July 31, 2025

Urban Exploring: The Boiler House

Exploring the Boiler House

This spot had been on our radar for several years…

It was built in the 1960s when the City of Adelaide was going through an era of growth and change.

We hoped, being over 50 years old, we’d find old-fashioned vintage control panels, buttons, levers, and fixtures.

It did not disappoint.

The Layout

Most of the space was taken up by water treatment infrastructure with a large circular V-shaped tank at its core.

Off to one side were three massive gas-powered boilers all lined up in a row. These were surrounded by numerous pipes both leaving and entering the furnaces.

At the center of the room, a large electrical switchboard containing gauges and instrumental panels displaying steam pressures, pump pressures, and water storage tank levels.

Nearby sat a large control panel containing diesel pump controls, water softener controls, filter backwashing controls, chemical dosing controls, uptime counters, dosing counters, backup fuel controls, and alarm warning lights—all from the 1960s.

The Boiler House is another piece of Adelaide‘s hidden industrial story—a wonderful time capsule from Adelaide‘s hidden history—and a hard-to-access location we were thrilled to explore.

wildstar Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Secrets, Adelaide Urbex, Boiler, Boiler House, Boiler Room, Heating, Medical Equipment, Photography, Sanitization, Steam, Sterilize, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

December 21, 2024

Urban Exploring: The Money Heist Tunnels

Australia’s first bank robbery

Australia’s first bank robbery occurred on 14 September 1828. A gang of five robbers entered a nearby drain and tunneled through to the vault of the Bank of Australia in George Street, Sydney. The robbers stole £14,000 (~$25M today) in notes and coins.

They made their way through the underground drain until they were near the vault and, over the course of several days, worked with tools to remove bricks and attack the five-foot (1.5 metre) thick vault enclosure. [See Sydney Gazette article Wednesday 17 September 1828]

Up until that day, no bank in the country had ever been robbed before, and the scale of the theft was enormous.

The Money Heist Tunnels

To circumvent any robbery similar to that of the Bank of Australia, Adelaide‘s vault rooms were designed to incorporate a unique structural element—a surrounding tunnel.

It was still conceivable that a group of robbers could tunnel their way underground and break through the walls of the vault and steal its contents.

If a tunnel had been dug to breach the vault’s fortified walls, robbers would first have to pass through the outer tunnel surrounding the vault.

Security guards would hear the sound of burrowing.

Any attempt to break through the walls would have been quickly discovered and any money heist thwarted.

If you liked this underground tunnel post, you may want to read about others we’ve discovered here.

wildstar Underground Tunnels & Drains, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Secrets, Adelaide Urbex, Bank of Australia, Bank Robbery, Bank Vault, Photography, Underground Tunnel, Underground Vault, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

May 28, 2024

Urban Exploring: The Oil Storage Bunker

We’ve been exploring Adelaide for well over 12 years now, and its hidden spaces never disappoint. For us, it’s not just about uncovering forgotten buildings or hidden tunnels; it’s about discovering the stories and secrets that lie beneath the surface.

Back in 2019, we discovered one such hidden space: an oil storage bunker.

Adelaide‘s government facilities were, and still are, built with war-time and natural disasters in mind.

This hidden underground oil storage bunker serves as critical infrastructure for storing vast quantities of diesel oil.

The bunker’s walls are built of thick concrete and reinforced ceilings, protecting it against leaks and the weight of traffic above.

During a large-scale blackout, nearby diesel-oil-powered electrical generators and diesel-oil-powered steam generators kick into gear.

In this insane world bent on trying to end fossil fuels, it’s the sanest choice.

If you liked this bunker post, you may want to read about others we’ve discovered here.

wildstar Underground Bunkers, Air-Raid Shelters & Bomb Shelters, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Secrets, Adelaide Urbex, Bunker, Fuel Bunker, Oil Storage Bunker, Photography, Underground Bunker, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

September 11, 2022

Urban Exploring: The Piccadilly Theatre

New Piccadilly Theatre Opens Tomorrow Night

The News Tue 22 Oct 1940 Advertisement Piccadilly Theatre Opening (Source: The News Newspaper)

It was Tuesday, October 22 1940 and the newspapers are displaying bright glossy full-page ads to announce the opening of Adelaide’s new vogue picture house — The Piccadilly Theatre.

