Speech, Drama & Comedy

Lionel Logue, (played by Geoffrey Rush in ‘The King’s Speech’) arrives in Ballarat to adjudicate South Street’s Elocutionary Competition. His system of judging is published in South Street’s 1918 Guide Book, with points awarded for voice production, resonance and modulation, pronunciation, enunciation, timing, phrasing, deportment, grace, general ability and the conception and intelligence of the piece performed. The evening holds the attention of a large audience with a program ranging from the bush verses of Adam Lindsay Gordon to historic narratives and comic sketches of “Mumford’s Pavement” and “My First and Last Appearance.”’ Ballarat rejoices at the news that World War One has ended and thousands congregate in Sturt Street to celebrate as the bells ring out.

A special meeting of the South Street Society is called to consider whether the Competitions should proceed in view of the polio epidemic sweeping Victoria. It is resolved that competitors under 15 years of age not compete and the Junior Calisthenics Section is also cancelled.

A concert is held to establish a Percy Campbell Memorial Prize to be awarded annually to the Ballarat boy or girl who secures the highest marks in the Piano Solo under 14 years. Although partially blind since birth, Campbell had perfect pitch.

Aboriginal people become Australian citizens.

The Louie Dunn Prize is established in memory of one of Ballarat’s noted teachers of Speech and Dramatic Art.  It was established to be the pre-eminent award for Drama in an eisteddfod in Australia, and it remains so.

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.

Sovereign Hill sponsors a $500 prize for an Old Time Concert Party with contestants to provide

“Continuous entertainment of Old Time Music, Dancing, Comedy, Minstrels, Melodrama, Novelty, Quartettes, Magic, Juggling, and anything suitable for Music Hall Entertainment.”

Percey Winter, aged 73 years, who competed in South Street in 1935, rides his bicycle 150 miles to make a farewell appearance in the Speech Section. He gave his own composition titled – “Keep the South Street billy boiling.”

The Sydney Opera House opens and a Violin Section is introduced into the competitions.

The Governor of Victoria, Sir Henry Winneke, opens the competitions and attends a celebratory centenary dinner at Craig’s Hotel.

Also in attendance is Miss Elsie Berry, a winner for Speech and Drama in 1903 who formally donates her gold medal to the Sovereign Hill Paul and Jessica Simon Gold Museum.

The Ballarat Courier and 3BA donate inscribed silver trays to winners as a special Centenary Gift, and Ballarat City Council donates a Centenary perpetual trophy for the School Music Section, which is won by the Ballarat and Clarendon College Orchestral Band.

A Souvenir history of South Street, The First One Hundred Years, is published and written by Mr E T Lewis.

New Parliament House opens in Canberra as part of the Bicentenary celebrations and the Sun News Pictorial increases first place prize money for the Most Graceful Calisthenics Girl to $1000

Royal South Street continues its campaign to raise funds for Her Majesty’s and the Victorian State Orchestra gives a concert to support the theatre restoration appeal.

The Dickens Fellowship donates a prize for a prepared reading from Dickens in the Speech and Drama section.

After a 47 year absence, the Society re-introduces the Highland Pipe Band.

The W.S. Hooper Prize is put towards Speech and Drama and two new Sections are introduced – Story Telling and Acting in Pairs

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 February 2025, the Royal South Street Society introduced Comedy as an exciting new addition to its Schedule of Events. The initiative began with a Comedy Workshop, developed to work alongside the Class Clowns program and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival.

The workshop provided aspiring young comedians with an opportunity to develop their skills while serving as the ideal introduction to the newly established Comedy sections within the Society’s Speech and Drama competitions. It offered participants a supportive platform to build confidence, refine their performance techniques, and prepare for competition.

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!