WILLIAM MORRIS IN ADELAIDE

Day 1 | Tuesday 21 October
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 Jolley’s Boathouse, a lovely riverside restaurant which is a pleasant, relaxed stroll from our hotel. Overnight Adelaide (D)

Day 2 | Wednesday 22 October
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 23 October
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, including the Unley Park Baptist Church and St Augustine’s Anglican Church. Returning to the hotel the evening is at leisure. Overnight Adelaide (B, L)

Day 4 | Friday 24 October
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 Hanhdorf. 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 25 October
Gardens & Art
On our last 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 our walk and a break for coffee in the gardens, we retrace our steps up North Terrace to the Art Gallery where we visit the Too Deadly exhibition, showcasing ten years of the Tarnanthi Festival, a celebration of contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and featuring over 200 works selected from previous festivals. Our tour finishes after our visit and in time for late afternoon flights home. (B)