Costing £26,000 (eq. $2.3M in 2022) and incorporating all the latest developments in theatre design, comfort, and presentation, the Piccadilly Theatre, was officially opened on October 23 1940 with a screening of the 1939 musical comedy ‘First Love‘.

Dan Clifford’s Star Theatre circuit

Dan Clifford built South Australia’s largest chain of picture theatres: the Stars.

Clifford started by buying the Torrensville Star theatre. He improved and enlarged Hindmarsh Council town hall as the Hindmarsh Star theatre. Clifford made similar deals with other councils to use Thebarton and Woodville town halls.

Clifford also built cinemas such as the Norwood Star, the Capitol at St Peters, and the New Star Theatre at Unley. Clifford leased a hall in Kadina and later ran cinemas in Murray Bridge and Mount Gambier.

Urban Exploring The Piccadilly Theatre — Awesome Adelaide — The Piccadilly Theatre c.1960s (Source: cinematreasures.org)

In 1938, Clifford opened his first Adelaide city cinema by renovating the old Central Theatre in Wakefield Street and opening it as the New Star Theatre. The following year, he built the Vogue at Kingswood.

During World War II, Dan Clifford built his two surviving great art deco cinemas: the Piccadilly (1940) in North Adelaide and the Goodwood Star (1941), now the Capri, in Goodwood.

Adelaide’s New Picture House

The Piccadilly Theatre was the latest in a chain of 20 theatres established by Mr. Dan Clifford. The theatre originally seated 1,500 patrons in a single auditorium and incorporates an outstanding winding staircase with a striking domed ceiling set off by concealed lighting.

The elegantly carpeted curved staircase leads from the entry level to upstairs, providing views of the outside through porthole and arrowhead-shaped jazz-style amber glass windows.

The high curved façade rises from the O’Connell Street frontage topped by old-fashioned letters spelling out “PICCADILLY”.

The circular designs on the theatre walls that many people believed to be artistic decorations are actually a clever ventilation system. Suction vents on the roof draw off the hot air while cool air comes in through these circular “windows”.

Saved From Demolition

Bob Wallis of the South Australian Cinema Group saved the art deco Piccadilly theatre from demolition by taking it over in 1983.

Wallis added a mezzanine floor and refurbished it as a multi-screen complex that reopened in 1990 naming it the Piccadilly Cinema.

In 2021, the Piccadilly Cinema was named one of Australia’s Most Beautiful Cinemas.

Currently, the iconic cinema is closed and undergoing renovations…

wildstar Abandoned / Historical Cinemas & Theatres, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Dan Clifford, North Adelaide, O’Connell Street, Photography, Piccadilly Theatre, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Wallis Cinema

May 2, 2022

Urban Exploring: The House of Psychedelia

House of Psychedelia – the home of Royce Wells

As you explore the dilapidated house on Fullarton Road, the family home of Royce Wells, you’ll discover a hidden world of history, spiritual enlightenment, and personal memories.

Locals know the home as the ‘House of Psychedelia’.

You enter the front door into a dark corridor. Several pianos line the walls on which old album covers and religious images are pinned.

On the right side of the hallway is the Eastwood History Museum followed by a second room: the Almanda Hideaway.

Urban Exploring The House of Psychedelia — Awesome Adelaide — Royce Wells as a historian with the SA Mines Department in the 1980s. (Source: Supplied)

On the left is a large room filled with mining samples and relics Royce collected while a historian with the SA Mines Department in the 1980s.

Eastwood History Museum

The front room was converted into a museum in 1975, two years after his mother died.

He filled it with significant pieces of history of the Parkside/Eastwood/Glenside area – the neighborhood he grew up in.

Royce would share his deep knowledge of the area to anyone who would visit.

Religious artworks, meat hooks, horseshoes, cans & bottles, radios & clocks, pest killers, vases & pantry items, biscuit tins & baking tins, old-style batteries & cleaning ointments, children’s games & toys, and more lined the walls.

