Waterhouse Chambers from 1850 a memorial to the first era of South Australian prosperity from copper mines
Waterhouse Chambers, at right, on the Rundle and King William streets corner, Adelaide city, in 1878 and (inset) reflecting minimal change in the 21st Century.
Main image by Samuel White Sweet, courtesy State Libarry of South Australia. Inset image courtesy City of Adelaide
Waterhouse Chambers, on the Rundle-King William streets corner, opposite the Beehive Corner, remained, from 1850 and into the 21st Century, a memorial to early colonial South Australian prominent businessman, investor and philanthropist Thomas Greaves Waterhouse.
Yorkshire-born Waterhouse arrived, aged 29, in the colony of South Australia on the Lysander, landing at Port Adelaide in 1840. Waterhouse and his brother John ran a successful grocery business at what became known as Waterhouse’s Corner at King William and Rundle streets.
Waterhouse was one of the early shareholder of the Burra Burra copper mine. Returns from the Burra Burra copper mine enabled Waterhouse to build the three-storey chambers on his shop site between 1847 and 1850. He was a foundation director of the South Australian Mining Association that occupied the building with its offices and shops.
During the exodus of many South Australian men to the Victorian goldfields 1851-56, Waterhouse invested heavily in land in Adelaide city centre and continued to increase his holdings so that a large part of the city's freehold land belonged to his estate. The rapid rise in land values greatly increased his large fortune. Waterhouse also was involved in the Bank of Adelaide being established.
A member of the Wesleyan Church, Waterhouse devoted a tenth of his income to the church and wider charities. Prince Alfred College’s main building’s Waterhouse wing, added in 1877, honoured him. His son Arthur took over when Waterhouse retired after 20 years in business. Thomas Waterhouse and his wife returned to England in 1868.
Heritage listed in 1986, Waterhouse Chambers remained one of very few South Australian buildings from its era, and the most intact commercial building, despite some remodelling in 1869 (including the shopfronts and addition of a balcony) and superficial changes in the 20th Century. The quality of the initial design and construction was rated as representing the highest standards achieved in the pre-1850 period.
