The exterior view of Ruthven Mansions

Adelaide Mansions Serviced Apartments

Adelaide Mansions Serviced Apartments formerly, Ruthven Mansions is historically and architecturally significant because when first built, it represented a benchmark in luxury accommodation in Australia.

The Mansions were fitted with all the 'mod cons' of the time —central vacuum cleaning, automated doors, mechanical ventilation, electric lights and electric lifts— and were among the earliest of Australia's multi-storey apartments.

The apartments were first built in two stages (1911–1912 and circa 1914) and later sold to the state government in 1954, rapidly falling into disrepair.

By 1976, the buildings had lost their distinctive balconettes, the interior had been declared unsafe and the chest clinic that occupied the ground floor had relocated to a new premises.

After lengthy negotiations in the late 1970s, the buildings were saved from demolition and renovated internally and partially externally to resemble their original form.

These days, Ruthven Mansions is more commonly known as 'Adelaide Mansions Serviced Apartments', providing stylish hotel-quality serviced accommodation ideal for overseas, interstate or out-of-town guests upstairs, and a shopping arcade with food and retail outlets on the ground floor.

As Adelaide’s new cultural canvas, The Rundle Lantern is a spectacular and invigorating creation attracting residents and visitors alike.

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Building of the first section of Government House began in 1839. Prior to this, the Governor John Hindmarsh, and then his successor George Gawler, lived in a three-roomed wattle and daub cottage with calico ceiling.

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There are rumoured to be at least six ghosts that call Adelaide Arcade home, and over the years there have been numerous reports of sightings, footsteps, objects moving and other unexplainable occurrences.

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The South Australian National War Memorial and South Australian Sailors, Soldiers and Airmen Memorial is located on the corner of Kintore Avenue and North Terrace.

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