Three Rivers Fountain Adelaide, Adelaide — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Three Rivers Fountain in Victoria Square tells the story of where Adelaide's water comes from, and it does so with three striking bronze and marble figures rising from the spray.

Designed by South Australian artist John Dowie, the fountain represents the three main rivers that supply the city: the Torrens, the Onkaparinga, and the Murray. The Torrens is depicted as a woman holding a swan, the Onkaparinga as a woman with a heron, and the Murray as an Aboriginal man holding an ibis. The two female figures represent the European cultivation of the land along each river, while the male figure symbolises the historical and continuing Indigenous presence along the Murray.

The fountain was commissioned to commemorate the visit of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip to Adelaide in 1968, and it was the Duke of Edinburgh himself who switched it on during the visit on May 28, 1968. The idea had been floating around since 1962, when architect and alderman James Irwin first proposed a commemorative fountain for Victoria Square.

In 2012, the Three Rivers Fountain was placed on the South Australian Heritage Register. When Victoria Square was redeveloped starting in 2013, the fountain was carefully relocated to the southern side of the square, where it stands today.

If you're exploring Adelaide on a Questo quest, Victoria Square is a natural landmark on the route. The fountain's three figures might hold a clue worth examining up close.