Almanda Hideaway

The Almanda Silver Mine Complex in Cherry Gardens, South Australia was the most complete mine workings Royce had encountered, with building and mine workings fairly intact.

Royce’s appreciation of the mine led him to use the name for the Almanda Hideaway adolescent drop-in music club.

From the mid-60s to the 90s, Royce used this room to entertain members with music from the great composers to modern-day artists.

Weekly he communicated his love of music, mining, and anti-authoritarian culture.

Use of LSD

Royce was an anti-drug law activist and an advocate for the personal use of marijuana, LSD, and other psychedelics.

He stopped at suggesting anyone try illicit drugs, but would often tell people of his experience while under their effects.

He claimed they had given him the deepest spiritual experience of his life.

A kind of awareness that would propel you from the normal confines of your body, to a level where you were conscious of the molecular and sub-molecular structure of all things.

He used the music of Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, and Brahms to give him a deeper psychedelic experience.

During his “trips” he gained a greater awareness of God and described it as ‘intense and life-changing’.

Today scientists are investigating the therapeutic effects of psychedelics to reboot the brain and help relieve anxiety and depression.

Royce Wells passed away on 9 December, 2020, aged 78.

His home, the ‘House of Psychedelia’, was demolished some months later…

wildstar Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Acid, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Almanda Hideaway, Eastwood History Museum, House of Psychedelia, LSD, Museum, Photography, Royce Wells, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

November 22, 2021

Urban Exploring: The Birthday Bunker

South Australia at War

World War 2 began when Nazi Germany invaded Poland on 3 September 1939.

South Australian Premier Tom Playford lobbied the federal member of munitions and the minister of munitions for government defense contracts.

Adelaide’s advanced motor vehicle industry and the facilities of the South Australian Railway Workshops made South Australia an ideal site to manufacture complex munitions equipment.

War production in South Australia

Three major government facilities were built. The Hendon Ammunition Factory — built to manufacture small arms ammunition. Finsbury Munitions Factory — shell casings, cartridge cases, and fuses. The Salisbury Explosives Factory filling components with explosive powder.

Secret underground telecommunication installations like the Doomsday Bunker, the RAAF Remote Semi-Underground Bunker, and The Bomb Shelter were built around the state to aid in communication and to intercept enemy messages.

The Sleeps Hill Railway Tunnels were converted into ammunition bunkers and storage vaults for the states treasures.

Air Raid Shelters like the Prospect Air Raid Shelter and the Islington Air Raid Shelter were constructed to aid in communication and provide shelter from enemy bombardment.

Home-made bunkers like The Clarice Bunker, The Jackson Bunker, The Family Fallout Shelter and Pharaoh’s Tomb were built for individual, family and town protection from attack and radioactive fallout.

Aircraft like The McDonald’s West Lakes Party Plane were re-purposed as supply planes.

Fort Largs and Fort Glanville were built to defend the city of Adelaide against attack.

Numerous rural bunkers were built to store ammunition and fuel.

The Birthday Bunker

Since 2015 we’ve been exploring one such pre-Cold War era bunker. Long abandoned by the Australian Defence Forces, it sits out-of-sight; hidden below-ground, in rural South Australia.

Its new owner turned the bunker into a ‘man cave’ and recreation room. Complete with a stove, an oven, seating, bunk-beds and large firepit — everything required for an all-night bender.

Walls and ceiling are decorated with West End, Strongbow, and Coca-Cola signage. Artwork of Simpsons characters line the walls wishing family members ‘happy birthday’ and ‘well wishes’ on their special day.

We can only imagine the excessive alcohol consumption that has occurred here and the life long memories forged in such an impressive place…

wildstar Historic World War 1 & World War 2 Sites, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned Bunker, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Atomic Bomb, Atomic Shelter, Bunker, Cold War, Fallout Shelter, Nuclear Fallout, Photography, Radioative, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex, World War 2, WWII

August 23, 2021

Urban Exploring: The Victoria Tower

Adelaide General Post Office, c. late 1870s. (Source: South Australian Government Photographic Collection)

The Victoria Tower

The landmark Victoria Tower was added to the then brand-new Adelaide General Post Office building in 1867 and has stood as Adelaide‘s centrepiece for 154 years.

