Originally published November 14, 1966
ONE of the largest and most controversial civic projects ever undertaken in north west Victoria was the Mildura Arts Centre which opened in November 1966.
The then Mildura Mayor Ken Wright called for calm as the opening, by Victorian Premier Sir Henry Bolte, neared.
Cr Wright told Sunraysia Daily at the time the centre could help to retain visitors to the region for an extra day, which meant an extra $2 million spent in the region each year.
“We expect the 403-seat theatre to be in great demand for conferences and commercial demonstrations,” Cr Wright said at the time.
He said the centre was the complement of all the fine recreational facilities in the district which were second to none — football and cricket ovals, Olympic pool, trotting track, golf links, bowling greens and tennis courts.
The centre cost $450,000 however the Victorian Government contributed $100,000 to the project.
An estimated 1500 people turned out on “Mildura’s biggest day in years” for the opening.
The Victorian Premier presented silver trowels to Cr Neil Noyce and Reg Etherington who laid the centre’s foundation stones two years previous.
Cr Noyce was then the Mildura Mayor and Mr Etherington was chairman of the arts centre committee of management.
Senator R. D. Elliott had gifted his world class art collection to the city, and following the demolition of the old town hall to make way for the new civic building, it was widely held that ratepayers had been deprived of a town hall/performing arts centre theatre.
However, there was a large number of people who did not believe that council funds should have been used for the new arts centre.
Crs Noyce and Etherington were the main pair on council who were responsible for the arts and they faced much criticism over the arts centre development.
Cr Etherington subsequently lost his seat on council.
In 2009, the Victorian Government pledged $3.1 million to redevelop the city’s arts centre into a world class facility, matching Mildura Rural City Council’s investment, while the Federal Government committed $2 million.
It allowed the arts centre’s board of management and council to begin drafting plans to create a new performing arts centre on the existing theatre space site with up to 450 seats.
The revamp also included a major upgrade to the back of house areas including loading, storage, administration, access areas and airconditioning.
Funding also provided additional car parking, external works and a new foyer including new connections between the theatre and the adjacent art gallery.
The Mildura Arts Centre Regional Gallery closed its doors in August 2010 with its demolition beginning a month later.
Rio Vista Historic House also closed around the same time to enable restoration works to take place in the house during the demolition phase of the redevelopment project.
The redevelopment opened in 2012, boasting a 500-seat theatre, a regional art gallery, sculpture park and Vista Café Bar, with Mildura’s most important heritage building, Rio Vista Historic House, still the centrepiece of the site.
