Palace Theatre, Melbourne
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| Former names | Metro Nightclub Palace Theatre Metro Theatre St James Theatre Apollo Theatre Brennan's Amphitheatre |
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| Location | 20-30 Bourke Street, Melbourne, Australia |
| Capacity | 1855 |
| Opened | April 1912 |
| Closed | May 2014 |
The Palace Theatre (also known as The Palace) was an entertainment venue located in Melbourne, Australia. First built in 1912, it underwent various alterations and renovations throughout its life. Originally used for theatre, it was also used as a cinema and for live music. Since late 2012 when it was sold, it has been subject to proposals for demolition and replacement, generating much opposition.
The Palace has a rich history, and the building and its site has been utilised in many different carnations over the decades. Although a lack of continuity with regards to structure and decor contributed to its lack of heritage listing, its superabundance of contribution to Melburnian society makes it a worthy listing.
The plot of land on 20-30 Bourke Street was occupied from the late 1850s Excelsior Hotel. The association between hotels and theatres at the time was close, and the hotel incorporated a hall (known as the Queen’s Hall) used for vaudeville performances and other entertainment including boxing and wrestling. The hotel later became known as Stutt's Hotel circa 1875, and then the Hotel Douglas in 1900. The last listing for the Hotel Douglas in the Sands Directory was in 1911, after this the hotel burned to the ground. The land was sold for ₤32,000.
In 1911 the Queensland based architects Eaton & Bates, in association with the Melbourne architect Nahum Barnet, were commissioned to design a new theatre for the site. The design had seating on three levels and a large proscenium with curtains of gold. On the first floor there were bedrooms, and the new building incorporated the Pastoral Hotel. The Palace Theatre opened in April 1912.
In 1916 the Sydney architect Henry E White designed alterations, which involved a complete refitting of the auditorium and lobby with the addition of ornate plaster decoration in a Louis Seize style. Between 1919 and c1922 the front room on the upper level was let for use as a studio to the prominent artists Arthur Streeton and Max Meldrum.
In 1923 the auditorium was extensively remodelled, though retaining the Louis Seize style, overlaid with Adamesque decoration, and it was re-opened as The New Palace.
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