On the 6 July 2018 we undertook a trip to Kingswood Sydney to search through the Victoria Theatre related files held at the State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales. We thank Wendy Gallagher, Senior Advisor, Regional Relations at SARA for locating a number of files including Board of Fire Commissioners Inspections of Theatres and Public Halls – Country Towns and Districts, c.1922-58, NRS 490 (Kingswood 20/14914-87) as well as two Theatre and Public Hall files for the Victoria Theatre in Newcastle which cover between them 1916 to 1967. They both contained plans of alterations so give some idea of the interior at later stages. Dealing with such large files had its challenges, especially when trying to photograph plans that had been inserted within them. We have done our very best to capture the plans that were located within the files, which date from 1921 to 1953, and show various proposed alterations to the building’s layout. We have photographed each plan, along with close up of various parts to read the finer details. To access the larger images click on the reference images in the blog.
Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Sketch of existing Wall and Stairs as Approved by the Chief Secretary on the 4.3.21 [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Sketch of existing Wall and Stairs as Approved by the Chief Secretary on the 4.3.21 [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 13 February 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 13 February 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 13 February 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 13 February 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 13 February 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 22 March 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. New Lavatories. 22 March 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Lavatories Stalls and Circle Levels. No date. Circa June 1940. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Stalls (in pen “Seats as at 29/4/43 H.H. Armstrong Manager”). [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Victoria Theatre Newcastle. Stalls (in pen “Seats as at 29/4/43 H.H. Armstrong Manager”). [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Alterations to Form New Toilets Victoria Theatre Newcastle for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. 7th July 1947. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Alterations to Form New Toilets Victoria Theatre Newcastle for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. 7th July 1947. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Toilets Section AA from Alterations to Form New Toilets Victoria Theatre Newcastle for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. 7th July 1947. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Entrance Foyer from Alterations to Form New Toilets Victoria Theatre Newcastle for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. 7th July 1947. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Entrance Foyer and Stalls Seating from Alterations to Form New Toilets Victoria Theatre Newcastle for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. 7th July 1947. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Toilets and Circle Foyer from Alterations to Form New Toilets Victoria Theatre Newcastle for Hoyts Theatres Ltd. 7th July 1947. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Diagrammatic Plan of Under Stage Area Showing Postion of Standby Set Room. Undated circa 1940s? [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Diagrammatic Plan of Under Stage Area Showing Postion of Standby Set Room. Undated circa 1940s? [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Diagrammatic Plan of Under Stage Area Showing Postion of Standby Set Room. Undated circa 1940s? [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Diagrammatic Plan of Under Stage Area Showing Postion of Standby Set Room. Undated circa 1940s? [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Diagrammatic Plan of Under Stage Area Showing Postion of Standby Set Room. Undated circa 1940s? [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Diagrammatic Plan of Under Stage Area Showing Postion of Standby Set Room. Undated circa 1940s? [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Circle Foyer Plan from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Circle Foyer Plan from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Entrance Foyer and Stalls Plan from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Entrance Foyer and Stalls Plan from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Longitudinal Section A-A on Centre Line from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Section B-B from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)Section C-C from Proposed Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. (in pen 4 Feb 1953) [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)
Another Version of Alterations to Increase Toilet Accommodation at Victoria Theatre Perkin Street Newcastle N.S.W. [Photo: Gionni Di Gravio Courtesy of State Archives and Records Authority of New South Wales)This work has been undertaken by the University’s Cultural Collections (Archives) in the Auchmuty Library to support the work of Dr Gillian Arrighi, Convenor, Creative and Performing Arts, School of Creative Industries, who along with Stephanie Holm have been funded by the ARC, through the LIEF scheme, under the aegis of the AusStagePhase 6 Visualising Venues in Australian Live Performance project (LE170100003), a national project involving 12 universities, administered by Finders University.
We are attempting to track down as many original archival sources relating to Victoria Theatre, Newcastle such as plans, photographs and descriptions, with particular reference to the 1890s period in particular, to assist our UON IT Innovation team in the 3D reconstruction of the Victoria Theatre.
Gaute Rasmussen and Vendela Pento, Innovation Specialists conducting the work of creating the model, at a recent meeting of the Hunter Living Histories provided a background to the project, and the kinds of documentary material they are searching for, in order to create the most accurate model for the 1891 Victoria Theatre.
If you can provide any information, especially photographs, plans and documents to assist, please let us know.
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