The Exeter Hotel is a historic hotel located on Rundle Street in Adelaide, Australia. The hotel obtained a liquor licence on 13 March 1851.

Venue: Exeter Hotel
Address: 246-248 Rundle Street Adelaide 5000
Town: Adelaide, AU

The Exeter Hotel is a historic hotel located on Rundle Street in Adelaide, Australia. The hotel obtained a liquor licence on 13 March 1851. The original proprietor was Robert Radford. The hotel was named after Mr Radford's home town of Exeter in England. Radford had moved to Adelaide from Tasmania in 1850. A Mr Glover opposed the application for a licence (it appears Mr Glover was another publican), but the licence was granted in any event. The hotel originally provided, apart from food and drink, lodgings for travellers, and a stables. The Supreme Court of South Australia case of Wayland v Taylor concerns a dispute between a contractor and a sub-contractor for building work done in relation to the hotel in 1851. On 19 May 1851 a meeting of residents of the north-east corner of Adelaide took place at the hotel, to consider proposals for a road from the city through the Parklands to Kensington and Norwood. In July 1851, a number of concerts were given at the hotel by a group known as the 'Ohio Serenaders'. Thus began a long history of the hotel hosting a wide range of musicians. On 1 September 1851 Rebecca Cludans, a little girl, was convicted for obtaining gin from Laura Radford, who worked at the hotel, by pretending she was acquiring it on an errand for an adult. This was not the only crime that occurred at the hotel at this time. Also in September 1851, a forger and lunatic, Henry Baker, was found drinking at the Hotel by a policeman, and subsequently arrested. On 14 December in the same year, the publican Mr Radford accepted a watch from an August von Nontzen, a "burly German", who was leaving the colony, as payment for his debts to Mr Radford. It transpired von Nontzen had stolen the watch from a young lady, Jean Morton. On 7 May 1852, a grand ball was given at the hotel to celebrate the safe return to Adelaide of the ship, the 'Escort'. It appears at around this time, Radford abandoned the hotel to dig for gold in Victoria. However, the hotel continued operati