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number of Melbourne theatres and was the By April 1963, Ballarat Amusements found it The first South Street competitions were held
distributor of MGM and Paramount films). no longer economically viable to use Her at the Society’s Memorial Theatre in August
The Coliseum burnt down in a spectacular Majesty’s and Hoyts put the theatre up for 1966, with then Premier, Sir Henry Bolte
fire on 24 March 1936, just four days before sale. The final screening by Ballarat declaring, “South Street is Ballarat” before
the lease with Ballarat Theatres (Hoyts) was Amusements was MGM’s Mutiny on the presenting the Society with a cheque for
due to commence. Hoyts quickly moved to get Bounty in May 1963. However, the theatre $38,000 towards the renovation appeal.
another Ballarat theatre as its second run continued to screen films and it wasn’t until
house and took out a lease on the ANA Hall Wednesday 1 April 1964 that a small During the South Street Society’s 20 year
(which was being used as a live theatre and advertisement appeared in the Ballarat period with the theatre, as well as the annual
picture theatre at times) in Camp Street, Courier, stating that Her Majesty’s was Eisteddfod, many live productions and
renaming it the Plaza. closing with the final performance that night concerts were staged at the Memorial and it
with an MGM double feature, Tarzan Goes to became one of the best known theatres in
Under the control of Ballarat Amusements, India and Damon and Pythias. In 1965, Australia, being preferred to the larger Civic
Her Majesty’s became a “first run” house for Ballarat Theatres briefly re-opened Hall, which had poor acoustics and sight
the next 26 years, with the latest releases from Her Majesty’s for a holiday screening of the lines.
MGM and Paramount, while at the same time popular Beatles film, A Hard Day’s Night.
staging live productions and concerts. A theatre organ, purchased from the Ritz
In January 1964, the Royal South Street Picture Theatre in Warrington, Lancashire,
In 1940, an exterior and interior facelift was Society discussed buying Her Majesty’s. The England by the Ballarat Theatre Organ
carried out, including the installation of seats State Government offered up to £20,000 Society for $8,500, was installed in 1972, with
and foot warmers from the old Hoyts, ($40,000) to help with the purchase and, on the pipe chambers located underneath the
McLeish owned, Rivoli in Burke Road, 24 June 1965, a contract was signed. A auditorium so as not to interfere with the use
Camberwell. (Using a photo supplied by shortfall of £10,000 ($20,000) in the purchase of the stage. Taking ten years to install, it
CATHS of the Rivoli seats, the Manager of price was filled by a donation from a local wasn’t until June 1982 that theatre organ
Her Majesty’s, Graeme Russell, was able to businessman, Alf Reid. Had it not been for the lovers from all over Australia gathered at the
confirm that they were indeed the seats South Street Society, Her Majesty’s would Memorial for the official “opening”.
installed in his theatre back then). In 1950, an almost certainly have been demolished!
upper foyer was added to the theatre with a By the 1980s, the Memorial was starting to
large staircase in the centre of the entrance The Society established a refurbishment show its age, attracting fewer and fewer
passage and a candy bar on the southern side. appeal to adapt the theatre for the annual hirers. The Society’s plans to renovate the
South Street Eisteddfod and the Tax theatre, which had been Heritage registered by
Television came to Ballarat in April 1962 with Department accepted a proposal that the National Trust in 1980, hit a snag with the
the opening of BTV6 and the majority of donations would be deemed contributions to a State Government refusing to provide funding
people stayed home, rather than going to “the war memorial. And so the name of the theatre unless the Society came up with a contribution
pictures”. was immediately changed to the Memorial. of $800,000. South Street could only commit
to $100,000.

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