Generations of Exceptional History

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History of Our House

Ayers House holds a special place in the hearts of South Australians, more than a treasured icon, it’s a home filled with 160 years of memories. Just a decade after the state’s inception in 1834, Town Acre no. 30 was bought by William Paxton. Sir Henry Ayers arrived in 1840 from England to make his fortune and fortunately for us he did! Ayers leased the property from his friend for 16 years before finally securing the purchase in 1871. He then created the House as it stands today, enlisting Kingston as an architect to style a Colonial Victorian house of grand proportions. Kingston’s mark is not only on this house but Adelaide as a whole; he surveyed the city site and was the chief designer of Adelaide city for Colonial William Light, the founder of Adelaide.

South Australia’s Central Man Sir Henry Ayers was an illustrious and renowned man about town, Premier of the State seven times, Cabinet Minister 11 times and involved in many of the state’s institutions – its little wonder he chose to live in the city! To name a few; secretary of the Burra Copper Mines, founder of the Bank of Adelaide, trustee of the Savings Bank of South Australia, chairman of South Australian Gas Co., Governor of the Botanic Gardens Board and treasurer of the University of Adelaide. ‘Mr’ became ‘Sir’ in 1872 when Henry was knighted for his government’s role in bringing the overland telegraph service from Darwin to Adelaide opening communication with England, a vital link for the fledgling colony.

Ayers House Weddings & Events is a proudly family-owned business, with the same Director at the helm since 1991. Led by a talented team, we've transformed into one of Adelaide's premier event venues. With exceptional food, outstanding service, and a breathtaking atmosphere, our beautiful venue creates unforgettable events that leave lasting memories.

Our Heritage in Focus: Timeless Images of Ayers House

1867 - Lady Anne Ayers
1866 - Sir Henry Ayers
Former Dinning Room
Adelaide City Council Photos
1928 - House Exterior - Paxton's Cottage
Coach House & Stables with Rose Garden
1860 - House Exterior of the Ballroom and Verandah
1974 - House Exterior
1910 - House Exterior Western
1917 - Female Charity Workers
Vintage Wedding Charm
1980's Wedding Reception
A Ceremonial Arrival
1910 - Eastern View of House

More History

The house was the centre of Adelaide society for thirty years. Henry famously gave twice yearly parties in September and October with dancing in his Ballroom, coloured lighting festooning the trees and wines carefully selected from his cellar.
During Henry Ayers 7-time parliamentary service, the house was avenue for cabinet meetings, parliamentary dinners and grand balls.
After Sir Henry’s passing in 1897 the house stood vacant for some years, it was then bought by Austral Gardens Ltd in 1914, where it became with an open-air theatre and the roaring dance hall - Palais de Danse on the expansive grounds.
After World War I, Ayers House transformed into the Returning Soldiers League. It then served as a nursing home and training center for the Royal Adelaide Hospital from 1929 to 1969. Throughout the 20th century, this historic property evolved from a private residence to a government asset. Following various uses, including housing and training for nurses, the house was beautifully restored in the 1970s as a restaurant and events venue, celebrating its rich 19th-century heritage. Now under the custodianship of the National Trust of South Australia, Ayers House continues to preserve Adelaide’s colonial history as an iconic events venue managed by Ayers House Wedding & Events, solidifying its status as an important landmark in the city.
South Australian Premier and trend setter, Don Dunstan, had a bee in his bonnet to get the old house back into the center of Adelaide’s popular society. On 30th June 1973 Ayers House opened to acclaim with a fine dining restaurant and bistro. Visited by British Royalty, Princess Anne and serving Queen Elizabeth II it quickly became the place to be seen in Adelaide. A full silver service restaurant became a regular haunt for high society until the mid 90’s.
The magnificent Victorian styled glass conservatory extension, added in the mid-80’s, extended the bistro from the Coach House and stables into the gardens – still many Adelaidian’s claim “Paxton’s” as their favourite restaurant. A favourite for business (long) lunches, birthdays, anniversaries and, of course, weddings.
Today the tradition started by Sir Henry Ayers of lavish parties and dancing continues in style. His legacy is more than just bricks and beautiful spaces, it’s a house built for having fun! Your celebration will add to Ayers House’s illustrious history

Testimonials

A & N 2022

“Ayers House made planning our wedding a breeze, honestly the lead up to the big day, and on the night everything was perfect. I could not thank Deb and Richard more for all their help and patients.
I could not recommend them any higher. The food was outstanding, and the service was second to none. I will continue to recommend Ayers House to all my friends.”
A & M 2023

“What a beautiful day/night. This venue is amazing. From the start of the wedding to the finish of the night you could not fault. The food, staff and the reception room was five star in every way. As it was my niece and her partner it was important that it was a day to remember. Ayers house did not disappoint. Thank you for a wonderful wedding and will certainly recommend it to future functions”
B & L 2023

“Thank you so much to all your staff involved. Each and every staff member was friendly, efficient and courteous to us all and we felt very welcome and comfortable.
The food was superb and the service was amazing. And of course the beautiful venue is magnificent.
We can’t thank you enough for making the day so perfect for us”
D & T 2023

“Sophia and I wanted to pass on our thanks to you and the team for such a great wedding reception. The Conservatory looked beautiful, the food was delicious and all the staff were so helpful.
It all came together just as we had hoped for, and made the night very special.
We’ll definitely put in a good word for you guys amongst our friends in the future!”
G & J 2023

“Thank you so much, we had a lovely wedding. All our guest had a wonderful time and said it was the best wedding (venue and food especially) they’d been to!
WE wanted to thank everyone, especial the events manage Louise, who helped us with the ceremony after out morning of disasters made us run an hour late. We really appreciated the flexibility and being able to hold our ceremony in the ballroom still.
The food was incredibly delicious, even better than I remember at the tasting. The front of house staff were all lovely and very attentive, thank you to them all!”
L & P 2025

“We held our wedding reception in the Conservatory at Ayers House and could not fault it. It is a spectacular space and had such a wonderful atmosphere. The food was incredible and our guests have commented on it multiple times since - we certainly did not go hungry!
Laura was our event manager - She was clear, thorough and communicated extremely well. Her guidance throughout the whole process and on the day was outstanding and helped for a night that ran smoothly and calmly. Thank you so much!”
T & K 2025

“ A perfect day, everything was better than we could have ever excepted; Cannot express our gratitude enough to all the staff and planning involved on the day and in the lead up.
All the feedback received from guests was unanimously positive and one of the best weddings they have attended.”
T & D 2024

“Thank you so much to you and the team at Ayers house for making our day so special! All of our guests had a great time, with lots of compliments about the meals served and the ease of the night with the service from the staff as well as how beautiful Ayers House is. We could not be any happier with our decision to host our wedding at your stunning venue and will be forever thankful for how amazing everything was.”
W & K 2025

“We had our wedding reception in the Conservatory at Ayers House in January 2025. The staff were wonderful; the food and wine was wonderful; the venue was wonderful and we had the most beautiful time. We would absolutely recommend couples choose Ayers House for their reception - thank you so much!”
D & J 2025

“We had our wedding reception at Ayers House in April 2025, and it was truly the most incredible experience from start to finish. The venue itself is absolutely stunning full of elegance, charm, and that magical atmosphere that made our celebration feel so special. The service was exceptional, the food was amazing, and the entire setting made us (and our guests) feel like we were part of something out of a fairytale.
We had the absolute pleasure of working with Ria as our event manager for our wedding reception. From our very first meeting she was so warm, welcoming, and easy to talk to. She made us feel completely at ease throughout the whole planning process and made our day truly magical.”