Prince Alfred, The Duke of Edinburgh laid the foundation stone to a crowd of 3,500 people on the 5th of November 1867.

It became Adelaide’s tallest building and took a further 9 years to complete.

Inside the Tower

In December 1875, The Victoria Tower bells were installed. Their chime was copied from those of Westminster Abbey.

A total of 5 bells were installed.

The 4 smaller bells chime every quarter-hour and are weighted as follows:

No.1 bell (chimes in C) is 967 kg;
No.2 bell (chimes in B flat) is 513 kg;
No.3 bell (chimes in A flat) is 630 kg;
No.4 bell (chimes in E flat) is 1,270 kg.

The fifth grand bell (chimes in C) weighs a whopping 2,460 kg and chimes on the hour.

The tower also houses the clock mechanism.

This year the clock will be 147 years old and was made in 1874 by Joyce and Son Whitchurch of Shropshire in England, one of the oldest clock makers in the world.

The clock cost £410 and is weight-driven. The weights slowly work their way down to the ground, so three times a week service personnel climb to the top of the Clock Tower to wind it up.

On 13 December 1875 the clock was put in motion and the bells rang out over the city of Adelaide for the first time.

At the time, the Adelaide GPO building including the Victoria Tower was the most expensive building erected by the colonial government in South Australia. It cost £55,296 ( equivalent to ~$12.5 million dollars today ).

Since the Adelaide General Post Office vacated in 2019, the building has sat disused.

wildstar Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide General Post Office, Adelaide GPO, Adelaide Urbex, Clock Tower, Photography, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Victoria Tower

May 24, 2021

Urban Exploring: The Trak Cinema

The Trak Cinema

The Trak Cine Centre was opened on December 26 1975, by Steve Buge – a venture built off of his successful re-opening of the Lockleys Soldiers’ Memorial Hall a couple of years prior.

The opening features were Jeremy and Where The Lilies Bloom.

Programming of these initial days was relatively mainstream and of a wide audience appeal.

Unfortunately, this programming policy received mixed reactions in the eastern suburbs, and the cinema closed in the late 1970s.

Barry Loane

Barry Loane grew up on a diet of films from Hollywood in Sydney’s beach side suburb of Manly, with four movie

palaces within a five-minute walk from his home. He had an affection for alternative films, independent or, as he liked to call it, “World Cinema”.

In 1978 when living in Adelaide, he visited a run-down and disused cinema in the eastern suburbs named The Trak. It was the beginning of what was to be a lifetime devotion for him and Adelaide movie-goers.

He was warned against showing independent and foreign language films on a regular basis. His first big test came when he screened a German Documentary “HITLER – A CAREER”.

It proved to be a huge success with audiences. He then extended his six month lease and established The Trak Cinema as Adelaide’s first “boutique” cinema for discerning movie-goers.

“The Gods Must Be Crazy” was released in Australia in August 1984. While all other cinemas in Adelaide had turned it down, Barry knew how Adelaide audiences would react. “The Gods Must Be Crazy” was so successful it ran for a full year at The Trak Cinema. It’s success allowed him to experiment with even more alternative and cutting edge material, including the hit film A Clockwork Orange.

Renovations & Improvements

In 1989, the Toorak Village Arcade, in which The Trak Cinema was tucked away on the second floor, changed owners. With new owners came a new, long lease, and the reliability that Barry needed to undertake some much-needed upgrades.

In 1989, Barry extended The Trak Cinema to two screens. It proved extremely popular with patrons, giving them a greater selection of programs from which to choose.

The Trak Cinema Foyer, Adelaide, South Australia. (Source: S.A. Drive-ins & Cinemas)

The Trak closed from July 1 to July 19 1990, and $100,000 was spent on new seating, a new red colour scheme, extended foyer, a larger screen and new projectors and a new stereo sound system.

