WILLIAM MORRIS IN ADELAIDE

Day 1 | Tuesday 3 November
Arrival & Introduction
Our tour begins late afternoon when we meet in our hotel for welcome drinks and an introductory talk from tour leader, Christopher Menz. Dinner follows at a nearby restaurant. Overnight Adelaide (D)

Day 2 | Wednesday 4 November
Morris in Adelaide
This morning we walk to the nearby Art Gallery of South Australia, which holds one of the world’s largest collections of William Morris furnishings, much of it originally purchased direct from the firm by the wealthy and prominent Barr Smith family, one of Morris & Co’s major international clients. We have a tour of the gallery’s permanent collection, where much of the Morris Collection is held, with a privileged look at several items not currently on display. After free time in the gallery and a break for lunch, we visit the adjacent State Library which holds a number of beautiful, handcrafted volumes published by the Kelmscott Press, founded by Morris in 1891. We then continue to the former Adelaide Stock Exchange building where we see the stunning stained-glass window commemorating Australian Federation, commissioned from Morris & Co. in 1901, before enjoying afternoon tea. On return to our hotel, the evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, AT)

Day 3 | Thursday 5 November
Carrick Hill
Joining our coach this morning we drive to Carrick Hill, the lovely former home of Edward and Ursula Hayward, built in the Adelaide foothills in the 1930s and bequeathed to the state of South Australia after Sir Edward’s death. Set amongst 40 hectares of gardens and built in the style of an English manor house, the Haywards sourced much of Carrick Hill’s interior from the demolished Beaudesert estate in Staffordshire in England, including the imposing central staircase. Born into the Barr Smith family, Ursula shared the family’s love of Morris textiles, and we can find many of the family’s soft furnishings and embroidered pieces at the house, together with the Hayward’s extensive art collection. After lunch at the café on site, we return to Adelaide where we see some of the magnificent stained-glass windows commissioned for Adelaide’s churches from Morris & Co: Unley Park Baptist Church, St Augustine’s Anglican Church and All Souls’ St Peters. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

Day 4 | Friday 6 November
The Cedars
This morning we head to the Adelaide Hills where we have a private guided tour of The Cedars, the gracious family home and studio of artists Hans Heysen and his daughter Nora, located near Hahndorf. The house, regarded as one of the most intact examples of an Arts and Crafts interior in Australia, is surrounded by the towering gum trees for which Heysen became famous. Here we see sketches, materials and many original works by both Hans and Nora as well as the Model T Ford and early camping trailer which took Heysen into his beloved Flinders Ranges. There is also time to explore the extensive gardens before we rejoin our coach and continue to Mount Lofty where we enjoy panoramic views over the Piccadilly Valley and a luxurious High Tea style lunch at elegant Mount Lofty House. From here it’s a short drive to Mount Lofty Botanic Gardens where we stroll amongst the garden’s beautiful cold climate plantings, which should be showing some spectacular late spring colours. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, L) 

Day 5 | Saturday 7 November
Gardens & Art | Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition
On our final morning we walk the short distance to the city’s Botanic Gardens, a lovely oasis in the heart of Adelaide and a contrast to its hilly Mt Lofty counterpart. After a gentle stroll and a break for coffee among the palms and heritage glasshouses, we retrace our steps along North Terrace to the Art Gallery of South Australia for a special visit to Monet to Matisse: Defying Tradition. Exclusive to Adelaide, this landmark exhibition brings together 57 works from the Toledo Museum of Art in Ohio, many travelling to Australia for the first time. The display traces a century of artistic revolution – from Monet’s shimmering landscapes and Cézanne’s analytical still lifes to the bold colours of Matisse and the radical abstraction of Picasso and de Kooning – charting how successive generations of artists defied the conventions of their day. Highlights include Van Gogh’s Wheat Fields with Reaper, Auvers and Monet’s late Water Lilies, set alongside select works from AGSA’s own collection to create fresh dialogues across time and style.Our tour finishes after our visit and in time for late afternoon flights home. (B)