AustLit

The Prince of Wales Opera House replaced the original Prince of Wales Theatre. The new theatre occupied the same land on Castlereagh Street as the earlier building which had been destroyed by fire in 1860.

The new Prince of Wales was commissioned by investor Robert Fitzgerald and designed by architect J. F. Hilly. According to Ailsa McPherson, the new theatre 'incorporated the street façade of the previous theatre, but inside all was new. It had the most up-to-date mechanics of any theatre in Australia ...The auditorium was advertised with the capacity to provide "comfortable" seating for 2,500 people. Box office receipts of £365 for one night in 1863 indicate, however, that that figure could be considerably stretched.'

'The theatre opened on 23 May 1863 under a three-year lease to opera impresario William Saurin Lyster. In deference to this lessee, it was initially called the Prince of Wales Opera House, but the "Opera House" was soon dropped. At the end of this lease William Dind, and then in 1869 scenic artist Alfred Clint, took over as lessees but, like its predecessor, the theatre was not a commercial success. Patronage was erratic, and it was at one time converted to a roller skating rink, at another into a circus ring. Then it too was destroyed by fire in 1872.'

Source: Ailsa McPherson, 'Prince of Wales Theatre', Dictionary of Sydney, 2010

Sighted: 20 January 2014