History and Archives

Her Majesty's Auditorium from the stage

The magnificent auditorium of Her Majesty's Theatre, as it appeared in the 1930s.

Her Majesty's Theatre is a true icon of Australia's rich cultural and theatrical heritage. Having been first built in 1886, HMT proudly celebrated her 120th anniversary in 2006.

At different periods through her life, she could lay claim to being the national home of opera, then ballet and finally, musicals in this country. She has also played host to, and very often nurtured, every other possible discipline of the performing arts. As well as presenting productions staged by independent Australian and international companies, Her Majesty's was also the headquarters of the great J C Williamson empire for the first three-quarters of the 20th Century.

To read more about the wonderful history of Her Majesty's and some of the characters and personalities that have worked here, go to any of the History links under the heading THE THEATRE in the menu above.

The Souvenir Programme from the re-opening of the theatre on 28 July 1934.

 ARCHIVES

Her Majesty's maintains a substantial collection of archives and memorabilia from the last 120 years. This is a valuable resource, covering not only the history of the theatre itself but, also, the development of cultural life and entertainment in Melbourne from the late nineteenth century right through to the present day.

Her Majesty's is always grateful for contributions to the Archives. If you have any material relating to the theatre that you would like to donate, or have an enquiry that we may be able to answer, please contact our Archivist, Mary Murphy, at marym@hmt.com.au or on 03 8643 3300.