Ballarat Theatre Royal playbills
Theatre has a rich and varied history in Australia. There have been hundreds of theatres that have opened their curtains, some which are still around and some which are not.
Ballarat Libraries holds some valuable history of a significant theatre that once existed. They hold 27 Ballarat Theatre Royal playbills and they have recently made them available on Trove.
Trove spoke with Ballarat Library staff members who shared with us some information on the history of the Ballarat Theatre Royal. They explain what a playbill is and why this collection is so unique.
History of Ballarat Theatre Royal
Ballarat Theatre Royal was a world-renowned centre which opened its doors in 1858 on Sturt Street. It was the first permanent theatre built in inland Australia. When it opened, The Star newspaper described it as ‘…an event memorable in the dramatic history of Ballarat and is one of our most notable proofs that “time works wonders.”.'
It was a lively and colourful theatre which attracted local actors, musicians and crew, as well as internationally acclaimed performers. It was quite popular at the time as an entertainment spot for all social classes. The Prince of Wales even visited during a royal visit in 1867.

Sadly, the Theatre’s final curtain fell in 1877 and in 1899 the building was destroyed in a fire.
Although this historic building no longer exists, history from this time still does.
The Ballarat Theatre Royal playbills
Historically, playbills were used to promote and advertise entertainment to the public. They were a long piece of paper printed with information about the performance or entertainment being advertised. They contained large, eye-catching font alongside smaller text for those who wanted more details about the performance.
They would be distributed in public spaces, often being fixed to the sides of buildings doors or walls. It was customary to layer playbills over one another, creating a sort of collage of advertisements. This does mean that many playbills were eventually lost underneath others, and therefore lost to history. But not all have been lost.
Ballarat Libraries are lucky enough to hold a collection of 27 playbills advertising performances at the Ballarat Theatre Royal and have put this collection is on Trove for the wider Australian public to view.
We decided to digitise the playbills because we recognise their significance and their rarity- they are unique and unusual items to have in our collection. We wanted them to be available and accessible to a wide audience.
Ballarat’s goldrush theatre history is rich and lively. The history of the Theatre Royal is part of Ballarat’s history, and these playbills are part of the story. We wanted to ensure that they were protected and preserved for future generations to access, study and enjoy.
One of the playbills advertises the showing of Shakespeare’s comedy, ‘Much Ado About Nothing!’. Shown at the theatre in June of 1862, the audience were, '...in the most appreciative humour, and they had something to justify their hearty applause’. Read the full review in The Star.

This collection is a stunning piece of Australian history and is quite unique and valuable. These original playbills provide insight into the lives of those living in Ballarat in the 1850s-1870s and offers a glimpse into the lively world that was goldrush Ballarat. The playbills are from Ballarat Libraries’ Heritage Collection and their provenance is, unfortunately, unknown.
The originals
Some of the original playbills have been framed and are currently available to view at the Ballarat Library if you have the chance to visit. They can be viewed during the library’s opening hours, which can be found at the Ballarat Libraries website. They also have some amazing limited-edition commemorative bookmarks available free for visitors.