The Ash Wednesday Bushfire of February 1983 swept over Mount Lofty Summit and destroyed the kiosk (controversial for its ugliness) which had served visitors since 1958. The Flinders Memorial Column survived.
For 14 years thereafter, the Summit was a barren waste of asphalt, occasionally visited by an ice cream van. Nevertheless, because of its panoramic views, the site remained a very popular destination for tourists, with more than 300,000 visitors per year.
At last, early in 1997, a redevelopment was completed, with a restaurant cum function centre, a gift shop and information centre, and refurbished surrounds, including much planting, all designed by the noted French-born architect Guy Maron (who also designed the Bicentennial Conservatory in the Adelaide Botanic Gardens).
A little-known, and piquant, fact is that the redevelopment reduced the height of Mount Lofty by 1.4 metres.
Sources: Courier, 15 January 1997, 30 July 1997; Advertiser, 9 January 1997. Images: SATC, Venyu
If you have recollections, knowledge or further information that you would like to share about the people, places or events described here, then please contact us at mldhs@mtloftyhistoricalsociety.org.au
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