Beehive Corner facts for kids

Architectural detail of Beehive Corner

Beehive Corner in 1849

Bee Hive corner opposite Waterhouse's corner in 1866. Waterhouse Chambers still looks similar today.

Looking towards Rundle Mall from King William Street at night.

The Beehive Corner is a famous building in the heart of Adelaide city centre. It stands on the corner of King William Street and Rundle Street. This spot is very central, located between the train station and the main shopping area.

History of Beehive Corner

The building got its name from a shop called "The Beehive." This shop sold fabrics and clothes, and it opened in October 1849. The name "Beehive" was chosen by the first owners. They wanted to show that it was a very busy place for trading, just like a beehive is busy with bees!

In 1895, the old building was replaced with the one we see today. This new building was designed by architects English and Soward. It had four shops facing King William Street and three shops facing Rundle Street.

Building Design Details

The new Beehive Buildings were designed to look like old Gothic castles. They had fancy pointy decorations and decorative railings. A special turret, which is a small tower, sticks out from the main corner. This turret is topped with a golden beehive and a bee! You can also see the words 'Beehive Corner 1895' carved into the turret. The columns between the shop windows were made of strong granite.

In 1950, a famous chocolate maker, C. A. Haigh, bought the main corner part of the building. His company, Haigh's Chocolates, had been renting the space for about 35 years.

In 1998, the building's old-style front and its prominent small tower were repaired. This helped keep its unique look.

Beehive Corner in Popular Culture

For more than 100 years, people in Adelaide have used the phrase "Meet you at the Beehive Corner." It's a very common way to pick a meeting spot in the city.

There were other popular meeting spots nearby too. "Stump's Corner" was directly across King William Street. It was named after a photographer who had a big sign on his studio. "Muirhead's Corner" was diagonally opposite. It was the site of a large clothing store.

34°55′22″S 138°35′59″E / 34.922857°S 138.599764°E / -34.922857; 138.599764