1990 also saw the opening of Trak Video, making The Trak Cinema a one-of-a-kind operation in Australia, combining cinema and home entertainment.

In 2003, after twenty-five years at the helm, Barry retired due to ill health.

Barry passed away peacefully at his Adelaide home on Sunday, April 9, 2017. He was 79 years old.

The Two Michaels

The Trak Cinema owners Michael Schneider and Michael Todd, Adelaide, South Australia. — The Trak Cinema owners Michael Schneider and Michael Todd. (Source: Dylan Coker)

The Trak Cinema was purchased by business partners Michael Schneider, already a decade-long employee of The Trak, and Michael Todd, who until that point had been managing the Capri Theatre.

The Trak continued as Adelaide‘s favourite arthouse cinema for a number of years before the next big change…

Early incarnations of digital cinema were being experimented with in the late 2000s. It led to the installation of one of the first generations of digital cinema – commonly referred to as e-cinema – at The Trak.

Because digital film was more economically viable than the old 35mm format, the two Michael’s added a third, digital only cinema.

The death of a long time friend of Michael Todd was the catalyst for the breakup of the two Michaels’ partnership and led to The Trak Cinema’s eventual downfall in early January 2019.

Enter Adam Towill

Longtime cinema historian and enthusiast, Adam Towill, had become aware of the unfolding circumstances, and arranged access to the minimally documented, and now disused Trak Cinema in order to photograph it, assuming that it would never reopen.

What started out as a mission to photograph the final moments of one of Adelaide’s well-liked cinemas, quickly became a mission to save it.

After poring over sales figures and predicting absolute worst case scenarios, Adam gained possession of The Trak Cinema on February 14 2019.

Adam continued Barry’s tradition of screening alternative films. Australia Day 2020 saw the first use of film The Trak had seen since its conversion to entirely digital projection in 2013 – a 16mm print of an Australian documentary called The Back of Beyond, followed by the journey of Tom Kruse, The postman who serviced the towns and residents along the Birdsville Track.

The Beginning of the End

News of a strange new virus emerging in China was beginning to make headlines. One month later, international travel restrictions were being put in place, distributors were suspending films, and attendances, not just at The Trak Cinema, but across the planet, free fell to record lows. Within the first two weeks of March 2020, attendances dropped 90%, and by the third week, mandatory shutdowns were in force.

Initial conversations with the building owners were positive – “don’t stress, we’ll look after you”. But by September the owners were looking at other options. The Trak Cinema was officially asked to close down and to vacate the building by December 1 2020.

After entertaining Adelaide movie-goers for well over 40 years, The Trak Cinema was systematically dismantled, and replaced with a Gym.

wildstar Abandoned / Historical Cinemas & Theatres, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Cinema, Photography, Trak Cinema, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

December 14, 2020

Urban Exploring: The Planet Nightclub

The Planet Nightclub sign atop of the abandoned building in Adelaide.

It opened in Pirie Street in 1994 and quickly became one of Adelaide’s premier nightclubs.

When the weekend came around, young adults would flock to the city’s Planet Nightclub. It was the place to be seen; attracting famous DJs, sports stars and celebrities alike.

Renowned for its popular 80s themed nights, the night-life hotspot would see thousands of people having to line-up down the road just to gain entry.

Planet Nightclub packed dancefloor. — Planet Nightclub during the height of its popularity when 2000 people would pack the dancefloor.

Similar to The Proscenium Nightclub, The Planet would attract as many as 6000 patrons each weekend. At its height, 2000 or more happy clubbers would squeeze into its two floors, dancing and drinking till early hours of the morning.

Legal Battle

In the early 2000’s a multimillion-dollar feud erupted over The Planet nightclub.

The Planet was run by a company called Players, which was owned by former Adelaide Crows captain, Chris McDermott, lawyer and Adelaide United chairman Greg Griffin and former tennis player Darren Cahill.

They leased the venue from Clone Pty Ltd, the family company of former State Government’s Economic Development Board member Fiona Roche.

Players and Clone both claimed ownership of the $1m hotel licence and 40-poker machine licence.

