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opposite, removing three live theatres from the one-time centre of
Melbourne's entertainment district. The new venue never eventuated, and the facade was left standing until 1938, when the part of the site once occupied by the front portion of the arcade was sold to the Commonwealth Bank, which built
94:
on 6 November 1876. Seating about 1600, it was designed by Reed & Barnes, and located on a deep site, with the theatre at the rear, located above a wide passageway running through the site, called the
Victoria Arcade. The arcade featured billiard and refreshment rooms, and access to the theatre
140:
The Bijou
Theatre was destroyed by fire on Easter Monday, 1889, which spared the hotel and the front part of the arcade. A new, larger Bijou Theatre seating up to 2000 with two balconies and six boxes was built on the site, designed by George Johnson, opening in early 1890. At the same time, the
160:'s brief appearance on the Australian stage in 1901— no sooner did he start to recount details of his amazing adventures than he was mercilessly howled down by the audience. The theatre was further renovated and altered in 1907. Later lessees included
187:
In 1930, the Gaiety was converted to a full time cinema renamed the Roxy, with
Fullers announcing grand plans for the whole complex, and closing the hotel. After weathering the Great Depression, with plans by
192:
to build a new large theatre and modern hotel, the theatres were closed and demolished along with the hotel starting in
February 1934. The demolition came only a few months after the demolition of the
137:
In 1888-9, Wilson built the Palace Hotel next door, behind existing shops at 227-223 Bourke Street, accessed via the
Victoria Arcade. The hotel included a very large dining room at ground level.
114:, in the same block. In June 1884 it was purchased for £47,000 by John Alfred Wilson (c.1832-1915), who later developed the site next door as a hotel. Lewis was followed as lessee in 1885 by the
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168:
management bought the freehold of the Palace Hotel and the Gaiety, and the lease of the Bijou, and promoted it as the 'Home of Clean
Vaudeville', with performers included 'Stiffy', '
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129:
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a 10 storey bank and office building, completed in 1941. Fuller revived his plans after WW2, but the remainder of the site stayed vacant and used a car park.
118:, who had often played in that theatre. Business was slow however, and when Majeroni fell behind in the rent, Wilson transferred the lease to
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1923 Fire
Insurance plan of the block of Bourke Street showing the Bijou and Gaiety Theatres and other theatres nearby.
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Wood engraving showing the laying of the foundation stone for the
Academy of Music, June 12, 1876
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102:, who staged concerts and plays on alternate evenings, and in 1880 changed name to the
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was from a grand stair off Bourke Street, as well as stairs running off the arcade.
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445:. Vol. LI, no. 17, 724. Western Australia. 27 February 1932. p. 4
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281:. Vol. XVI, no. 1236. Victoria, Australia. 11 March 1880. p. 2
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309:. Vol. XLIX, no. 11, 732. South Australia. 20 June 1884. p. 5
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dining room of the Palace Hotel was refitted as a smaller theatre, the
529:. No. 1067. New South Wales, Australia. 17 April 1907. p. 12
337:. No. 12, 348. Victoria, Australia. 25 September 1915. p. 12
663:. No. 17, 699. Victoria, Australia. 5 February 1934. p. 4
583:. No. 16402. Victoria, Australia. 10 December 1929. p. 8
473:. No. 13, 583. Victoria, Australia. 4 January 1890. p. 8
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691:. No. 19, 079. Victoria, Australia. 12 July 1938. p. 11
501:. No. 16, 848. Victoria, Australia. 19 March 1901. p. 4
365:. No. 3582. Victoria, Australia. 3 September 1887. p. 3
90:, built for Samuel Aarons, which opened with a performance by
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156:The Bijou was the scene of self-styled adventurer
152:Scenes at the opening of the Academy of Music 1876
832:Demolished buildings and structures in Melbourne
8:
837:Buildings and structures demolished in 1934
699:– via National Library of Australia.
671:– via National Library of Australia.
591:– via National Library of Australia.
537:– via National Library of Australia.
509:– via National Library of Australia.
481:– via National Library of Australia.
453:– via National Library of Australia.
373:– via National Library of Australia.
345:– via National Library of Australia.
317:– via National Library of Australia.
289:– via National Library of Australia.
106:, as if to distinguish it from the larger
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82:The first theatre on the site at 217-223
655:"Wreckers Start Work on the Bijou Today"
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27:Former theatre in Melbourne, Australia
788:"Big Amusement Centre For Bijou Site"
7:
240:
238:
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176:and others subleased the theatre.
25:
245:Colligan, Mimi; Kumm, Elisabeth.
215:"OPENING OF THE ACADEMY OF MUSIC"
172:' and George Wallace. From 1929,
145:, also accessed via the arcade.
40:
71:
683:"Passing of Old Bijou Theatre"
521:"New Bijou Theatre, Melbourne"
411:"DISASTROUS FIRE IN MELBOURNE"
164:and William Anderson. In 1915
1:
827:Former theatres in Melbourne
767:Victorian Heritage Database
603:"BIJOU AND GAIETY THEATRES"
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763:"Former Commonwealth Bank"
88:Victorian Academy of Music
18:Victorian Academy of Music
306:South Australian Register
253:. University of Melbourne
39:
84:Bourke Street, Melbourne
60:Bourke Street, Melbourne
46:Bijou Theatre, Melbourne
465:"The New Bijou Theatre"
385:"PROGRESSIVE MELBOURNE"
660:The Herald (Melbourne)
362:The Herald (Melbourne)
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153:
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470:The Argus (Melbourne)
219:Australasian Sketcher
182:
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98:The first lessee was
822:History of Melbourne
415:Mount Alexander Mail
301:"Colonial Telegrams"
549:"TWO THEATRES SOLD"
357:"The Bijou Theatre"
329:"J. A. Wilson Dies"
273:"The Bijou Theatre"
52:General information
794:. 23 February 1946
715:Sun News-Pictorial
711:"End of The Bijou"
635:. 10 February 1934
629:"Vast New Theatre"
498:Geelong Advertiser
391:. 16 February 1889
221:. 25 November 1876
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158:Louis De Rougement
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437:"Victorian Fires"
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16:(Redirected from
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609:. 10 March 1930
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575:"Bijou Theatre"
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417:. 24 April 1889
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247:"Bijou Theatre"
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743:. 16 June 1938
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717:. 16 July 1938
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493:"De Rougement"
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174:Gregan McMahon
162:Harry Rickards
100:G. B. W. Lewis
92:Ilma de Murska
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555:. 7 July 1915
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35:Bijou Theatre
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796:. Retrieved
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633:Australasian
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389:Weekly Times
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526:The Referee
112:Opera House
816:Categories
688:The Herald
580:The Herald
334:The Herald
251:eMelbourne
201:References
166:Ben Fuller
124:Boucicault
73:Demolished
695:4 October
667:19 August
587:4 October
533:4 October
505:19 August
477:4 October
449:4 October
285:4 October
116:Majeronis
798:27 March
772:27 March
747:27 March
721:27 March
639:27 March
613:27 March
559:27 March
421:28 March
395:27 March
369:21 March
341:22 March
313:21 March
225:28 March
86:was the
57:Location
257:5 April
190:Fullers
553:Herald
143:Gaiety
120:Brough
65:Opened
792:Argus
741:Argus
800:2024
774:2024
749:2024
723:2024
697:2020
669:2021
641:2024
615:2024
589:2020
561:2024
535:2020
507:2021
479:2020
451:2020
423:2024
397:2024
371:2021
343:2021
315:2021
287:2020
259:2021
227:2024
122:and
110:and
76:1934
68:1876
607:Age
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
