Advertisement for the first John Martin's Christmas pageant, held on 18 November 1933. Includes details of the various floats, and the route the procession will take.

Inspired by similar festive parades in North America, the Adelaide Christmas pageant was conceived of and first staged in 1933 by Edward Hayward, chairman of the board of John Martin's department store.

With the effects of the Depression biting hard and people's spirits so low, Hayward thought it would be an excellent way to cheer up the people of Adelaide.

Although John Martin's never used the pageant as a marketing opportunity - refusing to brand the event - it did, of course, bring commercial benefit to the store.

Advertisements such as this one, placed in The Advertiser the day before the inaugural pageant, alerted the public to the exciting event about to take place, but also invited potential customers to come to their store and into the 'Magic Cave'.

Father Christmas has been setting up residency in the 'Magic Cave' (now in the David Jones department store) since the early 1900s, and generations of South Australian children have sat on his knee and read from their Christmas wish list.

John Martin & Co.

Adelaide's once-a-year day, Adelaide: Commercial Printing House, 1978.

'Street pageant delights crowd', Advertiser, 20 November 1933, p. 16.

A touch of magic [videorecording] : [the story behind the Christmas Pageant], West Lakes?, S. Aust. : Cine News Productions, 1993.

John Martin's first pageant: 1933 [State Library of South Australia]