Rising stars.

Hayley’s comet was visible for the first time since 1910, Australia II wins the America’s cup with its winged keel, the first bionic ear is invented in Melbourne. Roger Lemke  wins the Sun Aria, South Street alumni, Joan Kirner becomes Victoria’s first female premier and Australia’s second and the grand dame of Ballarat, Her Majesty’s is restored to her former glory.

1981

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.

RogerLemke

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

1982

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.

1984

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.

1985

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.

1986

685

Steve Moneghetti runs his first marathon at the Commonwealth Games bringing home the bronze medal followed by a gold four years later.

1987

152

The Memorial Theatre is gifted to the City of Ballarat as a condition of obtaining State government funds for a $6.5 million restoration program and is placed on the Historic Buildings Register. In doing so, the Society reserves the right to continue to hold their Competitions at the Theatre every year.

1988

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.

1989

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.

1990

The competitions return to the beautifully renovated Her Majesty’s and an open day is held with more than 1000 people turning out to inspect the resplendent interiors.

TV auditions for drama are introduced with the assistance of Grundy Productions and VIC TV, with an overwhelming response and Linda Thompson wins the Herald Sun Aria.

‘For the first time, a lot of singers saw opportunities to sing opera, in costume at home, The Aria was viewed as the springboard into that world.” Linda Thompson.