A little piece of Adelaide’s history is making an extraordinary comeback, more than 100 years after it disappeared.
The former home of Colonel William Light, the man responsible for designing Adelaide’s original city layout, is set to be reimagined as the centrepiece of a beautiful new $4 million public park at Southwark Grounds.
And while the original cottage won’t be rebuilt brick by brick, its return will be something rather special, combining striking modern architecture, historic discoveries and lush gardens in one of Adelaide’s newest neighbourhoods.
The new Colonel Light Park will take shape on the site of Theberton Cottage, where Light built his home in 1839.
The cottage was demolished in the 1920s, but during excavation works in 2023, workers uncovered something remarkable beneath the former West End Brewery site: the original brick foundations and an old well.
Rather than simply covering over the discovery, the new park will bring the story of the cottage back to life.
Three striking architectural peaks will recreate the shape of the home’s original roofline, standing directly above the site where the cottage once stood.
Visitors will be able to walk through the installation along three pathways, each symbolising an important connection in Light’s story: the River Torrens, Adelaide’s CBD and Gulf St Vincent.
The original brick foundations will remain safely preserved underground, while the installation will offer views into the historic well.
But there’s much more planned than a history lesson.
The 2,460-square-metre park will include a sprawling green lawn, paved seating areas and an English-style garden inspired by the cottage’s original grounds.
Around 60 trees and more than 3,000 plants and shrubs will transform the space into a leafy retreat where locals can enjoy lunch, meet friends or simply escape the bustle of the city.
Designed by ASPECT Studios, the landscape architecture firm behind nearby Bowden Park, alongside heritage specialists Mulloway Studio, the park has been created to feel like an extension of the surrounding neighbourhood.
“The installation acts as a wayfinding marker and a moment of discovery, designed to bring people into the park,” ASPECT Studios Director Tim Conybeare said.
“Through careful consideration of the placement of trees, gardens and structural elements, we wanted to maximise the variety of spaces – a place to connect with friends and family, a place to sit and read a book or just a place to wander through.”
There’s another interesting piece of Adelaide’s past getting a makeover, too.
A tiny, heritage-listed red-brick transformer building on Holland Street, dating back to the early 1900s, will be restored as part of the park entrance.
Discussions are underway about potentially turning the six-square-metre building into a miniature exhibition space, with new glass windows displaying historic artefacts discovered during the cottage excavation or local artworks.
The park will also sit alongside the first planned cafes, restaurants and retail spaces at Southwark Grounds, which will occupy the ground floor of The Bond apartment building.
Colonel Light Park is expected to be completed in 2028/29, alongside The Bond. Renewal SA
It’s all part of the enormous transformation of the former West End Brewery site, which closed in 2021 after more than a century of brewing history.
The 8.4-hectare Southwark Grounds development is set to eventually welcome around 1,700 homes, along with new hospitality, shopping and community spaces.
Colonel Light Park will be the first of three major public spaces, with future plans including a revitalised riverbank celebrating the area’s Kaurna heritage and a large central green space near the historic Walkerville Brew Tower.
The first residents are expected to move into the neighbourhood over the coming months, with 17 townhouses at Founder’s Row nearing completion.
For a site that has seen everything from early colonial settlement to more than a century of brewing, its next chapter promises to bring an exciting new gathering place to Adelaide’s inner west.
Colonel Light Park at Southwark Grounds
Where: Southwark Grounds, former West End Brewery site, Southwark
When: Expected completion 2028/29
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