Adelaide's open-air theatres – Tivoli, Austral and Chinese gardens – don't survive early 20th Century
Austral Gardens, along with the Tivoli Gardens and Chinese Gardens, were large open-air Adelaide theatre spaces in the first half of the 20th Century.
The Tivoli Gardens at Adelaide Oval in 1914-15 were one of Adelaide’s most novel theatrical ventures. The open-air Tivoli Gardens theatre at Adelaide Oval was used by performers during two summer shutdowns of the New Tivoli theatre (later Her Majesty's) on Grote Street, Adelaide. It enjoyed sold-out nights before World War I brought on a decline and in August 1915 the military took over Adelaide Oval, including the Tivoli Gardens and the cricket grounds.
Austral Gardens was an open-air theatre between 1914 and 1931 behind Ayers House on North Terrace, Adelaide, but used most extensively used for boxing, horse racing and dances. The 1920s economic depression of the 1920s badly affected the Austral Gardens. But, in 1928, when Adelaide Hospital wanted to buy the Austral Gardens space to ease accommodation pressure, it met a public backlash. A dance was held to take advantage of this publicity was its last recorded entertainment venture at Austral Gardens and all its imaterials were sold soon after.
Another open-air operation was the Chinese Gardens in 1934-1937 behind the exhibition building (on the northern side of North Terrace, opposite Pulteney Street). The theatre was managed with the Theatre Royal, and run by SA Theatres Ltd. Chinese Gardens was the only known open-air theatre in Australia to have a full-sized organ. It was designed to be the most spectacular open-air theatres in Australia but closed in 1937-38 after state education department wanted to exercise space for students at Adelaide Technical High School.
The Canvas Theatre – waterproof, warm and very comfortable – on Flinders Street, near Pulteney Street, operated between 1939-40 presenting entertainment from groups such as Coleman’s Follies, Coles Variety group and Frisco Follies.
In North Adelaide, The Studio Theatre opened in 1940 and closed in 1961. It was used as a training space and was one of Adelaide’s first locations for composing original music and choreographing original dances (mostly ballets).
Inside the theatre was a separate instrumental and vocal room called the Arts Club. Performances and operettas were running continually until 1945 at the theatre that was renovated and remodelled in 1954 as the New Studio Theatre.
