Vignette 117: Hartley Building

The Hartley Building opened in 1925 as the first permanent home for the Adelaide Teacher’s College. It is named after JA Hartley, Inspector of Education between 1875 and 1896, although it did not gain his name until the 1960s. The University acquired the building in 1991 as part of a merger with the College’s City Campus.

The building’s design—its towers, wide colonnades, and terracotta tiles—reflect the Spanish Mission style, which was popular at the time, but mainly in domestic architecture. The Hartley Building is among the few large buildings in Adelaide to exhibit the style. Its designer was George Gavin Lawson, a noted South Australian architect.

As of 1986, the Hartley Building is registered as a State Heritage Place. 

The University of Adelaide: 150 Years of Making History.  Providing a place. p.159