Photo Info

Uploaded on: April 29, 2026

Size: 710.2 KB

Views: 23

License:

The Circle Ballroom in Preston (Melbourne, Victoria) was a prominent Art Deco entertainment venue that operated as a ballroom from the early 1960s until the mid-1970s.

Located at 499 High Street, it was originally the Circle Theatre, a cinema designed by architects Cowper, Murphy and Applegate that opened in 1938.Venue DescriptionThe building was known for its unique “Art Moderne” or “stadium style” architecture.Interior Design: A key feature was the absence of right angles in the interior, which boasted a “moulded plaster ceiling” with overlapping curves.

Capacity: It originally catered for approximately 920 patrons.Ballroom Conversion: After Hoyts sold the cinema in 1962, the stalls floor was levelled to create a dance floor, and the ceiling was painted black to better suit its new life as a rock-and-roll ballroom.Legacy: The building was demolished in 1976 to make way for the Circle Arcade.Notable Bands & Performers

During its peak as a ballroom in the 1960s, it was a central hub for Melbourne’s “Sharpie” subculture and rock-and-roll fans.