Empty & Abandoned

Since 2004, The Planet Nightclub has been in legal turmoil. It closed its doors back in 2004 and has sat empty and idle for the last 16 years.

Since then people have taken to Facebook to voice their fond memories and sheer disappointment of its closure, of their beloved nightclub.

“Aahh the good old days!!!!! The late 90s early 2000s were the best!!!!” — Bec Noy

“One of best clubs in Adelaide” — Gina Lonardo

“Best floor plan for a club ever! Wish it would re-open.” — Johnny Utah

What are your memories of The Planet Nightclub?

wildstar Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Nightclub, Photography, Pirie Street, Planet, Planet Nightclub, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

October 28, 2020

Urban Exploring: Remembering the Windsor Theatre

A Memorial for World War 1 Soldiers

It all began in 1922, when the people of Lockleys decided to erect a memorial as a tribute to all those from the district who enlisted and died in World War 1.

Originally a reserve and garden had been suggested, but the people had something more grand in mind.

Soldiers Memorial Hall at Lockleys, c.1953 (Source: WTC)

The Lockleys Memorial Hall was constructed in 1925 on land donated by John Mellor, for whom Mellor Park derives its name. It cost £3,800 to build (equivalent to $320,000 in 2020). Just under half that amount was raised by the people of Lockleys through various fundraising efforts.

If it wasn’t through various efforts, donations and fundraising activities from the local community, the Lockleys Memorial Hall may not have become a reality.

Re-built as a Movie Theatre

On October 10 1925, the Lockleys Memorial Hall was used by Lyric Theatres Ltd to screen it’s first film.

The Hall was such a success as a movie theatre, The Windsor Group acquired it in October 1948, re-naming it The Windsor Theatre.

The Windsor Cinema c1960. (Source: Courtesy of the Brian Pearson Collection)

In the 1950s the theatre was substantially internally modified. The original two front meeting rooms were restructured, leaving a vast foyer area. The entrance into the auditorium was raised and a staircase to a landing 5 feet above the foyer floor was constructed. That then entered into the theatre, and stairs to the left and right aisles were installed. The final result was a fully carpeted foyer and stairs.

A modern candy bar was built on the western wall of the foyer also incorporating the ticket box and the seating capacity was upgraded to accommodate 495 people.

1953 saw a further upgrade of the theatre. A hallway was built on the eastern side of the theatre as a separate entrance to the front stalls. The hallway would later become the well known “Nostalgia WALK”.

Nostalgia Walk

Over the next 30 years, original movie posters were glued to the hallway wall as a future nostalgic look-back to the films that had been shown there.

Hundreds of original movie posters – some more than 50 years old – were incorporated into the wall, including 1972’s The Godfather, 1971’s Clint Eastwood classic Dirty Harry and 1962’s Lawrence of Arabia.

The Hidden Basement

We originally started exploring The Windsor Theatre 5 years ago.

At the time we were told of an elusive hidden basement that nobody could find.

Upon closer inspection of the original building plans, there was meant to be a “large supper room and kitchen under the stage … [accessed] by means of easy graded stairs from the main floor level”.

During demolition, the carpet in front of the stage area was taken up, revealing a curious hidden panel. When opened it revealed a staircase leading down to a previously unexplored area. The elusive hidden supper room and kitchen, unseen for 70 years, had been found.

The Final Curtain

In 2018, The Windsor Theatre was purchased by The City of West Torrens Council, who then (later that year) applied for its demolition.

An 11th-hour bid by the Friends of the Lockleys Memorial Centre to save The Windsor Theatre was pleaded for, however those prayers were silenced earlier this week with the last wall felled and the site leveled.

A carpark will be built in its place.

wildstar Abandoned / Historical Cinemas & Theatres, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Cinema, Lockleys, Lockleys Memorial Hall, Photography, Soldiers Memorial Hall, Theatre, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex, Windsor Theatre

August 24, 2020

Urban Exploring: Cafe Inferno

Time Travel

We first discovered Cafe Inferno back in 2017. It was definitely abandoned, but at that time there wasn’t any discernible way in. It had been boarded-up securely and locked.

