| Significance |
Ruthven Mansions are historically and architecturally significant because they represented, when built, a benchmark in luxury accommodation in Australia, incorporating innovations such as central vacuum cleaning, automated doors, mechanical ventilation, electric light and an electric lift. Despite subsequent cycles of dilapidation and refurbishment, and the loss of original internal details, the Mansions are an important example of this style of residential accommodation, and are among the earliest of Australia's multi-storey apartments.
Built in two stages (1912 and 1915), the Mansions were erected for Ruthven Frederic Ruthven-Smith, a London investor. Stage one, designed by local architects Black and Fuller and constructed by A R Maddern and Son, originally consisted of twelve large apartments, one of which was occupied by the prominent Kyffin Thomas family of Register Newspaper fame. It was also the address of W A Webb, SA Railways Commissioner, such residents attesting to the desirability of these apartments by well-to-do Adelaide families.
Stage two, of five storeys, was built by W C Torode and consisted of about twenty-eight flats, the facades to Pulteney and Austin Streets continuing the design of the earlier four storey section to the south. The design, strongly residential in character, is a distinctive full bodied interpretation of the Gothic and Art Nouveau styles without parallel in South Australia. [Adapted from: Marsden, S, Stark, P, Sumerling, P, 'Heritage of the City of Adelaide', Corporation of the City of Adelaide, 1990]
|
| Plan Parcel & Title Information |
CT 5172/163 S12753 U7,CT 5172/162 S12753 U6,CT 5172/180 S12753 U24,CT 5172/179 S12753 U23,CT 5172/177 S12753 U21,CT 5172/176 S12753 U20,CT 5172/175 S12753 U19,CT 5172/174 S12753 U18,CT 5172/173 S12753 U17,CT 5172/188 S12753 U32,CT 5172/187 S12753 U31,CT 5172/186 S12753 U30,CT 5172/185 S12753 U29,CT 5172/184 S12753 U28,CT 5172/183 S12753 U27,CT 5172/182 S12753 U26,CT 5172/181 S12753 U25,CT 5172/196 S12753 U40,CT 5172/195 S12753 U39,CT 5172/194 S12753 U38,CT 5172/193 S12753 U37,CT 5172/192 S12753 U36,CT 5172/191 S12753 U35,CT 5172/190 S12753 U34,CT 5172/189 S12753 U33,CT 5172/208 S12753 U52,CT 5172/207 S12753 U51,CT 5172/206 S12753 U50,CT 5172/205 S12753 U49,CT 5172/204 S12753 U48,CT 5172/203 S12753 U43,CT 5172/202 S12753 U46,CT 5172/201 S12753 U45,CT 5172/200 S12753 U44,CT 5172/199 S12753 U43,CT 5172/198 S12753 U42,CT 5172/197 S12753 U41,CT 5172/172 S12753 U16,CT 5172/171 S12753 U15,CT 5172/170 S12753 U14,CT 5172/169 S12753 U13,CT 5172/168 S12753 U12,CT 5172/167 S12753 U11,CT 5172/166 S12753 U10,CT 5172/165 S12753 U9,CT 5172/164 S12753 U8,CT 5172/157 S12753 U1,CT 5172/159 S12753 U3,CT 5172/160 S12753 U4,CT 5172/161 S12753 U5,CT 5172/158 S12753 U2,CT 6029/375 S12753 UCP,CT 6132/345 S12753 U22,CT 6239/173 C42052 FCP,CT 6239/176 C24243 F3,CT 6256/17 C42375 F101,CT 6256/18 C42375 F102,CT 6256/19 C42375 F103,CT 6256/20 C42375 F104,CT 6256/21 C42375 F105,CT 6256/22 C42375 FCP,CT 6256/23 C24243 F1,CT 6256/24 C24243 F2,CT 6256/25 C24243 F3,CT 6256/26 C24243 F4,CT 6256/27 C24243 F5,CT 6256/28 C24243 F6,CT 6256/29 C24243 F7,CT 6256/30 C24243 FCP |