Victoria Hall
A heritage-listed arts and events venue in Fremantle, Western Australia, originally built as a parish hall and later used as a cinema, theatre, dance studio, and music venue.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Victoria Hall is a historic multi-use arts venue on High Street in Fremantle, Western Australia. The building was designed by architect Talbot Hobbs and constructed between 1896 and 1897 as St John's Parish Hall. It received the name Victoria Hall in 1897 in connection with the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. The hall was formally opened on 28 September 1897 by Governor Smith and his wife, establishing it as one of the notable public buildings in Fremantle's eastern High Street area. The venue's identity has changed substantially over time. Although originally conceived as a parish and community hall, it later accommodated entertainment and cultural uses, including cinema-related activity, dance, theatre, and live music. After the Second World War, Bob Wrightson leased the building for use as a dance studio and subsequently acquired it. His ownership continued during a period when the building faced a serious threat from urban road planning. In 1974, a proposal to widen High Street would have required the demolition of Victoria Hall. The building was protected when the Builders Labourers Federation imposed a green ban that prevented the proposed demolition from proceeding. The intervention preserved one of the relatively few surviving gold-rush-era buildings in the eastern part of High Street, an area otherwise characterized largely by later twentieth-century development. Victoria Hall was also included on the Register of the National Estate, reinforcing its heritage significance. For many years the building housed the Deckchair Theatre. That use ended when the theatre closed in 2012, after which Victoria Hall remained vacant until 2015. From 2015 to 2018 it became the second and final home of the Fly by Night Club, a Fremantle music organization that had previously operated from the Artillery Drill Hall. The club's tenancy connected Victoria Hall with Fremantle's contemporary live-music community while adding another stage to the building's long history of adaptive reuse. Victoria Hall is now used as a multi-purpose arts and events venue. Its occupants and associated users have included the Fremantle Theatre Company, Spacemarket, and the Fremantle Biennale. It also operates as a regular events location with a separate events bar. Rather than functioning as a conventional consumer brand or commercial chain, Victoria Hall is best understood as a place-based cultural venue whose value comes from its architectural heritage, changing institutional tenants, and continuing role in Fremantle's arts and community life.
History
Victoria Hall was built on High Street in Fremantle between 1896 and 1897. Designed by Talbot Hobbs, it was originally commissioned as St John's Parish Hall, serving a religious and community function in a period when Fremantle was shaped by the prosperity and construction activity associated with the Western Australian gold rush. The building was renamed Victoria Hall in 1897 to mark the diamond jubilee of Queen Victoria. Its formal opening took place on 28 September 1897, conducted by Governor Smith and his wife. The hall later developed beyond its original parish role and became an adaptable entertainment and cultural building. In the years after the Second World War, Bob Wrightson leased the premises as a dance studio and later purchased the property. His ownership continued during the 1970s, when the building's survival was threatened by municipal road planning. A proposal to widen High Street in 1974 would have resulted in the demolition of Victoria Hall. The Builders Labourers Federation responded with a green ban, preventing construction work associated with the demolition and preserving the building. Victoria Hall is one of the comparatively few gold-rush-era buildings still standing in the eastern section of High Street. Its heritage importance is particularly evident because the surrounding streetscape is predominantly composed of buildings from the 1960s and later. The building was placed on the Register of the National Estate, recognizing its architectural and historical value. During the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries, Victoria Hall accommodated a succession of cultural uses. It housed the Deckchair Theatre for many years, making it part of Fremantle's performing-arts infrastructure. The theatre closed in 2012, and the building remained vacant from 2012 until 2015. It then became the second and final home of the Fly by Night Club, a live-music organization that had previously operated in the Artillery Drill Hall. The club used Victoria Hall between 2015 and 2018. Following that period, Victoria Hall continued as a flexible arts and events site rather than being tied to a single permanent cultural operator. Organizations associated with the building have included the Fremantle Theatre Company, Spacemarket, and the Fremantle Biennale. The venue also hosts regular events and has a separate events bar. Its present identity therefore combines heritage conservation with active cultural reuse: it is a historic Fremantle building that has repeatedly been adapted for performance, music, festivals, creative organizations, and community or private functions.
- 2018
Fly by Night Club tenancy ends
[1]The club's use of Victoria Hall concludes, while the building remains available for broader arts and events activity.
- 2015
Fly by Night Club begins tenancy
[1]Victoria Hall becomes the Fly by Night Club's second and final venue after the organization leaves the Artillery Drill Hall.
- 2012
Deckchair Theatre closes
[1]The long-running Deckchair Theatre use ends and the building enters a vacant period.
- 1974
Demolition threat halted by green ban
[1]A High Street widening proposal threatens the building, but a Builders Labourers Federation green ban prevents its demolition.
- 1897
Building completed and renamed Victoria Hall
[1]The hall is completed, renamed Victoria Hall in connection with Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee, and formally opened on 28 September.
- 1896
Construction begins
[1]Construction begins on High Street for a new building intended to serve as St John's Parish Hall.
Products and positioning
A heritage Fremantle venue positioned for adaptable arts, music, theatre, festival, and private-event use.
Live entertainment
Live music events
Victoria Hall provides a historic setting for concerts and other music events. Its association with the Fly by Night Club between 2015 and 2018 forms a significant part of its recent live-music history, while its current use is broader and includes regular events rather than a single resident music operator.
Performing arts
Theatre and performing arts
The building has supported theatrical and performing-arts activity over many years, including its long association with the Deckchair Theatre and later links with the Fremantle Theatre Company. Its adaptable hall format allows it to function as a performance venue while retaining the character of a heritage building.
Cultural events
Arts and festival venue hire
Victoria Hall is used by arts organizations and cultural initiatives, including Spacemarket and the Fremantle Biennale. The venue's multi-use configuration supports exhibitions, programs, gatherings, and festival-related activity that can be adapted to different event formats.
Venue hire
Private and community events
In addition to arts programming, Victoria Hall operates as a regular events venue. Its offering includes access to the historic hall for suitable community, organizational, and private functions, supported by a separate events bar.
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