Choral

The first of the choral contests are introduced to the competitions and won by the Barkly Street Wesleyan Choir.

The Highland Pipe Band contest is introduced as part of the competitions while the Factory Choral competition attracts entries from Ballarat and Geelong as businesses vie for musical honours.

Bernard Heinze wins the under 13 and 15 violin solos and after studying at the Royal College of Music, returns in 1923 as a South Street adjudicator. Knighted in 1949, his career as a conductor, professor of music, music advisor to the ABC, and trustee of the Sydney Opera House saw Heinze rise to become one of the dominant musical figures in Australia.

Amateur boxing and wrestling contests are held at the Coliseum and the President’s wife is ‘relieved of finding entertainment for the ladies of visiting choirs.’

Ballarat High School opens and is one of the first purpose build agricultural high schools and first government secondary schools in the state.

After the war, enthusiasm for Brass Bands and Choral work pushes the South Street Society to greater heights. Six thousand entries are received from every Australian state and for the first time, some have to be rejected, with 20 choirs, 48 bands and 150 calisthenics teams keen to compete.

‘Tides of visitors flow in and out, filling hotel, boarding-house and bed-and-breakfast accommodation, putting smiles on the faces of the proprietors of café and fish-and-chip shops.’ Weston Bate, Life after Gold.

Ballarat West and East Councils finally amalgamate and W D Hill, founder of South Street, becomes the first Mayor of Ballarat Citycr-w-d-hill

John Brownlee wins the gold medal as champion vocalist at the South Street having never had a singing lesson his life and abandons accountancy to sing full time. In 1926 he would sing with Dame Nelle Melba in La Boheme in Covent Garden at her farewell performance.

The first live radio broadcast from South Street takes place and W D Hill dies in office after 42 years of remarkable service to the Eisteddfod and Ballarat community.

The Society receives a letter asking if a competition for Ladies Pipe Bands is in the pipeline and it is decided that choir members in the Shops and Factories Choirs must have at least month’s employment to make them eligible.

As part of Ballarat’s Centenary year, a “Back to South Street Vocal Championship” is held and is open to all former competitors.

The Champion Juvenile Choral Contest is re-named the Choral Contest Under 16 years of age, and Dancing and Calisthenics become separate sections, with the suggestion that Greek Dancing be added to the mix.

Ballarat’s Floral Festival begins and its first floral carpet is displayed.

The Ballarat National Theatre is founded and the first production, ‘The Barretts of Wimple Street, is performed at the Alfred Hall.

Instead of disbanding, the Committee agrees it should continue to function, and raise funds for the purchase of a grand piano for Ballarat. Up to this time a grand piano had to be brought from Melbourne when required.

The Ballarat Civic Male Choir under the baton of Mr. W. H. Keith Young wins the Male Choir Section.

Changing audience tastes are reflected in  suggestions to introduce an Original Radio Talk, and Novel and Short Story Writing Contests and remove from the prize list recitals of verse by an Australian author. Other new items of interest include Impromptu Dialogue and Speech and One Act Plays.

With 1105 entries for dance, Judges curtail their criticism in the solo items to save time.

The Mackay Junior Choral Society travels 2,000 miles to win the Juvenile Choral Contest and win the hearts of local audiences.

The members endeared themselves to their hosts with their fresh personalities and to the audience of the contest with their melodious singing.”

The Piano Accordion Section is no more and new sections are added including Recorder Bands, a Champion Concerto and Spectacular Exercises in the Senior Novice Section.

South Street moves to the Civic Hall while restoration work is undertaken on the theatre and two new items are introduced to the competitions – the Geoff Smith Memorial Jazz Ensemble and the Choral, Courier Junior Secondary Choirs.

The Australian Elizabethan Trust donates $13,000 to support the Band Contest and help set up Civic Hall in readiness for the Eisteddfod.

Keeping pace with the times, new successful sections are added to the Competition’s program including Contemporary Choral and Modern Vocal Ensembles. A weekend Play Festival is also introduced with adjudicators Julian Oldfield and Peter Tullock.

The Mechanics Institute is used for the Brass Bands’ warm-up.

The Federal Minister for Arts, Senator Bob McMullan visits the Eisteddfod and a civic reception is held for Jason Wasley, Herald Sun Aria Winner.

Girton Grammar’s Junior School Performance Choir wins the 2015 Royal South Street Eisteddfod.

“This year their performance has been lauded by internationally acclaimed opera star, Suzanne Johnston, and Douglas Heywood, OAM, as one of the finest children’s choirs they have heard in a very long time.”

Headmaster, Matthew Maruff.

Her Majesty’s Theatre celebrates 140 years, opening in 1875 as the Academy of Music. After re-modelling in 1898, the theatre was relaunched as her Majesty’s Theatre in recognition of Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee.

The Graceful Girl Competition and the Herald Sun Aria both mark their 90^th birthday.

Planning begins for Royal South Street 125 and Les Holloway and the Historical Committee begin work on 125 Years of South Street History.

In December 2024, Lindsay Eaton (Board Chair for RSSS) and Paula Nicholson (Board Chair for BMI) signed an MOU joining the two organisations in a creative partnership.

The purpose of the MOU was written as; ‘a collaboration based on a shared goal, that of nurturing and encouraging the talents of aspiring artists in performance arts, whilst acknowledging the benefits of such partnerships within the common goal of community coherence.’

In April 2025, the Royal South Street Society relocated its offices from Lydiard Street, next to Her Majesty’s Theatre, to a new home at 125 Albert Street.

The new premises, located behind Mortgage Choice, were transformed into functional office space and were previously home to the Anita Coutts Dance School dance studio.

The move allowed us to consolidate our Lyric Storage Room and Archives into a single, central location, creating a more efficient workspace. An added bonus was that the new office is entirely on one level, with no stairs, making the bump-in and bump-out process for events significantly easier for staff and volunteers.

After more than a decade, the Royal South Street Society Showcase made a welcome return in 2025, celebrating the extraordinary talent, dedication and diversity of performers who take part in Australia’s longest-running performing arts eisteddfod.

The Royal Treasure Trail was established in 2025, with the help of Tourism Midwest Victoria, to encourage our participants and families to stay and explore the treasures of Ballarat while in town for the Eisteddfod.   Just over 30 local businesses signed up to take part!