Mystery surrounds sale of prime CBD heritage building
The buyer of a century-old North Terrace heritage building with a controversial high-rise development plan is being kept under wraps. It has stood vacant since 2004.
Gawler Chambers at 188 North Terrace has been sold to an undisclosed buyer but the new owner and final sale price remain shrouded in mystery with the sellers remaining tight-lipped.
A spokesperson for the Roche family’s Adelaide Development Company (ADC) — the site’s former owners — confirmed that the Gawler Chambers had been sold with the final settlement taking place on March 10. The spokesperson declined to reveal the new owner.
ADC Group general manager Chris Chambers said in September 2025 that the purchase would be a “once in a lifetime opportunity” and was expected to attract significant interest.
“Gawler Chambers’ spectacular location with uninterrupted views over Government House, together with its historic Edwardian design and detailed brickwork with Art Nouveau aspects, makes it a perfect site for high-end apartments, a hotel or the headquarters of a group looking to occupy an historic landmark building,” Chambers said.
The Gawler Chambers was officially listed as a State Heritage Place in November 1991 but has reportedly been vacant since 2004 and its frontage is looking tired with peeling paint and graffitied windows.
But its seller Knight Frank’s spokesperson said the 627 sqm freehold site has no prescribed height limits which could see a new development site of up to 34 storeys and a total gross floor area of 19,400 sqm. She also declined to name the new owner.
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The ADC previously received planning approval in May 2012 to build a 15-storey office tower behind the state heritage listed building with the plan involving keeping the chambers’ façade.
However, no work commenced on the site and the State Commission Assessment Panel denied the ADC’s eighth attempt to extend a construction start date in 2022.
South Australian executive director of the Property Council Bruce Djite welcomed the Gawler Chambers sale, saying the National Construction Code and decision-makers should support a large-scale redevelopment project.
“If we want a great city, we need more people living and working in the CBD — seven days a week. Unlocking landmark buildings like Gawler Chambers is critical to that goal,” Djite said.
“Vacant buildings undermine activation and send the wrong signal about the city’s future. Without flexibility, these buildings won’t be saved; they’ll simply continue to sit empty and deteriorate.
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“A development approval on this site is achievable and can respect the building’s heritage — but chasing perfection for a small noisy minority cannot outweigh the need for practical solutions that finally bring long‑vacant buildings back to life.”
Building work on Gawler Chambers was completed in 1913 and the building was originally used as the headquarters for the South Australian Company.
The South Australian Company was formed in London in 1835 and was a significant contributor to the state’s foundation in 1836, playing a role in major industries including whaling, banking and pastoral enterprises until it wound up in 1949.
Since 1945, the building has been owned by the Roche family’s ADC and it as once a central location for medical and dental professionals in Adelaide until its was made vacant in 2004.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion said the sale was “an exciting step” in rejuvenating an Adelaide landmark that “has lay vacant and unused for far too long”.
“North Terrace is Adelaide’s premier cultural boulevard, and there is currently a mix of exciting developments that signal investment in our growing city while respecting and honouring its character and heritage,” Champion said.
Rundle Place hits the market
Meanwhile, one of Adelaide’s major shopping and entertainment hubs Rundle Place has hit the market with a price tag of $220 million after being acquired in 2021 for $210 million.
Rundle Place is currently jointly-owned by Growthpoint Properties Australia and Irongate and is home to retail stores including the Apple Store, R.M. Williams, and Lululemon. It also houses a dining precinct and Coles supermarket on the lower level.
The four-storey site has 52 metres of direct frontage to Rundle Mall, with an estimated 54 million people passing by its frontage annually.
The international expressions of interest campaign will be jointly managed by CBRE and JLL and will close on June 3.
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