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History Week:

The Lost Theatres

of Bourke Street
Star Strand

ver recent years the Royal At the top of Bourke Street the
O Historical Society of Victoria Salvation Army Citadel has been
with which CATHS is affiliated, has undergoing a major restoration.
conducted the History Week events Part of the restoration includes
during late October. public accessibility to their new
This year CATHS and other museum and the former “Limelight
Historical Societies were invited to Department” rooms, once the cradle
promote their activities during the of Australia’s motion picture history.
week. To this end on Tuesday the 26th Unfortunately the restoration was
and Thursday the 28th of October, not completed at the time of our
CATHS volunteers conducted walking Theatre Royal walking tour.
tours along Melbourne’s ‘Great The walks concluded at the
Our enthusiastic CATHS
Bourke Street East’, once the home of Imperial Hotel, part of which Hoyts
volunteers, Gerry Kennedy, Mal
Victoria's first theatre, the Pavilion founder, Dr. Arthur Russell both lived
Elliott, Roderick Smith, David
attached to the Eagle Tavern. and conducted his dental surgery. A
Kilderry, Kevin Adams and I guided
From that time on, Bourke Street CATHS plaque is displayed in the
small groups of interested people
became the centre of Melbourne’s Bistro to commemorate the site.
from the meeting point outside the
entertainment district, with theatres So many of the buildings that
Melbourne Town Hall offices.
once having lined both sides of the made Melbourne “marvellous” have
street. Very few of the buildings been lost. Although many of the old
remain and those that do are now used theatres have long since disappeared,
for other purposes, however. Most fortunately, unlike the other state
have long been demolished and — capitals, and despite much political
save for a few bricks and other odd and bureaucratic vandalism,
relics, good memories and Melbourne still retains a number of
imagination assisted by photographs these significant buildings.
— times past can be recreated.

Melba & Britannia
From here significant theatre
sites were pointed out before we
ventured into Little Collins Street
where additional significant sites
were viewed; then to Bourke Street
— the backbone of the walk. At the
Russell, Exhibition and Spring Street Empire
intersections, mention was made of
Tivoli theatres still existent and of others Report & Tour Organiser: Ross King
now long gone. Photos from the Kevin Adams Collection.

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