Barkly Theatre
 The former theatre facade, in 2022 | |
  Barkly Theatre Location of the former theatre in Greater Metropolitan Melbourne | |
Interactive map of Barkly Theatre | |
| Address | 277-287 Barkly Street |
|---|---|
| Location | Footscray, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
| Coordinates | 37°47′58″S 144°53′41″E / 37.79944°S 144.89472°E |
| Owner |
|
| Capacity | 1,403 seats |
| Type | Cinema theatre |
Current use | Residential apartments |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 17 October 1914 |
| Closed |
|
| Rebuilt | from 2018 (as residential apartments) |
Years active | 1914–1962 (as a cinema) |
| Architects | William A.M. Blackett & Forster |
| Site notes | |
Architectural style | Edwardian Baroque |
Official name | Former Barkly Theatre |
| Type | Registred place |
| Designated | 28 August 1991 |
| Reference no. | H0878 |
| HO29 | |
Official name | Barkly Picture Theatre (former) |
| Type | Defunct register |
| Criteria | B.2 and D.2 |
| Designated | 30 June 1992 |
| Reference no. | 18164 |
The Barkly Theatre is a former independent cinema theatre located on Barkly Street, Footscray, an inner-western suburb of Melbourne, in Victoria, Australia. Operated as a cinema between 1914 and 1962, the building was repurposed as residential apartments in 2018.
The former theatre was added to the Victorian Heritage Register on 28 August 1991,[1] and was added to the now defunct Register of the National Estate on 30 June 1992.[2]
Description
The Barkly Theatre was constructed for the Barkly Picture Theatre Company Limited, designed by William A.M. Blackett, of the architectural firm Blackett and Forster, in the Edwardian Baroque style.[1]
The independent cinema opened its doors on 17 October 1914 with pictures and a vaudeville program[3] and is among the earliest purpose-built cinemas in Australia. It is the oldest surviving cinema exterior in Australia. The facade's mansard-styled towers were reminiscent of the Second Empire theatre and hotel designs of the late nineteenth century. The theatre was designed to seat approximately 1,200 people and was, at the time of construction, one of only a few substantial buildings of this type constructed in Melbourne.[1]
Taken over by Hoyts in 1926, the cinema closed in 1962[3] and was subsequently used, until 1993, as a restaurant and function venue when the central entry was modified. The building's facade is substantially intact as constructed in 1914. The fly tower was damaged by storm on 29 December 1990 and was partially demolished,[1] and the building was affected by a fire in 1995 and fell into disrepair.[4]
Acquired by Chris Grant and business partners in March 2000, a proposal to redevelop the site faltered[5] and the building was again sold in c. 2003. In 2008 it was reported that the property was being redeveloped into residential apartments with a high-rise tower above the rear of the theatre structure.[6] The 12-storey residential development was approved in 2018.[7]
Legacy
The Sun Theatre, an independent cinema located in nearby Yarraville, also on the Victorian Heritage Register, named one of their cinemas as The Barkly, in honour of the former Barkly Theatre.[8]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 "Former Barkly Theatre, Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number H0878, Heritage Overlay HO29". Victorian Heritage Database. Heritage Victoria. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Barkly Picture Theatre (former) (Place ID 18164)". Australian Heritage Database. Australian Government. 30 June 1992. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- 1 2 Lynch, Greg; Roe, Ken (2026). "Barkly Theatre". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Social worker outraged over artists' shantytown". The Age. 28 November 2003. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ↑ "Theatre's old space has developers grimacing". The Age. 2 March 2002. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ↑ Pallisco, Marc (17 December 2008). "Barkly Theatre to be developed". RealEstateSource.com.au. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "Twelve-storey complex set to go up behind Barkly Theatre in Footscray". Herald-Sun Leader: North West. 7 November 2018. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
- ↑ "About us". Sun Theatre. n.d. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
External links
Media related to Barkly Theatre at Wikimedia Commons
- 1914 establishments in Australia
- 1962 disestablishments in Australia
- Apartment buildings in Melbourne
- Buildings and structures in the City of Maribyrnong
- Buildings with mansard roofs
- Cinemas in Melbourne
- Edwardian architecture in Australia
- Former cinemas in Australia
- Former theatres in Melbourne
- Places on the Victorian Heritage Register in the City of Maribyrnong
- Victorian places listed on the defunct Register of the National Estate