Gone Shopping:
Department Stores in South Australia

1 May 2023 - 31 May 2023

Department Stores emerged in the late nineteenth century and flourished during the twentieth century. This exhibition of architectural drawings, photographs and advertising material will use the rich collection of the Architecture Museum and will include not only department stores from Adelaide city but also those in suburban shopping malls, and main streets of country towns. The storefronts of well-known retailers like Myers, Harris Scarfe, and David Jones, as well as those no longer with us including John Martins, Charles Moore’s, Peoplestores, and Eudunda’s will be on display. With the move of so much retail to the online environment, the future of these prominent retail buildings needs to be considered as a matter of urgency.

This exhibition endeavours to understand the history of department store architecture to enable us to look forward to opportunities for their future use and heritage preservation. 

Curated by Dr Julie Collins from the Architecture Museum, University of South Australia.

This exhibition complements the Panel Discussion, Department Stores: More Than Shopping, exploring the history of department stores and shopping in South Australia. 

Purchase a copy of Dr Julie Collins's book, Department Store Architecture in South Australia. This 68-page illustrated colour book (18.5cm x 17cm format) is available for $20 (plus postage if required) from Pay UniSA.

Image: John Martins Advertisement, CML Your Home Booklet, 1946 Cheesman collection, Architecture Museum, University of South Australia.