When Arthur Waterhouse left Mount Lofty House in 1922, the property entered a long and varied period of custodianship that reflected broader social change in South Australia. No longer the exclusive domain of a single long-term family, the house passed through a succession of owners who each left their mark, gradually shifting Mount Lofty House from a private gentleman’s residence toward a more communal and multifunctional future.
Following Waterhouse’s departure, Mount Lofty House was briefly owned by solicitor George Cowan. His tenure was short, and in 1926 the property was purchased by John W. Richardson, an English-born merchant who had spent many years in Burma. Richardson was drawn to the landscape, which reminded him of the English countryside, and he retired to Mount Lofty House with his family. During their occupation, the Richardsons introduced exotic influences, including Burmese teak used for built-in furniture. John Richardson was also an enthusiastic gardener, expanding on the plantings established during Arthur Hardy’s era and introducing features such as a Japanese garden and a sunken garden, though many of these were later removed or altered. During World War II, part of the house was requisitioned to billet soldiers, signalling the first significant departure from purely private residential use
After the Richardsons sold the property through Mrs Richardson’s estate in 1950, Mount Lofty House entered a period of relatively rapid ownership changes. It was briefly occupied by Adelaide jeweller Geoffrey Rainsford (1950–1951), followed by Brigadier A. P. Chapman and his wife Edna (1951–1959). While these owners maintained the house as a residence, their comparatively short tenures limited major structural change.
A more stable chapter began when Robert and Jeanne Douglas-Hill purchased Mount Lofty House in 1959. The Douglas-Hill family lived at the property for more than two decades, raising four children and undertaking extensive practical maintenance. They addressed aging plumbing, heating and electrical systems, while also working to tame the expansive and somewhat wild gardens. Under their care, Mount Lofty House became increasingly open to the wider community, hosting fundraising events for Scouts, Girl Guides, local schools, and various charitable and civic organisations. This openness marked a subtle but important shift in the house’s role — from elite private home to community-engaged venue
By the 1970s, the Douglas-Hills had begun exploring new futures for the property. Jeanne Douglas-Hill catered wedding receptions at the house, and parts of the building were leased for events. Plans for a retirement village concept, known as Mount Lofty Village, were proposed but ultimately rejected by the local council. In 1978, as they prepared for retirement, the Douglas-Hills subdivided surrounding land and sold the manor house, stables, sheds and remaining garden allotment to a collective associated with the Aldgate Uniting Church.
This final pre-Ash Wednesday chapter saw Mount Lofty House occupied by a small, intentional community of families and individuals who consciously avoided describing themselves as a “commune.” Their focus was shared living and stewardship rather than commercial use. Tragically, this period ended abruptly when the Ash Wednesday bushfires of 1983 devastated the property and surrounding landscape.
By the eve of the fires, Mount Lofty House had already lived many lives — as a grand private residence, a refined family home, a community hub and a shared dwelling — each layer of history adding depth to its enduring story.