Oc 1986 | Commonwealth commissions an external review report of the ‘Customs House Complex’ |
10 Apr 1987 | Customs Department vacates Customs House building |
1989 | State Government purchases the old Customs House and neighbouring buildings |
10 Jan 1991 | ‘Redevelopment scheme for 1879 Customs House’ – proposal for the Grand Customs Luxury Hotel’ (did not proceed) [Messenger] |
13 Sep 1993 | DA submitted by Neville Smith & Co for the redevelopment of Customs House Precinct. -Customs House to become a backpackers hostel and restaurant plus plans for other Precinct buildings (did not proceed) |
10 Nov 1993 | ‘$7m boost fort Port Adelaide’ – Premier Arnold announces Fishermen’s Wharf development by Neville Smith & Co to include Shed 1, Customs House and other properties under the Port Centre Project [Advertiser] |
Nov 1993 | Report ‘Port Adelaide Customs House – Summary Conservation Management Plan’ (McDougall & Vines) |
5 Nov 1998 | Neville Smith and Co purchases Customs House [$550,000]. |
26 Nov 1998 | ‘Customs House/Serviced Apartments’ – JLW/TransACT advertise for expression of interest for to Leasehold Hotel Operators [Advertiser] |
2 Dec 1998 | ‘Dockland gets new strip’ Landmark building (Customs House) to be revamped at a cost of $3.5m and returned to its glory days [Advertiser] |
23 Feb 2011 | ‘Council push to clean up Port’ – Mayor lobbies State Government – Customs House is a priority [Messenger] |
30 Nov 2011 | ‘Bid for heritage clean-up stalled’ Local Government Minister says ‘reduce rates and give grants’ [Messenger] |
16 Dec 2011 | ‘Derelict Building Clean-up bid rejected’ Proposal for new laws rejected –‘use carrot not stick’ [Messenger] |
8 May 2013 | ‘Alarm raised over of cement falling from Customs House in Port Adelaide’ – a 4kg lump of cement falls from the building onto footpath [Advertiser] |
10 Feb 2014 | ‘Masonry work starts at Port Adelaide Customs House on Commercial Rd’ Includes façade repaint. $180k cost equally shared with government. Additional window repair by owner [Messenger] |
25 May 2016 | ‘Big bucks roll in Port projects’ Customs to transformed into an art gallery and hospitality complex under a $2.5m upgrade [Advertiser] |
16 Feb 2017 | ‘This will be the catalyst for the rebirth of Port Adelaide’ Hans Ehmann’s $200m vision’. Work on Customs House is scheduled to begin within 2 years [Messenger] |
27 Feb 2017 | ‘Customs House in Port to be restored and converted into an Art Gallery’. ‘Work to commence in the next year or two’. Once restored it will be ‘handed over to the Council to manage’ [Messenger] |
18 May 2024 | ‘Its history in the making’ Port Adelaide’s inner harbour is poised for the most significant redevelopment in decades, with a $20m overhaul of the landmark Customs House [Advertiser]. |
13 Jun 2024 | ‘My Vision for Port Adelaide’ Hans Ehmann presentation to Rotary at the British Hotel |
As our local suburbs expand, candidates must address the complex balance between rapid modernization and heritage preservation. The upcoming forum will deeply explore three newly defined strategic challenges:
Smart Urban Planning: Modernizing local infrastructure, improving public transport connectivity, and creating walkable, family-friendly green corridors without losing the classic character of our maritime district.
Climate Resilience & Green Spaces: Expanding the urban tree canopy to fight rising summer temperatures, protecting our marine ecology, and investing in eco-friendly community infrastructure.
Cultural Integration & Arts: Uplifting Port Adelaide’s famous local arts scene, supporting indigenous cultural projects, and funding community festivals that drive local pride and unity.
Real change happens when community members step up and voice their opinions. This upcoming interactive town hall meeting is fully accessible to everyone—whether you want to attend in person to look your candidates in the eye, or participate from the comfort of your home via our interactive digital stream.
Your concerns deserve to be heard. We invite you to use the registration form on the right to secure your seat and submit your custom feedback. All questions will be compiled securely and put forward by an unbiased panel.
