How the Adelaide Christmas Pageant began
A biplane over the suburbs, costumes made of crepe paper and two much-loved rocking horses. Discover how a one-off parade in 1933 became Adelaide’s way of welcoming Father Christmas.
In 1933, an invitation to Adelaide’s first Christmas Pageant came from the sky. Edward Hayward, the man behind John Martin’s department store, hired a Tiger Moth biplane to fly over the suburbs of Adelaide. A loudspeaker carried the news to families below. Hayward was putting on a parade, and he wanted the children of Adelaide to see it!
The morning John Martin's took to the streets
On Saturday 18 November 1933, in the middle of the Great Depression, Hayward blew a whistle and the procession set off from Angas Street for what was initially intended to be one-off gift to South Australian children. The people in costume were the staff of John Martin’s (aka Johnnie's), some of those first outfits were made of crepe paper.
Crowds lined the route to the store on Rundle Street. In its review that week, the Chronicle observed that “adults enjoyed the parade quite as much as the children”. And so, it began ... the staff would be dressing up again the following November!
Two rocking horses and a trip to the Magic Cave
Long before the first float rolled down Angas Street, children had been visiting the Magic Cave, the Christmas wonderland John Martin’s opened in 1896. The Pageant gave them a way to welcome Father Christmas as he made his way there. Every child knew that when Nipper and tall white Nimble appeared, Father Christmas would soon follow!
South Australian writer Elizabeth Hutchins remembered watching the fairies who rode those horses. “My first ambition was to be a fairy,” she recalled. Alas, only children whose parents worked at John Martin’s could be chosen in those days.
Behind the blue line
During the Second World War the floats stayed in storage from 1941 to 1944. When they came out again for the Victory Christmas Pageant in 1945, families could listen to the procession on the radio for the first time.
Two familiar Pageant traditions arrived years apart. In 1958, organisers painted the first Blue Line to show spectators where to stand. By 1988, children had a tradition of their own, drawing on the road in chalk while they waited. This tradition remains today.
John Martin's is acquired by David Jones
In 1985, David Jones acquired John Martin’s and continued the Pageant under John Martin’s name. Following the collapse of the Adelaide Steamship Company and the public float of David Jones retail business, the South Australian Government took over management of the Pageant in 1996, with six local credit unions coming on board as sponsors.
In 2019 sponsorship was taken over by National Pharmacies, the pageant continues to carry the National Pharmacy name today.
Not even a pandemic could stop it!
Even during the COVID pandemic, Father Christmas kept his appointment with Adelaide's children. During this time the Pageant moved to Adelaide Oval (in 2020 and 2021), with tickets available via a free ballot. In 2022 it returned to the city streets.
Pageant morning in 2026
On Saturday 14 November 2026 at 9.30 am, the whistle will sound again. The floats will set off from South Terrace, and Father Christmas will greet families at Beehive Corner, where Rundle Mall meets King William Street. See the official Pageant route.
This year’s Pageant feels especially poignant following the news that John Martin’s has gone into receivership. Although now known as the National Pharmacies pageant, for many generations of South Australians, Johnnie’s was woven into the magic of Christmas, from the Magic Cave to Father Christmas arriving in Adelaide. The Pageant remains a reminder of that legacy.
Article resources:
Explore the official Pageant timeline, the History Trust of South Australia’s account, the State Library’s early Pageant photographs and Elizabeth Hutchins’ recollections.