To better understand our desire to see inside, we’d have to tell you about how enticing it is to be inside an abandoned building.

Part of the reason explorers enjoy sneaking into abandoned buildings is that visceral feeling you get when walking through a door and being transported through time.

In a sense, some doors allow you to become a time traveller.

Behind some doors, you can be transported back in time, like say… Balfours.

And other doors, you can be transported forward in time…

Forward to some post apocalyptic future following a nuclear war or catastrophic event.

Disaster Strikes

Prior to the inferno that gutted this business, the building was a bustling cafe.

But no longer…

Fire tore through it nearly killing the cafe owner in the process.

What was left was the charred remains of a once lively business.

Exploring the Inside

When we entered the building, the smell of burnt wood and plastic was still thick in the air.

Wine glasses were covered in ash. Plastic hand-soap dispensers were melted from the heat. The walls, black as charcoal.

On one wall, the menu placard still hung high with food pricing from the day it had burn down.

Upstairs was the cafe owner’s residence. Two large bedrooms faced the street with a kitchen and bathroom at the rear.

The black soot left no wall untouched.

It was as if we’d entered a future post-apocalyptic world similar to films like The Walking Dead or video games like Fallout.

Will our future look this bleak and dystopic?

wildstar Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Arson, Burnt, Cafe, Cafe Inferno, Fire, Leadlight Window, Photography, Stained Glass Window, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

June 29, 2020

Urban Exploring: Hill House

Hill House has been described as a “lifestyle masterpiece” with views that must be seen to be believed. And boy, did a lot of people go to see those views!

The sunsets from the luxurious $3 Million Dollar home were nothing but spectacular.

The home, which features 12 rooms, a tennis court and a large in-ground swimming pool with a self-contained pool house continued to increase in value over the years. It sold for $1M in 1997, $1.3M in 2001 and finally $2.95M in 2012.

If you see these stunning images you can see why…

Left To Rot

For several years the home sat disused; becoming more and more run-down.

The swimming pool dried up and the grounds became increasingly overgrown.

Over the Christmas period of 2019 the property was significantly vandalised.

Similarly to Cement Hill, Hill House became so damaged that demolition was foreshadowed.

A warm thank-you to those photographers who contributed to this article.

wildstar Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) 99 Ocean Boulevard, Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Hill House, Photography, Swimming Pool, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

January 14, 2020

Urban Exploring: A Backyard Cinema

Exploring an Abandoned Cinema

It was a Saturday night. We’d received a tip-off about a small cinema that was sitting disused in a suburban backyard.

They’re rare — only about 4 or 5 still exist in South Australia, so we were keen to take a look.

From the outside, it looked just like any other suburban shed; a grey square structure with galvanised cladding. Nothing about the property gave any indication of what was inside.

As we entered, we could see it had been meticulously transformed inside. Its owner had decorated it with lengthy yellow and red cloth with foam and PVC cladding inset with golden ornamental accents. It was truly a sight to see.

Cinemas like these are rare and were mainly built by projectionists or enthusiasts,… and they would go all-out; making their cinemas look as grand as possible!

This cinema contained a little pair of 16mm Bell & Howell movie projectors from the 1970s. Like many of the projectors around at the time, the first projector held the first 40-60 minutes of the movie and the second projector held the next 40-60 minutes.

Lost Film Re-Discovered!

It was in an Australian private cinema similar to this one that a previously lost film was discovered.

For 80 years, the 1930s classic film ‘MAMBA’ thought lost was found in Australia. An old cinema projectionist had a nearly complete 35mm nitrate print of ‘Mamba’ in his collection. All 9 reels were in great shape and stored in their original cans.

At the time, after commercial viewings, films had to be returned or destroyed. In fact, a lot of films were meant to be destroyed after their run. In some cases however, it was just easier to store the film in the corner and as a result many films considered lost are still available.

So when out exploring, if you’re 100% certain a canister of film is headed for the skip-bin, consider handing it in to your local historical society for preservation or contact us and we’ll refer you to an appropriate person. You may have found a piece of history needing preservation.

