Did you know some of the oldest hotels in South Australia can be found in North Adelaide? The British Hotel (1837) on Finniss Street and the Queen's Head Hotel (1838) on Kermode Street were among the first hotels established in the colony of South Australia.

Today, North Adelaide has eleven pubs in total: five in upper North Adelaide, four in lower North Adelaide, and two in the cathedral grid. Most of the upper North Adelaide pubs are located on O'Connell Street: the Caledonian Hotel, the Royal Oak Hotel, the Oxford Hotel and The Archer Hotel; while The Wellington Hotel is located further west on Wellington Square. Lower North Adelaide has the Old Lion Hotel, Kentish Arms Hotel, Lord Melbourne Hotel and the British Hotel. You will find the Queen's Head Hotel and the Cathedral Hotel in the cathedral grid, both popular with patrons heading to the football or cricket at Adelaide Oval.

There are also several hotels that are no longer operating: the heritage-listed Dover Castle Hotel on Archer Street is no longer a hotel, having been turned into apartments; and the North Adelaide Hotel (most recently The Daniel O'Connell) on Tynte Street is not currently operating.

Here's a selection of historical photographs of North Adelaide's pubs through the ages.

Photos and text sourced from the State Library of South Australia.