Dance

Ballarat born Betty Pounder wins the Classical Ballet Solo and the following year wins a scholarship to study in London. After the outbreak of World War II, she joins the Entertainments National Service Association, much to her parents dismay, who insist she return home when they discover she is performing on stage  on the battlefields of France. Due to the polio epidemic, the Committee determines that no competitors under 16 years of age are permitted to enter the Eisteddfod from Metropolitan areas. The ABC pays 200 pounds to South Street for broadcasting rights and reports the disappearance of aviator Amelia Earhart on her round the world flight.

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.

The competition introduces the Open Classical Ballet solo for dancers over 16 and South Street gains permission for bands to march down Sturt Street but not outside churches on Sunday morning.

Ballarat baritone, Roger Lemke, wins the Courier/3BA Ballard and Star for Opera Quest, following in the footsteps of his father,  Robert Lemke.

Dance gains in popularity as new competition items are added to the competitions repertoire including: the Ballarat Ballet Guild Junior Ballet Championship, the Modern Dance Piroutte Championship Solo and the Don West Operatic Senior Ballet Championship.

A special prize of $100 is donated to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the birth of poet Adam Lindsay Gordon. A keen horseman, Gordon lived in Ballarat for a short time, where he rented stables at Craig’s hotel and joined the Ballarat Troop Lighthorse.

David Kierce wins the Nijinsky Prize for Classical Ballet and goes on to train with the Australian Ballet. Principal Dancer with the Queensland Ballet, the Joffrey Ballet, BalletMet Columbus and Northern Ballet, he has also taught at the English National Ballet School.

Roger Lemke continues to impress the judges and wins the Sun Aria.

“The Sun Aria was the most prestigious competition of all, the one I really wanted to win”.

The Memorial Theatre finds itself in desperate need of repairs and renovation with funding sought from State and Federal government.

Royal South Street Society celebrates 100 years of competitions with a stellar cast of stars past and present performing in a special centenary concert – with dancers David Kierce and Joanne Bradley and former Sun Aria winners Rosemary Boyle and Raymond Myers. And the  Sun Aria changes it name to the Herald Sun Aria.

The Premier of Victorian, the Hon. Joan Kirner, also a past South Street winner, officially opens the competitions.

Jan Russ, casting director for Neighbours, is appointed Adjudicator for the TV auditions and one successful prize winner gets a guernsey and joins Ramsay Street locals on the long running Australian soap.

A special Centenary Essay Competition is launched with winners presented with specially struck Centenary medallions and prize money.

Mrs Barb Dunlop becomes the first female to be elected to the Royal South Street Society Committee.

Richard Bayly is awarded an Order of Australia for services to music and the Most Graceful Girl Competition celebrates a 70th birthday.

Dancing sections prove more popular than ever with two thirds of competitors travelling from Melbourne and the Courier Ballad is held in the Diocesan Centre due to an overwhelming number of entries.

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!