Vignette 123: Wills Court

Inside the University’s North Terrace campus, hidden in plain sight between lofty buildings, is Wills Court, a haven of quiet and tranquillity.

Built in 1973, it was a collaboration between architect David Cant, landscape architect Ian Barwick, and the then Head of the University’s Botany Department, Dr Brian Walmsley. Walmsley was influential in selecting the courtyard’s Australian natives. It is named after Sir Kenneth Agnew Wills (1896–1977), Deputy Chancellor, Chancellor and benefactor, 
who was active in promoting the welfare of both students and staff.

Stairs from Goodman Crescent connect this old but important space with the new, forming one of the main entrances to Hub Central. The courtyard’s design needed to account for the dramatic change in elevation down from the edge of North Terrace to the banks of the River Torrens, and its designers met that challenge. Whether sitting near the pool or hurrying past the courtyard to Hub Central, you will not fail to notice the courtyard’s central feature, the 2 m waterfall, tumbling down into the pool.

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Providing a place. p.167