Safe Travels,
WildStar

wildstar Abandoned / Historical Cinemas & Theatres, Disused / Abandoned Buildings & Ruins, Urban Exploring (Urbex) Abandoned buildings Adelaide, Abandoned places in Adelaide, Adelaide, Adelaide Urbex, Backyard Cinema, Cinema, Photography, Theatre, Unseen Adelaide, Urban Exploration Adelaide, Urban Exploring, Urbex

October 1, 2019

Urban Exploring: Gilligan’s Island

Old Royal Adelaide Hospital Helipad, Gilligan's Island, Disused Photographs, Adelaide, South Australia.

Mika Hakkinen Crash

It was Friday, November 10, 1995, on a warm spring morning in Adelaide. The qualifying session for the 1995 Adelaide Grand Prix was well underway when the international TV cameras cut to an establishing shot of the Adelaide race track on Brewery Bend corner.

Formula One world champion Mika Hakkinen‘s red and white McLaren had crashed into the tyre wall.

The broken black tyre marks at the beginning of the curb revealed that his car had careened out of control at tremendous speed off the track.

Hakkinen’s left rear tyre had a blow-out resulting in his car hitting the tyre wall at around 200 kilometers per hour. Hakkinen’s head took a ferocious hit.

“Mika couldn’t move, he wasn’t breathing or communicating in any way with us,” said an intensive care specialist. “But he was alive.”

The impact crushed the base of Hakkinen’s skull, cutting off his breathing. Hospital surgeons at the track fought to save his life, performing an emergency tracheotomy before transporting him to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with head injuries. Their impromptu surgery prevented long term, irreversible brain damage. Hakkinen was in a coma for several days and spent three weeks recovering.

The Push for a Helipad

Dr Eugene (Fred) Gilligan initiated the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Medical Retrieval Service in 1973.

At the time, critically ill and injured people transported by helicopter had to land on Victoria Park Racecourse and transferred to the Royal Adelaide Hospital by Road.

In 1987, Dr Fred Gilligan and his team prepared a report for the South Australian Government outlining the critical need for a Helipad at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

The Helipad was never commissioned due to lack of funding.

A Gift to the People of South Australia

Dr Fred Gilligan led the medical team which escorted Mika Hakkinen back to London after his crash at the 1995 Adelaide Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Hakkinen openly praised the standard of care he received in Adelaide after the crash. The McLaren team stated that, if it were not for the high quality of treatment Mika would not be alive today.

As a gift to the people of South Australia, Hakkinen donated a substantial un-disclosed sum of money to help build the much needed Helipad for The Royal Adelaide Hospital. It was a ‘Thank-you’ gift for saving his life.

Royal Adelaide Hospital Helipad with SGIC 1 Helicopter comp. Mika Hakkinen. (Source: Alan Hoare)

On 11 March 1997, 16 months after the accident, Mika Hakkinen flew into Adelaide with the then Premier John Olsen on board the Rescue 1 Helicopter for the official opening of the $2.1 million dollar Royal Adelaide Hospital rooftop Helipad.

The Helipad was constructed on the rooftop of the Outpatient Building of the Old Royal Adelaide Hospital. A lift was also incorporated in the construction allowing patients to be immediately transferred to the Emergency Department.

Photograph of The Royal Adelaide Hospital Helipad signed by Mika Hakkinen. (Source: Health Museum of South Australia)

The new Helipad decreased the transport time by up to 30 minutes for patients arriving by air, and since its construction, saved many lives.

“Gilligan’s Island”

The Helipad was affectionately named “Gilligan’s Island” by retrieval services staff after Dr Eugene (Fred) Gilligan.

Dr Gilligan started the Royal Adelaide Hospital Retrieval Service in 1973 and retired in April 2002 after hundreds of thousands of kilometers of rescue flights.

Gilligan’s Island stopped receiving helicopters in September 2017 and has remained un-used for over a year.

Late last week marked the end for the historic Helipad.

Demolition contractors removed it as part of the ongoing demolition and remediation of the Old Royal Adelaide Hospital site.