Adelaide is home to many historic houses.

Yesterday it was the David Roach House. Today the Carrick Hill House.

Located just 10 minutes from where I’m staying in Fullerton, this house sits on 100 areas of land. It is the most intact 20th century house in Australia.

The beautiful Carrick Hill estate was the result of a marriage, in 1935, of members of two of Adelaide’s most prominent families. Edward (Bill) Hayward was a son of the wealthy merchant family that for more than 100 years owned John Martin’s Ltd, once Adelaide’s greatest department store. Ursula Barr Smith, his bride, was a daughter of an even wealthier family of Scottish descent whose involvement in mining and pastoral activities was vital to the development of South Australia.

Her father gave them the land and during a year long honeymoon to England they bought and had shipped back 17th C wood paneling, a grand staircase, fireplace, windows, furniture from a house called Beaudesert, a Tudor manor in Staffordshire, England.

The Haywards had four houses but this was their home. They didn’t have children so left the house to the people of South Australia. What a gift. It’s lovely.

They collected art, silver and beautiful William Morris fabrics for curtains and soft furnishings.

We took a tour and the house is so different to the one we saw yesterday. David Roach House was full of collectibles. This one is restrained and carefully curated.

There is beautiful art. Author Streeton, Tom Roberts, Gauguin plus many international artists. Then there are sculptures, glassware and tapestry.

The house was built between 1937-39 and is now open to the public.

It has exhibitions regularly and at the moment there is an May Gibbs exhibition. It’s charming and makes me want to read Snuggle Pie and Cuddle Pot all over again.

The gardens are vast and spill down the hill towards the ocean.

There is a rose garden which frequently hosts weddings.

There is s children’s story time trail.

Even elephants!

The house holds many events and the one at Christmas sounds a treat. They open the grounds for carols and the ‘turn on the lights ‘ event. What could be better.

If you’re in Adelaide you should visit this gorgeous gem.

http://www.carrickhill.sa.gov.au/the-story/artworks/antibes