Published: The Age 4 April 1934 p11 Published title: "DEMOLITION AND BUILDING ACTIVITIES IN THE CITY." Published caption: "Interesting studies in the building activities in the city are afforded by the above three photographs taken yesterday when work ceased owing to the rain. That on the left is a striking picture of the remains of the Palace Hotel buildings, running back from Bourke street to Little Collins street, better known as the Bijou Theatre. This is the largest demolition contract ever undertaken in Melbourne. The view is towards Bourke street, from a vantage point in Little Collins street. In the right centre of the ruins may be seen a large portion of the light frame and lattice work which extended over the once well known arcade. In the background three stories of Melbourne Coffee Palace, on the opposite side of Bourke street rise above the front of the theatre in the photograph, and the Melbourne General Hospital is just discernible through the mist at the top. The steel frame work in the centre picture is readily identifiable as that erected for the extension of the State Savings Bank at the south-west corner of Bourke and Elizabeth streets. The steel skeleton to the right, suggestive of immense strength, is that nearing completion in Collins street for the Bank of New South Wales." Trove article identifier: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article203828669 Description: Partial demolition of three-storied and five-storied buildings. One building has a large atrium. View of buildings taken from rear. Building at 225 Bourke Street (between Swanston and Russell, south side) contains Bijou Theatre. Also Victoria Arcade, built 1876, architect Joseph Reed. On other side of Arcade is Gaiety Theatre (formerly known as Oxford Theatre). Cityscape in background. Opposite is Melbourne Coffee Palace, built 1882, demolished c.1970. Featured in "Newsworthy: Melbourne in photographs 1933-1936" exhibition at East Melbourne Library, October to December 2023. Exhibition caption by project volunteer Louise McKenzie: "The largest demolition contract ever undertaken in Melbourne… The building on the left is a striking picture of the remains of the Palace Hotel buildings, running back from Bourke Street to Little Collins Street, better known as the Bijou Theatre. This is the largest demolition contract ever undertaken in Melbourne.” – The Age The Bijou Theatre was erected in 1877 and originally built as part of Victoria Arcade, which was entered through the Bourke Street frontage. The Theatre was “de rigueur with the gallants and belles of the period. Dainty ladies and white gloved, stiff collared dandies thronged the ‘promenade’ which runs under the theatre.” (Herald 5 Feb 1934) However by 1885, after a fire, the building had been rebuilt to include the three level Bijou Theatre. In November 1890, Arthur Streeton worked there briefly as a scenery painter. By 1909 it was the first “legitimate” theatre in Melbourne to screen films on a semi-permanent basis, while also covering vaudeville, pantomime and its wildly popular final program, “Mickey the Mouse” Revue. In this photo, it is being demolished by Whelan the Wrecker. The tiny iron spiral staircases that led to the dressing rooms (and down which more than one unwary actor sometimes fell) were salvaged and built into the fabric of Monsalvat at Eltham. References: https://theatreheritage.org.au/on-stage-magazine/stage-by-stage/item/52-bijou-theatrePhotographer notations on slide: "B20".demolished buildings, 1930-1939, joseph reed, theatres

Programme of a Legacy Demonstration at the the Bijou Theatre on 15th and 16th November 1933. Throughout the year Melbourne Legacy provided classes for Junior Legatees such as dancing, gymnastics and eurythmics, the Demonstration was an annual event to showcase their skills. Melbourne Legacy conducted Annual Demonstrations / Parades from 1928 through to 1979, usually held at Melbourne Town Hall. The beautiful costumes were made by members of the Junior Legacy Mothers' Club and the Melbourne Legacy Wives' Association.A record of a Junior Legacy annual demonstration in 1933.Printed programme for 1933, cream paper with black text. annual demonstration, junior legatee

Programme of a Legacy Demonstration combined with the showing of a film at the Bijou Theatre on 18th December 1929. The Films were donated by British Dominion Films and it appears to be a two part event. This was as well as the Annual Demonstration earlier in the year. Throughout the year Melbourne Legacy provided classes for Junior Legatees such as dancing, gymnastics and eurythmics, the Demonstration was an annual event to showcase their skills. Melbourne Legacy conducted Annual Demonstrations / Parades from 1928 through to 1979, usually held at Melbourne Town Hall. The beautiful costumes were made by members of the Junior Legacy Mothers' Club and the Melbourne Legacy Wives' Association.A record of a Junior Legacy annual demonstration being rerun with a film evening.Printed programme for 1929, light green cover and off-white paper with black text. Programme of a showing of a film after a demonstration of skills.annual demonstration, junior legatee

Two typed copies of notes titled 'Theatre on the Goldfields' by Mr. Frank Cusack. Notes mention the early theatres on the Goldfields, the actors, actresses and singers, owners and places where the theatres were. Also mentioned are some of the plays that were performed.entertainment, theatre, bendigo, theatre on the goldfields, mr frank cusack, john hawkins, bulwer lytton, 'lady of lyons', the theatre royal, gregg, yates, stark, carncross's royal exchange restaurant, the argus, the casion, charles thatcher, burton's theatre, c h rignold, george rignold, royal victoria theatre, the princess, the criterion, walsh and fawcett, george fawcett rowe, fawcett rowe, lola montez, henry coleman, madame carilly, the advertiser, victoria reef, william kelly, g v brooke, burralls assembly rooms, nicholls assembly rooms, royal hotel, shamrock concert hall, bendigo hotel, billy heffernan, john crowely, mrs hancock, miss urie, m langlaise, sarah flower, madame caradine, thatcher the inimitable, greville, joe small, fanny young, frank varley, hugh anderson, porter's stars of the australian stage and screen, abbott, lyceum theatre, mr & mrs robe, robert heir, g w daniels, bendigo histrionic club, carrick club, 'the old curiosity shop', benjamin farjeon or b l farjeon, louis quatorze, robert younge, woolridge's eagle saloon, fry's troupe, coleman's rotunda theatre, old house, rainer's ethipian serenaders, jacobs, mrs macgowan, the golden age, foos & fitzgerald, madame arnati, gibson, pearsons harmonic hall, london hotel, little joe and the comical wonder, pick and shovel, united states hotel, john hunter kerr, marsh troupe, lyster opera co, miss avonia jones, cobb & co, billy heffernan, shamrock hotel, st james hall, crowley, royal princess theatre, offenbach's duchess of gerolstein, james cassius williamson, maggie moore, hal porter, grattan riggs co, garner, musgrove, george rignold, bland holt, harry rickards, london gaiety co, alfred dampier, dan barry co, harold stephen, coghill brothers, paine, waterman & balfe, the australian bijou opera co, williamson & musgrove's royal opera co, nellie stewart, the alfred dampier co, ward lyons dramatic co, george darrell, william elton, charles arnold's co, masonic theatre, the capital), the bendigo dramatic society, the bendigo glee club, the bendigo amateur dramatic club, bendigo orchestra, bendigo liedertafel, alice crawford, wilson barrett co, ernest toy, emily dyason, gertrude alger, william murdoch, a c bartleman, madame benda, amy and eileen castles, erna mueller, madame bertha rossow, e a bindley, kate samuels, jan kubelik