Wallis Cinemas Plots 100-Key Hotel for Adelaide Hills

A South Australian entertainment company that has operated cinemas for more than 70 years has filed plans for its next feature presentation—a 100-key hotel at its Mount Barker entertainment precinct.

The five-storey accommodation facility would be built for a reported $45 million and aim to address regional tourism demand in the Adelaide Hills.

The development, submitted by Tohspil Pty Ltd through its Wallis Cinemas brand, comprises a 100-room hotel at 17 Adelaide Road, Mount Barker, 28km south-east of Adelaide.

The building, designed by Walter Brooke & Associates, would sit between the existing heritage Oak & Iron Tavern and Dumas Street.

The hotel would operate as four-star tourist accommodation comprising 25 rooms per floor across four accommodation levels.

Ground-floor facilities would include lobby, reception, undercroft valet parking and back-of-house operations, while guests would access dining and entertainment through the existing Oak & Iron Tavern and cinema complex.

The curved building design incorporates travertine tiling and gold aluminium battening, with full-height glazing facing the landscaped gardens.

▲ Rendering of the proposed Wallis Cinemas at Mount Barker.

The South Australian Tourism Commission has provided written support for the project, highlighting accommodation shortages in premium tourism markets within the Adelaide Hills region.

The development aims to complement existing precinct offerings without alterations to heritage buildings or formal gardens.

Tohspil Pty Ltd operates under three-generation family leadership and the Wallis family entered property development in 1991 with the acquisition and restoration of the heritage-listed Auchendarroch House.

The company operates cinemas at Mitcham, Noarlunga, and North Adelaide, as well as the integrated Mount Barker precinct that combines heritage hospitality, dining and entertainment facilities.

▲ The 2100sq m hotel site forms part of a larger 2.023ha allotment zoned for Community Facilities at Mount Barker.

The Wallis family’s entertainment legacy began with Hugh Wallis opening Adelaide’s first drive-in cinema (Australia’s second), the Blueline at West Beach in December of 1953, after abandoning his refrigeration business in favour of his passion for film.

The family rapidly expanded across South Australia with drive-ins from Gepps Cross to rural towns such as Renmark and Clare, that included kiosks, playgrounds and even pony rides as well as the main attraction.

While most drive-ins had closed by the 1990s, the Mainline at Gepps Cross survives through the addition of a popular Sunday market by Hugh’s son, Bob.

The Mount Barker hotel proposal follows broader expansion plans announced in December of 2024, for the precinct that include a rooftop function centre for more than 300 people, entertainment venues featuring duckpin bowling, laser tag, two nine-hole crazy minigolf courses, arcade games, and performance spaces with live theatre capabilities.

The application requires Performance Assessment under the Planning and Design Code, with public notification and referral to the State Heritage Unit.

Construction would begin in 2025 subject to planning consent, with completion targeted for late 2026.

Hotel development activity is on the rise in Mount Barker—Accord Property filed plans in May for a 120-room hotel at Bald Hills Road.

Also at Mount Barker, Victorian developer Jinding last week won approval for its first SA development, a $180-million masterplanned community.