Ayers House (Adelaide)

Ayers House is the current name of a historic manor house in North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia.

It is named after Sir Henry Ayers, a five-time Prime Minister of South Australia and a wealthy industrialist who lived there from 1855 to 1897. It is the only surviving mansion on North Terrace. The house has been on the South Australian Heritage Register since July 1980. Built of local bluestone and in the Regency style, it is said to have been designed by George Strickland Kingston, who interpreted the work of Robert Kerr, a leading architect in Britain at the time. It's in good condition. The interiors of the rooms feature hand-painted ceilings, stenciled woodwork and Ayers family memorabilia demonstrating the wealth of the owners at the time of construction. Ayers also commissioned a basement to escape Adelaide's hot summers. During its owner's parliamentary service, the house was the scene of cabinet meetings, parliamentary dinners and grand balls. It was one of the first buildings in Adelaide to be fitted with gas lighting.