Morphett Street

Location

The street runs from south to north between South Terrace and North Terrace, and passes around and through two of the five squares in the Adelaide city centre, Light Square and Whitmore Square. At Hindley Street it transforms into the start of the bridge which crosses North Terrace (at which point its name changes to Montefiore Road), the railway yards and the River Torrens.

History

Morphett Street was named after Sir John Morphett, a prominent pioneer, whose votes at a meeting on 10 February 1837, (including numerous proxies), played an important role in confirming the site of Adelaide.

A small brewery known as Morphett Street Brewery operated on a premises near the northern end from 1859 to about 1873.

The southern half of Morphett Street, between Grote Street and South Terrace, was originally named Brown Street after John Brown, the first Immigration Officer of South Australia. Brown Street was subsumed into the expanded Morphett Street in August 1967. The Brown Street Memorial in Whitmore Square maintains the commemoration of John Brown.

From the late 1990s, a revitalisation of the "West End" of Adelaide was undertaken, which included the conversions of several old buildings (including the creation of the Lion Arts Centre in an old factory building) and the new University of South Australia's West End campus. The Mercury Cinema opened at no. 13 and the design studio JamFactory moved to a new purpose-built building at no. 19 in 1992.

In March 2021, a laneway that runs off Morphett Street and parallel to Hindley Street, near the former Cargo Club building (since demolished), was renamed Sia Furler Lane, after Adelaide-born singer-songwriter Sia. A large mural titled She Imagined Buttons was painted on a wall nearby by local artist Jasmine Crisp, which is intended to reflect the response of a fan to Sia's 2011 performance in Adelaide.

Notable buildings

Trinity Church Adelaide, established in 1836 as Holy Trinity Church in the earliest days of the colony of South Australia and listed on the now-defunct Register of the National Estate in 1980, is on the north-eastern corner with North Terrace.

The Lion Arts Centre is on the other side of the bridge, on the north-western corner, next door to the Mercury Cinema and JamFactory.

Southern and northern continuations

Morphett Street continues north of North Terrace as Montefiore Road, and south of South Terrace as Sir Lewis Cowen Avenue. Lewis Cohen served on the Adelaide City Council for 30 years, including several terms as Mayor and Lord Mayor.

References

References

1. "Morphett Street".
2. (2008). "2008 Adelaide Street Directory, 46th Edition". UBD (A Division of Universal Press Pty Ltd).
3. [http://www.historysouthaustralia.net/STlist4.htm#mor ''Sir John Morphett''] {{Webarchive. link. (27 August 2008 , History of Adelaide Through Street Names, www.historysouthaustralia.net. Retrieved 2008-09-28.)
4. (1967). "Sir John Morphett (1809–1892)".
5. (27 March 1866). "Miscellaneous". [[South Australian Register]].
6. "About".
7. Gallagher, Alex. (24 March 2021). "Laneway honouring Sia officially launched in Adelaide".
8. Brandle, Lars. (23 March 2021). "Adelaide launches Sia Furler Lane, first of its music laneways".
9. (2 August 2022). "Sia Furler La · Adelaide SA 5000, Australia".
10. {{cite AHD. 6324. Holy Trinity Anglican Church, 87 North Tce, Adelaide, SA, Australia. (21 March 1978)
11. (12 September 2022). "Site Redevelopment".
12. "Montefiore Hill". History SA.