Gay’s Arcade, Adelaide, South Australia
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Gay’s Arcade was opened in February 1886 just a few weeks after its neighbour Adelaide Arcade. It has a different feel, in part because a different architect designed it.
Its main entrance in Twin Street is somewhat more modest than its illustrious neighbour, but inside, it has the same two-storey layout, with units on both levels and a brass sculpture which might once have been a fountain taking centre-stage on the floor of the arcade.
The glass roofing is not original but gives the arcade its light feel, and the ironwork across the high ceiling has shapely designs painted in red. There are great views from the upper-level balcony, though the shop units up here are less busy than those below at ground level.
There’s no longer anyone offering cookery classes, but in a nice connection back to the arcade’s past, one outlet in Gays Arcade today is offering sewing lessons. There is also a textile and art gallery, Japanese restaurants and shops selling computer games and electronics, the latter of course unthinkable – or even imaginable to those who opened the arcade 137 years ago. Upstairs is a tailor, an antiquarian book seller and jewellery store.
There is also access to the arcade history museum from the bottom of Gays Arcade – don’t miss the chance to hear the Arcade Polka halfway up the stairs, the original polka tune composed for the arcades’ opening ceremony.
My favourite shop today
The antiquarian book seller gets my vote, although they were closed when I visited so no chance to browse or make a purchase this time.
My pick of the arcade’s past
An early occupant of the arcade was a Miss Lyall, who ran cookery classes, teaching skills for ‘high-class, middle-class and plain cookery.’ She also began classes for children on Saturdays, helping ‘to bring girls into correct habits, with a knowledge of the way to be useful in the kitchen.’
A severe storm over Adelaide in March 1921 caused one of the panes of the glass roof of Gays Arcade to collapse. Shopkeepers rushed out to see what had happened, and the arcade was full of shoppers and walkers at the time, but the safety net high above the walkway had captured all the splintered glass, and nobody was injured.
Small fires seemed to break out at regular intervals in Gay’s Arcade, all put out quickly by the local fire brigade. A larger fire in 1947 threatened to cause more damage, with flames flaring through the broken glass of the roof, but once again fire fighters prevented it spreading into next door’s Adelaide Arcade, and most of the shop units were undamaged. The 1980 fire was a different story, however. The fire destroyed 18 shop units across Gay’s and Adelaide Arcades, with over $2 million worth of damage caused.
This arcade in films or books
I’ve yet to hear of any film or book featuring Gay’s Arcade in Adelaide so do get in touch if you know something to fill this gap.
What memories do you have of visits in years gone by?
Have you got any good stories to add on the past of this arcade?
Have you seen Gay’s Arcade in any film or book?
What’s your favourite shop in the arcade today?
Is there a website for this arcade?
As far as I can see there is no website for the arcade itself, nor is it active on social media, although some of the businesses in the arcade have social media pages.
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