White's Rooms

White's Rooms, later known as Adelaide Assembly Room, was a privately owned function centre which opened in 1856 on King William Street, Adelaide. It became Garner's Theatre in 1880, then passed through several, hands being known as the Tivoli theatre, Bijou theatre, Star picture theatre and finally in 1916 the Majestic Theatre and Hotel.

George White (1813 – 12 November 1876) was a Gloucestershire tailor who emigrated with his family to South Australia on the Royal Admiral, arriving in Adelaide in January 1838. He set up a tailoring business in Hindley Street, then took up a position with William Pearce in Rundle Street. Pearce quit the business in May 1843, and White purchased much of his stock, and around 1852 moved to larger premises in King William Street (which later became the public bar of the Clarence Hotel). His Assembly Rooms were opened on 26 June 1856 with a Grand Masonic Ball, and were for many years the only place of public entertainment in the city.

In 1878 Thomas Waterhouse purchased the property from George White's estate, and it remained in that family for many decades.

The building at 80–88 King William Street was designed by George Kingston. Its Assembly Room was 41 by 86 feet (12 m × 26 m) with a 30-foot-high (9.1 m) ceiling, and the complex included offices, retail business spaces and an Arbitration Room, where daytime auction sales, meetings, and other gatherings were held, and was co-located with the Clarence Hotel.

The place was remodelled several times to keep abreast of the competition, (one major upgrade was superintended by E. J. Woods)

Below the main hall, founded in 1856 and attached to the Clarence Hotel, was Bayston & Aldridge's restaurant, from November 1858 solely managed by George Aldridge. It was here that John McDouall Stuart was given a grand reception, presided by Sir Dominic Daly, on the evening of 21 January 1863, on his return from crossing the continent from south to north. Then in 1868 Aldridge left to take over the restaurant associated with the new theatre in Hindley Street, and F. W. Lindrum, father of Frederick and Walter Lindrum, took it over, naming it "Shades" or "Adelaide Shades". One of the large underground halls was set up by him as a billiard saloon, the finest in the city.

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