Trades Hall Lane Mural, Adelaide — Visitor Guide & Things to Do Nearby

The Trades Hall Lane Mural in Adelaide pays tribute to a building that no longer stands but whose legacy shaped the rights of workers across South Australia.

The original Trades Hall was built on the north side of Grote Street near Victoria Square in 1895-1896, funded entirely by the Trades and Labor Council using self-raised funds. The site was purchased for £1,000, and construction moved fast, with the building opening to the public on March 14, 1896. For decades, it served as the hub of South Australia's trade union movement, the place where workers organised, strategised, and fought for better conditions.

By the 1960s, the movement had outgrown the building. On September 23, 1972, Premier Don Dunstan opened a much larger Trades Hall on South Terrace. The original Grote Street building was eventually demolished, but its story lives on through the mural.

The mural itself, created by artist Tristan Kerr in 2019, is painted on the side of the Eynesbury Senior College Building on Trades Hall Lane. It's part of Adelaide's thriving street art scene, which has become increasingly supported and celebrated through public art initiatives.

If you're on a Questo quest through Adelaide's centre, Trades Hall Lane is the kind of spot that rewards curiosity. The mural connects you to a piece of the city's history that you won't find in most guidebooks.