Southwark Grounds Decade-Long Apartment Rollout Under Way

The developer of the first apartments to come to market at an inner-Adelaide renewal site where the well-known West End brewery once stood expects to start construction in early 2027.

Adelaide developer and builder Samaras is planning an 11-storey apartment tower dubbed The Bond at the 8.4ha Southwark Grounds precinct at Thebarton, 3km west of Adelaide’s general post office.

Government land development agency Renewal SA is the brains behind Southwark Gardens—spokesperson Matt Hogan said the 125-apartment project was the start of a decade-long pipeline of apartment sales across multiple projects.

Hogan said at least 20 per cent of The Bond’s apartments would be offered as affordable homes through HomeSeeker SA, in line with government requirements for all developments at Southwark Grounds.

The building comprises one, tw- and three-bedroom apartments, and will include retail and hospitality tenancies on the ground floor fronting a newly created park.

The project, designed by Adelaide firm SMFA, includes a three-level podium clad in an industrial-inspired palette of tile, brick and concrete. The podium’s rooftop will have barbecue and outdoor dining areas, lounges, a lawn and planter boxes with trees.

▲ The Bond is the first apartment release at the 8.4ha Southwark Grounds urban renewal site.

SMFA director Scott Meek said the design focused on liveability and the open space around the project.

“The building leans into what Southwark is about: affordable quality,” he said.

“It’s designed to create a genuine sense of place, connecting into its surroundings rather than sitting apart from them.”

The building takes its name from the idea of connection between people, place, shared spaces and Southwark Grounds’ industrial past.

Samaras’ construction and developments director Chris Samaras said the building would take about two years to complete. He anticipated the first residents would move in in late 2028.

The apartments’ marketing starts as the first townhouses at Southwark Grounds, a project called Founder’s Row, take shape. External building work there is almost complete and the first residents are on track to move in this year.

Adelaide civil construction company Catcon has started building roads around the townhouses, including an upgraded entry to Winwood Street from busy Port Road.

Renewal SA has engaged heritage design company Mulloway Studio and landscape architect Aspect Studio to develop plans for a large park to connect Founder’s Row and The Bond.

To be named after the military man who planned Adelaide in the 1830s, Colonel Light’s Park will include a lawn, paved footpaths, mature trees and garden seats near a state heritage listed area where the remains of Light’s cottage and garden are buried.

In May, a planning code amendment increased housing capacity at Southwark Grounds by about 400 homes, enabling buildings up to 14 storeys where about 1700 homes are now planned.

The South Australian-founded West End brewery closed in 2021 when production shifted to the eastern seaboard.