Known as Karraundongga (“Red Gum Spear Place”) by the Kaurna people, Thebarton is a historic suburb on the edge of the Adelaide Parklands. It’s clustered with old industrial buildings that house eclectic cafes and breweries and is home to one of South Australia’s most beloved live music venues.
Things to do in Thebarton
One of the suburb’s most important architectural landmarks is the Thebarton Incinerator, which was designed by Walter Burley Griffin in 1935 to dispose of the area’s household waste. It is one of several 20th-century South Australian buildings that have been listed as nationally significant and has recently been given a new lease of life as a recording studio.
Listed on the South Australian Heritage Register is the Art Deco-style Thebarton Theatre, where alternative bands perform to an intimate crowd. Large-scale performances take place at the nearby Adelaide Entertainment Centre, which can accommodate up to 11,300 spectators. In addition to live music concerts by big-name international artists, it regularly hosts gala banquets and indoor sporting events.
Sprawling east of Thebarton is the picturesque Bonython Park, a gum tree-dotted green space where you’ll find children’s playgrounds, a splash pad and a riverside kiosk. It lies alongside one of Australia’s longest continuously operated prisons, the Adelaide Gaol, with the atmospheric colonial complex also hosting guided ghost tours. On the other side of Thebarton is Kings Reserve, which is home to a skate park and the Thebarton Aquatic Centre.
Getting around Thebarton
Thebarton is around 10 minutes’ drive from the centre of Adelaide and the same distance from Adelaide Airport, which has flights to destinations across Australia, Asia and the Middle East. Trains connect to the nearby Bowden railway station and trams travel along the eastern edge of the suburb.