Rundle Mall facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Rundle Mall

Rundle Mall looking west with Regent Arcade on the left and David Jones on the right (2009)
Location	Adelaide, South Australia
Opening date	September 1976; 48 years ago (1976-09)
No. of stores and services	1,000
Parking	yes
Website	rundlemall.com

Rundle Mall is a famous street in Adelaide, South Australia. It's a special place where only people can walk, not cars! It opened in September 1976. Before that, it was just a regular street called Rundle Street.

This mall is now the main shopping area in Adelaide. It has some of the most expensive shops in the whole state. Rundle Mall is a big competitor to other large shopping centers outside the city.

You'll find the main stores for many big Australian shops here. There are also lots of smaller, unique shops and places to eat. These are often found inside covered walkways called arcades or open areas called plazas. Some famous ones include Adelaide Arcade, which was the first shop in Australia with electric lights! People even say six ghosts live there.

You can often see talented street performers in the mall. They have permission from the Adelaide City Council to entertain shoppers. Most of the shops in Rundle Mall are open every day of the week.

History of Rundle Mall

Rundle Street looking west in 1938. Adelaide Arcade and the Regent Theatre are on the left.

Rundle Mall is named after John Rundle. He was a member of the British Parliament and helped start the South Australia Company. The street got its name on May 23, 1837.

In 1895, Rundle Street was one of the first places to get electric street lights. Trams also used to run right through it when it was still a normal street.

In November 1972, the leader of South Australia, Don Dunstan, decided to close part of Rundle Street. He wanted to make it a pedestrian mall because too many cars and people made it very crowded. Rundle Mall officially opened on September 1, 1976.

Today, only police and other special government vehicles can drive on the mall. They need special permission. Rundle Mall is also a "dry zone," meaning you can't drink strong drinks there. It's also a smoke-free zone.

Cool Things to See

The Rundle Mall Fountain outside Adelaide Arcade in 2010.

The Spheres, also known as "The Mall's Balls", in November 2008.

Rundle Mall has some fun and interesting sculptures. The most famous one is called The Spheres. It's a huge sculpture by Bert Flugelman. It has two big, shiny steel balls, each over 2 meters wide, balanced on top of each other. Most people just call them the Mall's Balls. They are a popular meeting spot for everyone visiting the mall. They were put there in 1977.

Another fun sculpture is a group of life-size bronze pigs. Their names are Horatio, Truffles, Augusta, and Oliver. They look like they are digging around a rubbish bin!

You can also see the historic Beehive Corner. It was finished in 1896 and is at the western end of the mall. It looks like a church because it's built in a special style called Neo-gothic. The mall also has an old fountain from the late 1800s. It's painted in old-fashioned Victorian colors.

Rundle Mall also has a giant screen called the ELITEM Rundle Mall Super Screen. It shows city news and messages from local businesses. At the eastern end of the mall, there's a big light display called the Rundle Lantern.

In 2013, a giant cockroach statue was added to the mall. It was found in a junk yard and cleaned up. Police once reported two men for dragging the statue along the mall!

Mall Upgrades

In 1995 and 1996, Rundle Mall got its first big makeover. Many of the old features were replaced. New market stalls were also put in the middle of the mall. These stalls were later removed in 2013.

In the 1990s, there were even escalators in the middle of Rundle Mall! But they were taken down later.

In 2013, the Adelaide City Council started a big $27 million project to upgrade the mall. This work took about 16 months. They put in new paving, benches, trees, and bins. They also planned a special lighting system with tall poles and lights on buildings.

In June 2015, more money was needed to finish the lighting and fix some water drainage issues. The new lighting system was finally completed in November 2015.

Shops and Buildings

Rundle Place opened in 2014.

Most buildings on Rundle Mall have a few shops inside. There are also many larger arcades and shopping centers that connect to the mall. No single company owns all the shops in the mall.

Here are some of the main shopping spots with direct access from the mall:

• Adelaide Arcade
• Adelaide Central Plaza
• Citi Centre Arcade
• City Cross Arcade
• The Myer Centre
• Regent Arcade
• Renaissance Arcade
• Rundle Mall Plaza
• Rundle Place

You can also find shops in smaller laneways or other arcades nearby:

• Charles Street Plaza
• Da Costa Arcade
• Gays Arcade
• Rundle Arcade
• Southern Cross Arcade
• Twin Street Arcade

Some public laneways that lead off the mall include James Place, Charles Street, Twin Street, and Gawler Place. These also have many shops.

Big Stores You'll Find

Here are some of the biggest department stores in Rundle Mall:

• David Jones
• Myer
• Target
• Kmart

Other large and popular shops include:

• Apple Store
• Best & Less
• Coles Supermarkets
• Dymocks Bookstore
• JB Hi-Fi
• Rebel Sport
• Woolworths Supermarkets

Many other stores have been in Rundle Mall in the past, like Borders, John Martin's, and Toys "R" Us.

Images for kids

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  Interior of The Adelaide Arcade

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  Pop up florist in the mall

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  Pop up drink stall outside of Rundle Place

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  The atrium of the Myer Centre from the third floor

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  One of the famous bronze pigs

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  Apple Store, Rundle Mall, Adelaide

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  Rundle Mall in the evening, partially closed for redevelopment (May 2013)

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  Fruit stalls in the mall

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  Crowds in the mall during a march, near the Target store