Tonsley / Government of South Australia

When Mitsubishi closed its Tonsley manufacturing plant in 2008, the site represented both the end of an era and the beginning of a major opportunity for South Australia. The challenge was to transform a place synonymous with traditional automotive manufacturing into a new centre for advanced industry, education, research and innovation.

Martins was engaged to help define how that transformation would be expressed. The work began with brand strategy and the development of a clear communications narrative capable of repositioning Tonsley for a very different future, while still recognising the industrial heritage that had shaped the site.

From this strategic foundation, Martins created a bold and highly visible identity designed to signal change. The brand was deliberately energetic, contemporary and impossible to ignore, giving Tonsley the confidence and presence required to attract a new generation of businesses, researchers, students, entrepreneurs and investors.

The identity extended far beyond a conventional logo system. It was applied across the precinct at an environmental scale, from structural façades and large-format graphics to an integrated wayfinding and signage system. This allowed the brand to become part of the physical experience of Tonsley, helping transform a vast former industrial site into a coherent and recognisable destination.

Digital communications extended that experience further. The website and supporting brand applications provided a platform for communicating the vision for Tonsley, attracting prospective tenants and demonstrating the possibilities of a precinct built around collaboration, technology and high-value manufacturing.

Martins also undertook an extensive cultural history study of the site, documenting the people, industries and stories that had shaped Tonsley over generations. Research encompassed its agricultural origins, the Chrysler and Mitsubishi manufacturing eras, Kaurna connections to Country, and the memories of former employees and surrounding communities. This work created a foundation for interpretation and helped ensure the precinct's future could be informed by its past.

As the redevelopment progressed, the brand became a visible expression of the transformation itself. Technology companies, start-ups, educational institutions and entrepreneurs began occupying the precinct, bringing new activity and energy into spaces once dominated by automotive production.

Today, Tonsley is recognised as a leading innovation district and an international example of adaptive urban regeneration. What was once a symbol of industrial closure has become a place where industry, education, research and enterprise come together, demonstrating how a strong strategic idea, carried consistently through brand, environment and communication, can help redefine the identity of an entire place.