 |page=8 |via=National Library of Australia}} The trams were removed in the 1950s.

The bridge continued in use until it was in need of replacement. It was demolished in 2006. The bridge was replaced by the Bakewell Underpass which continued under James Congdon Drive to provide a grade-separated intersection. It opened for traffic in January 2008.{{cite web |url=http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |title=Placename Details: Bakewell Underpass |access-date=9 February 2019 |work=Property Location Browser Report |id=SA0038266 |date=6 September 2010 |publisher=Land Services, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Government of South Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012010923/http://maps.sa.gov.au/plb/ |archive-date=12 October 2016 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://www.infrastructure.sa.gov.au/completed_projects/bakewell_underpass |title=Bakewell Underpass |access-date=9 February 2019 |publisher=Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure, Government of South Australia |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190309080235/https://infrastructure.sa.gov.au/completed_projects/bakewell_underpass |archive-date=9 March 2019 |url-status=dead }}

It then changes name to Henley Beach Road as it continues through the western suburbs to the seaside, terminating at Henley Beach South.

Prior to construction of Glover Avenue in 1925, Henley Beach Road did not align to Currie Street. Glover Street veers right (north) from Currie Street. Prior to its construction, Henley Beach Road crossed the railway at a level crossing and continued as Mile End Road straight across the Adelaide Park Lands to align with Hindley Street. The tram line followed North Terrace and the first part of Port Road on the bridge over the railway, then swung south to join Henley Beach Road.{{Citation | author1=Fuller, W. G. | title=Reference map of Adelaide and suburbs | date=1920 | publisher=W. G. Fuller | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/9994532 | access-date=10 February 2019 }}

On the east side of King William Street, it changes name to Grenfell Street. A common belief for the name change that happens at King William Street with Grenfell/Currie St is that the namers believed no one should be able to cross the King's path. This applies to all streets that meet King William Street.{{Cite web|url=http://adelaidia.sa.gov.au/places/king-william-street,%20/places/king-william-street|title=King William Street {{!}} Adelaidia|last1=Adelaide|first1=King William Street|last2=Australia|first2=S. A.|website=adelaidia.sa.gov.au|access-date=2020-02-09}}{{Cite web|url=https://adelaideaz.com/articles/divide-over-names--of--adelaide-cbd--streets-descends--into-acrimonious-farce|title=AdelaideAZ|website=adelaideaz.com|access-date=2020-02-09}}

{{main|Queen's Theatre, Adelaide}}

The Queen's Theatre, on Playhouse Lane and connected to Currie Street by Gilles Arcade, is the oldest theatre in mainland Australia. Built in 1840, the façade dates from 1850. The building has had a number of uses:

• 1840–1842 Queen's Theatre & Shakespeare Tavern
• 1843–1850 Supreme Court & Temple Tavern
• 1850–1868 Royal Victoria Theatre & Theatre Tavern
• 1877–1928 Horse and Carriage Bazaar
• 1928–1988 Car park and light industry

The building is now owned by Arts South Australia. After a partial restoration in the 1990s, is now used as a performance space and function venue.{{cn|date=December 2024}}

{{also|Crown & Anchor, Adelaide}}

The Edinburgh Castle Hotel, referred to colloquially as the Ed Castle, or The Ed,{{cite web |title=Why a renovated Ed Castle closed two months after reopening |website=InDaily |date=16 February 2024 |url=https://www.indaily.com.au/news/adelaide/2024/02/16/power-problems-15-pints-and-low-foot-traffic-why-a-renovated-city-pub-closed-two-months-after-reopening |access-date=1 December 2024}} was a pub located at 233-239 Currie Street, on the corner of Currie and Gray Streets. It was opened in 1837, making it the longest trading licensed premises in Adelaide city centre, and became a popular venue for live music.{{cite web |last=Rice |first=Katelin |title=Adelaide's historic Edinburgh Castle Hotel set to be resurrected under new management |website=Glam Adelaide |date=2 November 2023 |url=https://glamadelaide.com.au/adelaides-historic-edinburgh-castle-hotel-set-to-be-resurrected-under-new-management/ |access-date=1 December 2024}}

The building was locally heritage-listed on 27 March 2013, under the following criteria:{{cite web |title=Hotel (Edinburgh Castle) |website=Experience Adelaide |date=16 September 2019 |url=https://www.experienceadelaide.com.au/heritage-places/edinburgh-castle-hotel-233-239-currie-street-adelaide/ |access-date=1 December 2024}}

• Criteria A: it displays historical, economic or social themes that are of importance to the local area
• Criteria E: it is associated with a notable local personality or event
• Criteria F: it is a notable landmark in the area

Known for its popularity as a live music venue and beer garden, the pub was forced to in September 2018, owing to construction of a new student accommodation tower block and roadworks. Tony Bond, who previously ran Gallery 139 on Magill Road, said that turnover had decreased from $1.1million over the period November 2016 to June 2017 to $760,000 over the same period the following year, and the business could not be sustained.{{cite web |last=Fanning |first=Joshua |title=The Ed Castle debacle proves politicians must step up |website=CityMag |date=27 September 2018 |url=https://citymag.indaily.com.au/commerce/business-profile/the-ed-castle-debacle-proves-politicians-must-step-up/ |access-date=1 December 2024}}

After reopening after a major renovation under new management on 15 December 2023, and live music resumed at the venue on 2 February 2024. However, the business once again closed on 12 February 2024.

In March 2025 it was announced that the Crown & Anchor would be temporarily relocated from its location in Grenfell Street to the Ed Castle from July 2025 for two years, to allow construction to take place on the adjoining site in Grenfell Street. The Crown & Anchor team and music programme would go with the move.{{cite web | title=The Crown & Anchor's temporary home revealed |first= David |last=Simmons| website=InDaily | date=6 March 2025 | url=https://www.indailysa.com.au/citymag/culture/2025/03/06/the-crown-anchors-temporary-home-revealed | access-date=7 March 2025}}

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Category:Streets in Adelaide