Violence Erupts Over Aussie Theatre Demolition

The 1,855-capacity club in the Melbourne central business district has been boarded up since May, after the 1912 Edwardian theatre building’s owner, property developers Jinshan Investments, closed the club. Jinshan last year announced it intended to pull the building down to erect apartment buildings. Protests came from the live music and building heritage sectors. Melbourne City Council has repeatedly rejected various applications filed by Jinshan and is currently pursuing a plan of heritage protection. But construction workers on Nov 20 began demolishing the interior apparently without a permit.

Photos from conservation group Melbourne Heritage Action claimed “original doors from 1923, plasterwork circa 1916, and tiles from 1912 were smashed into a (rubbish tip) outside the theatre.”

Members of the Save The Palace lobby group who rallied outside the theatre ssay they were approached by three men and physically and verbally attacked. According to a protester, “They fought repeatedly, tried to intimidate us, yelled homophobic slurs, tried to steal the PA system, smashed one person’s phone, and then ran.” Police arrested one person.

Melbourne City Council is seeking an emergency protection order for the building. Councilor Rohan Leppert called the destruction “vandalism” and “a deplorable act.”

Media reports suggested that the owner was destroying as much heritage items as possible before Council takes a vote Dec. 2 to recognize the Palace Theatre “as a site of local significance.” The Victorian state government is also midway through a planning scheme amendment to change the Palace Theatre’s heritage grading from D to B.