Cairns Performing Arts Centre (Cairns, Australia)
Cairns Performing Arts Centre
While the Cairns Performing Arts Centre only opened in December of 2018, the site has a long history connected to the community and the arts.
In 1884, only eight years after Cairns was founded, the need for a public hall was first felt when it was proposed to the Council that a hall, to cost about 1,000 pounds, should be built. That was the beginning of a long story culminating in the eventual construction of the Cairns Civic Theatre.
In 1963 the Lands Administration in Brisbane formally accepted the name change to neighboring Norman Park and the previously annexed land at the southern end was transferred to the Shire of Mulgrave to construct a civic center.
In 1971 the Civic Centre project began and by 1973 a time capsule was incorporated into the Centenary Peace Column on the Sheridan Street side of the theatre to celebrate the completion of the Cairns Civic Centre, as it was known at the time. The capsule contains a history of people who served in World War II, the 51st RQR, the Mayor of the time, and other notable people of Cairns.
On May 31, 1974, Prime Minister of the day, Gough Whitlam, officially opened the theatre. With a population under 40,000, the people of Cairns took great pride in the fact that it was the first purpose-built theatre in regional Queensland.
January 30, 2016, saw the final performance at the ‘Civic’ with The Phantom of The Opera by the Cairns Choral Society. The theatre was then demolished to make way for the new performing arts center. Through consultation with the RSL, the Peace Column was removed and the time capsule incorporated into the foyer of the new Cairns Performing Arts Centre which is due to be opened in 2073.
Construction was completed in 2018 and the official opening took place on December 15 that same year, with a community gala performance entitled, Symphony for Tomorrow.