Meet me at Johnnies | Carrick Hill celebrates the department store that defined Adelaide

Say the words “Meet me at Johnnies” to anyone who grew up in Adelaide, and watch what happens. Eyes brighten. Stories tumble out. The Christmas windows. The Magic Cave. The tearoom where mothers ordered pots of tea while children fidgeted in their Sunday best.

For much of the twentieth century, John Martin’s Department Store stood at the heart of Adelaide’s social and commercial life. It was where you bought your wedding dress, your first grown-up suit, your child’s school uniform. It was where you met friends before the pictures, where you celebrated milestones, where the city itself seemed to come alive each November with the arrival of the Christmas Pageant.

Now, a new exhibition at Carrick Hill invites South Australians to step back into that golden era. Meet Me at Johnnies! Celebrating The Hayward Years at John Martin’s opens on 6 August and runs until 31 October, exploring the remarkable connection between the store and the family whose home Carrick Hill once was.