Torrens Parade Ground
Torrens Parade Ground (also known as the Torrens Training Depot) is a former military facility located in Adelaide, South Australia. It is the location of South Australia's Vietnam War Memorial, and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander War Memorial.
| Torrens Parade Ground | |
|---|---|
 Torrens Parade Ground, view from King William Road | |
| Location | King William Road, Adelaide, South Australia |
| Coordinates | 34°55′4″S 138°36′2″E |
| Design period | 1936 |
| Built | 1936 |
| Built for | Australian Government |
| Owner | Government of South Australia |
| Official name | Former Torrens Training Depot, including Drill Hall and Parade Ground |
| Type | state heritage place |
| Designated | 11 June 1998 |
| Reference no. | 1686 |
| Significant period | 1939-45 |
| Significant components | Parade Ground; Military - Drill Hall |
  Location of Torrens Parade Ground in South Australia | |
The parade ground and drill hall were listed on the South Australian Heritage Register on 11 June 1998. Its significance was reported as follows:[1]
The Torrens Training Depot was built in 1936 and is an excellent example of the Inter-War Stripped Classical style of architecture in Adelaide, particularly as interpreted by architects working for the Commonwealth Government. The strictly symmetrical design of the building and its low scale with simplified classical motifs and Art Deco decorative elements make this one of the most notable buildings in Adelaide of this style to be constructed pre World War Two. The internal arrangement of the building typifies the functional organisation of the Army and its physical requirements. All external detailing which is original to the 1936 building is significant. Internally the open unrestricted form of the drill hall is the most significant aspect. The topography of the Parade Ground indicates the previous use of this area as a quarry for stone and fill for the construction of government buildings, including Government House. [Adapted from Torrens Training Depot Conservation Plan (1992)]
In 1999, it was listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate[2]
In 2002 Premier Mike Rann announced and funded a major restoration and upgrade of the Torrens Parade Ground and its heritage listed "Drill Hall and Training Depot" building, to be used as a headquarters for veterans' organisations,[3] and the main office of the History Trust of South Australia.[4]
References
- "Former Torrens Training Depot, including Drill Hall and Parade Ground". South Australian Heritage Register. Givernment of South Australia. 11 June 1998. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- "Torrens Training Depot, Kintore Av, Adelaide, SA, Australia – listing on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate (Place ID 101194)". Australian Heritage Database. Department of the Environment. 26 October 1999. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- Iconic buildings of Adelaide: The Torrens Drill Hall ABC News, 31 May 2016. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
- History Trust of South Australia Retrieved 15 June 2018.
