Guided Tour of Urrbrae House – First Sunday of the Month 2025

See inside historic Urrbrae House (built 1891) with a small group guided tour. Each group is limited to a maximum of 12 people.

Bookings essential: we are unable to take cash at the door.

About this Event

In 1914 pastoralist and benefactor Peter Waite gifted his Urrbrae estate including the mansion house to the University of Adelaide to develop research and education in agricultural science. On this guided tour of Urrbrae House, you will hear about the life and times Peter (1834-1922), his wife Matilda (1836-1922) and their family. You will also learn about some of the unique features of the house. Did you know Urrbrae House was the first home in Adelaide to have electricity? The tour takes about 75 minutes. Before or after the tour you may enjoy the gardens and adjacent Waite Arboretum at your leisure at no charge. This tour is presented by University of Adelaide staff and volunteers.

Urrbrae House is located on the land of the Kaurna people at the Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide at Urrbrae.

Due to the original construction of Urrbrae House as a family home, visitors using wheelchairs and other mobility devices such as walkers can access the ground floor of the building only. This includes the following rooms: Main Hall, Drawing Room, Arboretum Exhibition Room, Dining Room, Peter Waite Exhibition Room, Butler’s Pantry and Servery. The lower ground floor rooms are accessed by stairs only. For those who cannot manage stairs, please purchase a “Limited Access” ticket. For those using wheelchairs and other mobility devices access to Urrbrae House is via the eastern glass door of the house. Accessible parking is available at the rear of Urrbrae House, enter the Waite Campus, off Gate 3 from Waite Road, Urrbrae.

Free parking is available in the Urrbrae House carpark on Walter Young Avenue, Urrbrae. Further visitor information can be found at: https://www.adelaide.edu.au/waite-historic/visitor-information

Purchased tickets for this tour are not refundable nor able to be exchanged to another session. Refunds will only be issued if the event is cancelled by Urrbrae House.