Image: Rundle Mall
Generations of South Australians have arranged to “meet at the Beehive Corner”, and now one of Adelaide’s oldest meeting places is preparing to shine again.
Scaffolding is going up around the historic Beehive Corner building this week as restoration work begins on the signage and lighting at the Haigh’s Chocolates store, with the iconic lights set to be switched on for the first time in decades.
The landmark sits at the corner of Rundle Mall and King William Street and has been part of Adelaide’s cityscape for generations, with the corner itself known as the Beehive Corner since the 1840s.
The first building on the site appeared in the early 1840s, before English businessmen Brewer and Robertson opened a drapery store called The Bee Hive in 1849. The name was intended to create a busy centre of trade, and the original store featured a gilded beehive above its entrance. The corner quickly became a recognisable meeting point in the growing city.
By the 1890s, the original building had been replaced by the striking three-storey building that stands today.
Designed by Adelaide architect George Klewitz Soward, construction began in 1895 and the building opened in 1896. Its ornate Gothic Revival design was unusual for a commercial building at the time, with the style more commonly associated with churches.
A turret topped with a gold bee was incorporated into the design, preserving the identity of the much-loved corner. The building has witnessed plenty of Adelaide history since then.
Shortly after opening, it hosted Adelaide’s first public exhibition of the cinematograph, with audiences watching moving footage including flamenco dancing and Buffalo Bill.
By the early 1900s, the site had become a popular destination for sweet treats, eventually becoming home to chocolatier Carl Stratmann. Carl, who was German-trained, ran a chocolate business from the building before anti-German sentiment during the First World War affected his trade.
Alfred Haigh subsequently purchased his chocolate-making equipment and recipes, establishing Haigh’s Chocolates in 1915. The company initially opened at 34 King William Street before moving into the prominent Beehive Corner location in the early 1920s, where Haigh’s has remained a familiar presence ever since.
The Haigh’s story began in 1915, when Alfred E. Haigh opened the company’s very first store at 34 King William Street, making and selling chocolate and confectionery on site. In 1923, the Haigh’s business moved to the prominent corner site we know today as Beehive Corner and it’s been part of the city’s fabric ever since.
“Beehive Corner is more than just where our flagship store sits. It’s where generations of the Haigh family built this company and as custodians of that legacy today, we feel a real sense of responsibility to protect it,” said Peter Laforest, General Manager Customer Experience.
Over the decades, the building itself went through some less glamorous changes. The original gilded bee disappeared sometime during the 20th century, with one theory suggesting it may have been damaged or removed following Adelaide’s 1954 earthquake.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the ornate building was also modernised, with parts of its facade covered, decorative gables removed and its balcony taken away.
A major restoration in the late 1990s eventually brought much of its Gothic character back, including a new gilded bee. Because no clear images of the original survived, the replacement was newly designed rather than being an exact replica. The aluminium bee is gilded with gold and weighs about 45 kilograms.
Now, another small piece of the building’s history is set to return. Haigh’s Chocolates CEO Peter Millard said the restoration was an opportunity to bring back a much-loved part of Adelaide’s streetscape.
“Beehive Corner has watched over this city for 130 years, and seeing the sign lit up again will bring back even more magic to this heritage landmark. We can’t wait for everyone to see it shine,” said Peter.
Restoring the neon signage is something we’ve wanted to do for a long time as a way to restore another piece of our heritage. Because the signage dates back to 1949, we needed to find a project team with the right expertise, to bring it back to life without compromising the original design or history behind it.
When the Haigh’s Chocolates sign lights up again, people will see it restored exactly as it was designed back 1949, with the project team involved making sure the restoration works stay true to its character.
The sign was first erected by Claude Neon, the company behind so much of the glowing neon signage that once filled Adelaide’s city streets. Lighting the sign isn’t just restoring a piece of Haigh’s history, it’s bringing back a genuine piece of that era to the city.
“Beehive Corner has been the flagship home of Haigh’s Chocolates for over a century, and it’s one of Adelaide’s most treasured landmarks. As custodians of this building, we take real pride in protecting its heritage,” said Peter Laforest.
“Over the decades, Beehive Corner has been a landmark meeting place for generations of South Australians. So many customers tell us about being brought there as a child by their grandparents for a Chocolate Frog and it’s lovely to see those same people now bringing their own grandchildren to do the same. It’s also an attraction for interstate and overseas travellers who come to try chocolate made by Australia’s oldest family-owned chocolate maker.”
Scaffolding will remain visible around the building’s facade while the work takes place, but Haigh’s says the Rundle Mall store will continue trading as normal. The restoration works are expected to be completed by the end of October, ahead of the busy summer trading period.
“We hope Adelaideans feel real pride when they see this building lit up again and recognise it for what it is, a landmark worth preserving and cherishing. Beehive Corner belongs to this city as much as it belongs to us, and we want it to keep bringing people joy for generations to come.”
For a corner that has spent more than a century helping Adelaideans find their way around the city, its return to the spotlight will be a fitting reminder of just how much history can be packed into one familiar meeting place.
