Bijou Theatre, Melbourne

The Victorian Academy of Music was a theatre in Bourke Street, Melbourne,^[1][2] built for Samuel Aarons in 1876. It was also advertised as the Bijou Theatre, as if to distinguish it from the larger Theatre Royal and Opera House, then in 1880 the "Academy" title was dropped.^[3] In June 1884 it was purchased for £47,000^[4] by John Alfred Wilson (c. 1832 – 23 September 1915), owner of nearby Academy of Music (later Palace) Hotel and Gaiety Theatre, all on Bourke Street.^[5]

Bijou Theatre, Melbourne, from 1890

The first lessee was G. B. W. Lewis, who staged concerts and plays on alternate evenings. Lewis was followed in 1885 by the Majeronis, who had often played in that theatre. Business was slow however, and when Majeroni fell behind in the rent, Wilson transferred the lease to Brough and Boucicault.^[6]

The theatre was destroyed by fire on Easter Monday, 1889.^[7] A new, larger Bijou Theatre was built on the site, opening in 1890. The new theatre seated around 2,000 across three levels.^[8] The Bijou was the scene of Louis De Rougement's brief appearance on the Australian stage — no sooner did he start to recount details of his amazing adventures than he was mercilessly howled down by the audience.^[9]

Wood engraving showing the laying of the foundation stone for the Academy of Music, June 12, 1876

The theatre was further renovated and altered in 1907.^[10] It was demolished in 1934,^[11] a few weeks after the Royal, opposite.^[12]

References

1. "Passing of Old Bijou Theatre". The Herald. No. 19, 079. Victoria, Australia. 12 July 1938. p. 11. Retrieved 4 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
2. "Bijou Theatre". The Herald. No. 16402. Victoria, Australia. 10 December 1929. p. 8. Retrieved 4 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
3. "The Bijou Theatre". The Lorgnette. Vol. XVI, no. 1236. Victoria, Australia. 11 March 1880. p. 2. Retrieved 4 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
4. "Colonial Telegrams". South Australian Register. Vol. XLIX, no. 11, 732. South Australia. 20 June 1884. p. 5. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
5. "J. A. Wilson Dies". The Herald. No. 12, 348. Victoria, Australia. 25 September 1915. p. 12. Retrieved 22 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
6. "The Bijou Theatre". The Herald (Melbourne). No. 3582. Victoria, Australia. 3 September 1887. p. 3. Retrieved 21 March 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
7. "Victorian Fires". The Daily News. Vol. LI, no. 17, 724. Western Australia. 27 February 1932. p. 4. Retrieved 4 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
8. "The New Bijou Theatre". The Argus (Melbourne). No. 13, 583. Victoria, Australia. 4 January 1890. p. 8. Retrieved 4 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
9. "De Rougement". Geelong Advertiser. No. 16, 848. Victoria, Australia. 19 March 1901. p. 4. Retrieved 19 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.
10. "New Bijou Theatre, Melbourne". The Referee. No. 1067. New South Wales, Australia. 17 April 1907. p. 12. Retrieved 4 October 2020 – via National Library of Australia.
11. Colligan, Mimi; Kumm, Elisabeth. "Bijou Theatre". eMelbourne. University of Melbourne. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
12. "Wreckers Start Work on the Bijou Today". The Herald (Melbourne). No. 17, 699. Victoria, Australia. 5 February 1934. p. 4. Retrieved 19 August 2021 – via National Library of Australia.