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Empire Theatre

The Empire Theatre was officially opened on Thursday June 29, 1911 by the Austral Company who used it to play silent, black and white movies. It was designed by George Lane and built by H. Andrews. The theatre provided seating for 2 200 people and was very popular with locals.

In February 1933, fire broke out at the Empire Theatre leaving the building badly damaged. The Theatre Company immediately announced plans to rebuild the theatre and it took until November 27, 1933 to reopen the building. The rebuilt theatre was designed by architects Hall and Phillips and seated 2400 people.

The theatre operated successfully over the next few decades, however, the popularity of television and smaller cinemas resulted in declining audiences for theatres. In April 1971, the theatre was forced to close. It remained empty until it was sold to be briefly used as a furniture shop and then for TAFE workshops. In 1994, the Toowoomba Council negotiated with community members and business to redevelop the building.

The Empire Theatre reopened on Saturday June 28, 1997 as the Darling Down’s premier performing arts complex. The new theatre features modern seating, relaxing bars and lounge areas, and a superb restaurant. The new foyers make a feature of the brick walls of the original building which still have down pipes and light fittings attached. The theatre has been heritage listed by the National Trust of Queensland to help preserve the building's art deco architecture, especially the proscenium arch across the stage, which is thought to be the only one of its kind left in the world.

A great blend of food, art and entertainment, state-of-the-art, modern facilities and a history dating back almost 100 years, the Empire Theatre is an important and relevant part of Toowoomba's past, present and future.

SourcesToowoomba City Council (2008). http://toowoombarc.qld.gov.au
The Empire Theatre (2008). http://empiretheatre.com.au/

The Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery

The Toowoomba Regional Art Gallery was opened in 1938.

The new gallery, adjacent to the Toowoomba City Hall was opened in March 1994 and occupies the former offices of the Toowoomba Electric Light and Power Company Limited.

Admission is free.

Opening Hours:
Tuesday to Saturday: 10am to 4pm
Sunday: 1pm to 4pm
Public Holidays: 10am to 4pm