Historical information

The St. Moritz Ice Rink was a popular ice skating rink on The Esplanade, St. Kilda, Victoria. It operated between 1939–1981. As one of only two ice rinks in Melbourne in the 1940s and 1950s, it played a central role to the sport of ice hockey in Australia. Closed in 1982, it soon suffered a major fire and was then demolished, an event later seen as a major blow to the heritage of St Kilda.

It was first built as the Wattle Path Palais de Danse in 1922, a very large dance hall, designed by architects Beaver & Purnell, The Wattle Path was the venue for the first all-Australian dance championship, and featured some of the best dance bands of Australia, as well as from America. Popular throughout the 1920s, it suffered due to the Great Depression, and closed in the early 1930s. From 1933-1936 the building became a film studio, Efftee Studios, for Frank W. Thring. In 1938, businessman Henry Hans "Harry" Kleiner announced that the Wattle Path would become an ice rink. He was sole proprietor until 1953, when he sold the business to J. Gordon and T. Molony, both champion skaters.

Trade declined during the 1970s. The building was sold in 1980 to developers Hudson Conway and trucking magnate Lindsay Fox and was closed in early 1982. It was nominated to the Historic Buildings Preservation Council, but a majority of City of St Kilda councillors voted to oppose this action and uphold a demolition permit already issued. The building infamously suffered a fire later that year, leaving only the facades, which were demolished soon after. The site remained vacant until about 1991, when a mid-price hotel called the St Moritz was constructed. By 1993 it was simply called the Novotel St Kilda. The hotel closed in 2019 and was replaced by an apartment complex.

Physical description

black and white photograph

Inscriptions & markings

St Moritz, St Kilda. Ice Skating. Caf