In the golden era of stage magic, Melbourne was a destination for many of the world’s finest magicians. The great illusionists performed in Melbourne’s booming gold rush and 20th-century theatres. They included performers such as Harry Houdini (1910), Harry Kellar, Chung Ling Soon 1909, Howard Thurston, Carl Hertz 1892, Le Roy, Talma & Bosco 1905, the Great Carmo 1906, Fasola 1911, Tommy Parer 1941, Horace Goldin 1916, Charles Moritt 1897, Dante ‘Sim Sala Bim’ 1912 and many others.
| Where the world’s greatest magicians performed |
The Magician |
| PRINCES BRIDGE | The Great Levante 1941 |
| TOWN HALL, Lt Collins and Swanston | Davenport bros 1876, Stuart Cumberland 1886, Dante ‘Sim Sala Bim’ 1912, Tommy Parer, 1941 |
| MECHANICS INSTITUTE, ATHENAEUM, Collins nth | Howard Thurston 1905 |
| ASSEMBLY HALL, Scots church Collin Nth | The Great Malini 1916 |
| OPERA HOUSE, (HARRY) RICKARD’S OPERA HOUSE, NEW OPERA HOUSE, NEW TIVOLI, (Bourke street south). | Carl Hertz 1892, Le Roy, Talma, & Bosco 1905, The Great Carmo 1906, Chung Ling Soon 1909, Houdini 1910, Gustava Fasola 1911 (Wallace the lion) Tommy Parer 1941, Horace Goldin 1916, Sawing the lady in half |
| DIGGERS REST | Houdini, 18 March 2010 |
| BIJOU, Bourke south | Charles Moritt 1897 |
| GAIETY | Various |
| VARIETIES HALL, PRINCE OF WALES OPERA HOUSE- (Bourke street south). | Various |
| ST GEORGE HALL, KREITMAYERS WAXWORKS, Bourke nth | Harry Kellar 1876, Dr Pepper 1879, (see St G, Princ Th) |
| THEATRE ROYAL, Bourke nth | John Anderson, Wizard of the North 1858 |
| STRAND THEATRE, Bourke nth | |
| KINGS THEATRE, Russell | The Great Levante, 1941 |
| TEMPERANCE HALL – cnr Little Bourke and Russell | Various |
| FIRST WAXWORKS Bourke north | Various |
| APOLLO Hall Bourke South | Robert Heller 1869-1870 |
| HAYMARKET THEATRE, Bourke South | Various |
| ROYAL OLYMPIC, IRON POT Bke north | Wizard (Joseph) Jacobs 1854 |
| POLYTECHNIC south Bourke | Various |
| NATIONAL THEATRE, FULLERS PALACE, ST JAMES, THE PALACE, REVIVAL CENTRE Bourke Nth | Peppers Ghost 1864 (see St George’ Hall) |
| ROYAL AMPITHEATRE, ASTLEYS, PRINCESS THEATRE Spring west | Franquin the Hypnotist, 1950,54,57 Carter The great 1920, Merlini 1950s, The Great Virgil 1952, Peppers Ghost 1864 (see St George’ Hall), Tommy Parer TV |
| MELBOURNE STATE THEATRE, Russell and Flin | The amazing Alma, Chelalo, Long Tack Sam 1941 |
| FREEMASONS HALL. Lonsdale, bet Russell and Exhib | Dr Lynn (The vanishing Lady) 1886 |
| MENZIES HALL, Cnr Williams and Bke | Max Malini 1914 |
| QUEENSBRIDGE, | Houdini 1910 |
| HER MAJESTYS, Exhib and Lt Bke | Tommy Parer 1920s-1950s |
| MELBOURNE’S MAGIC SHOPS BELOW | |
| 51 Bourke | GIFT DEPOT 1875 |
| 235 Bourke | FUN SHOP 1962 |
| 123Elizabeth | TRIP TRAP TRICK 1962 |
| Elizabeth | BERNARDS 1937 TV (oldest) |
| 213 Collins | MAGICAL DEPOT, Claude Geust 1903 |
| 276 Collins | ANDRADE/ALLENS MAGIC SHOP 1903 |
| 325 Colins EmbarkArcade | ALADDINS 1927 |
| 62 Swanston | SEWARDS CONJURING SUPPLIES 1962 |
| MAGIC SOCIETIES | |
| Flinds Lane – Swiss House | AUST SOCIETY MAGICIANS 1920, |
| MAGIC CIRCLE 1938 | |
| MELBOURNE RING OF INT BROTHERHOOD 1949 |
Early Melbourne Theatres hosting magicians
Further Information
Magical Nights at the Theatre by Charles Waller
Hocus Pocus by Old Treasury Museum