HER MAJESTY’S THEATRE RENOVATION

Returning Her Majesty’s Theatre to her former glory

Exterior façade of Her Majesty’s Theatre taken in 2020.

Ballarat icon restored

Leigh McClusky Contributor

The soaring voice of international operatic superstar Dame Nellie Melba had once kept her audiences enchanted, but in recent years it was clear that Ballarat’s historic Her Majesty’s Theatre was seriously in need of some tender assistance. First built in 1875 by the wealthy Clarke family and upgraded in 1898, Ballarat’s majestic theatre had been a shining cultural and community icon for generations of Ballarat families. The construction was the initiative of a group of local people who felt that Ballarat, as the premier city of the Victorian goldfields, should have a theatre worthy of its status and it was originally known as the Academy of Music. Now known as Her Majesty’s, the theatre holds a unique place in Australia’s cultural history as the oldest continually operational theatre in Australia and only one of the four surviving nineteenth-century public theatres. So, the responsibility of undertaking a major revamp of this Australian cultural icon was significant. A W Nicholson Pty Ltd, trading as Nicholson Construction, is a long-established family business which commenced operation in the late 1800s and has grown to become a leading commercial construction company in regional Victoria. Headquartered in Ballarat, it was the Nicholson team which won the contract for the long overdue multi-million-dollar upgrade works on the community favourite, affectionately known as ‘Her Maj’. When worked commenced in September 2018, there were plenty of surprises and challenges in the delicate heritage restoration, conservation and preservation works which were needed on this significant architectural landmark. And the Nicholson team clearly delivered on the very demanding brief, winning the Excellence in Construction of Commercial Buildings $5M-$10M award at the 2020 Master Builders Victoria Excellence in Construction Awards. An awareness of, and respect for, the history of the theatre was clearly critical in the design aesthetic and delivery of the upgrades. In 1898, the building was bought by a local consortium and the new owners commissioned Australia’s leading theatre architect, William Pitt, to remodel the interior and improve the stage facilities. The interior colour scheme was designed by one of Melbourne’s leading designers of the time, Hugh Paterson and his influence more than a century ago has been painstakingly honoured in the renovations works. Owned and operated by the City of Ballarat since 1987, over recent years there had been a growing swell of community enthusiasm to once again, see ‘Her Maj’ shine like the community jewel in the crown that she had been for almost 150 years. According to Nicholson Construction director Richard Nicholson one of the major challenges on the project was the coordination of the works to ensure the project was delivered on time. “The time frame for completion of the works was not flexible in any way, with a major artistic eisteddfod — the annual Royal South Street competition — locked into the calendar,” he said.

Exterior façade of Her Majesty’s Theatre from the early 1900s.

Ornate moulding and decorative cornices of the refurbished Her Majesty’s Theatre. Refurbished foyer of Her Majesty’s Theatre.

“We knew we were on a very strict timeline. What we didn’t realise was what we would eventually uncover with variations and new work, that would push that strict timeline to the wire. “Even in demolition, a project like this is difficult,” he said. “When we started stripping back the plaster, we came across old steel conduit that had the old 12-volt cabling in it, we found gas pipes which supplied the gas to the original gas lights, remnants of the original wallpaper — all of these things get uncovered as you work in heritage restoration, and it all needed to be carefully documented and left in place.” Structurally unsound and with significant rising damp, Richard Nicholson said the issues kept coming. “We had to completely rebuild the stage and try and work with what was left of the beautiful old Oregon timber beams under the stage. But the stage is three levels up from the basement floor and we also needed to rebuild the rooms underneath, like the performers ‘green rooms’.” Adding to the complexity, Nicholson also needed to supplement and support the huge original 145-yearold timber trusses, above the stage, which were also looking very untenable. “To try and stabilise their integrity and support them we needed to bring in a major steel truss — delicately piece by piece — craning them through a window four floors up, which was a complicated job using bird’s nest scaffolding,” said Richard. “It certainly wasn’t a straightforward build!” Straightforward it may not have been, but the results are stunning and truly deserving of their awardwinning accolade. “We’re a part of this community and know how much Her Maj means to this town. So, to have the privilege of undertaking this important work and being recognised by the industry for the high quality of that work, is really humbling,” Richard said. City of Ballarat Councillor, former Mayor and Chair of the Theatre Board, Cr Sam McIntosh has been glowing in her praises of the restoration work. “It was an extraordinary undertaking with layers of challenges that we kept uncovering and that nobody had anticipated, so for the Nicholson team to bring in the project on time and on budget, is certainly to be applauded,” she said. “We’re so thrilled that our marvellous Her Majesty’s Theatre can now stand strong and proud for the next 150 years of her history and beyond.”