Updated 1 October 2023

South Australia’s version of Eros Day began on 1 October 1935 when two young medical students from the University of Adelaide knew they would be in England around the same time, so they set a place to meet in London “for a drink and a chat”.

Unlike today – there was, of course no SMS text or email to make their plans, so they predetermined they would meet here, six months beforehand, while still in Adelaide, setting the date and a noon meeting time.

They chose the Statue of Eros at Piccadilly Circus because they heard it was reasonably central. The beers (undoubtedly warm) went down so well that they decided they should meet again and duly set the same time and place the following year. Twelve months later a few more friends came and it grew steadily from there.