Spectacular rooftop spaces unveiled for Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre

Adelaide’s Her Majesty’s Theatre rooftop level is being unveiled today, featuring the new Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery and Pickard Terrace - two rooftop spaces made possible through donations to Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation by South Australian philanthropists Ian and Pamela Wall and Gordon Pickard.  

The new Ian and Pamela Wall gallery will become the designated home to Adelaide Festival Centre’s Performing Arts Collection, starting with the first exhibition featuring historic images, memorabilia, architecture plans, video and décor celebrating the recent $66 million redevelopment and 108 years of performing arts history of the transformed Her Majesty’s Theatre.

Adelaide Festival Centre Foundation Manager Philanthropy, Abbie Taylor notes “the Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery and The Pickard Terrace are the jewels in Her Majesty’s Theatre’s Crown.

“Giving Adelaide Festival Centre’s spectacular Performing Arts Collection a brand-new home and a fabulous rooftop terrace for theatre goers to enjoy pre-shows, during intervals and for functions.

“We are grateful to both Ian and Pamela Wall and Gordon Pickard for their enduring belief in the arts – this project would not have been possible without them and their tremendous support.”

Adelaide Festival Centre Senior Exhibitions Curator Charissa Davies adds “we are thrilled to have a gallery space dedicated to the Performing Arts Collection and there’s nowhere more fitting than the historic and much loved Her Majesty’s Theatre.  

“With over 100,000 items and memorabilia in the collection there is no shortage of material for a year-round program of exhibitions in this wonderful new space. We hope patrons enjoy the view.”

The Performing Arts Collection was established by Premier Don Dunstan in 1979 with the aim to preserve, record and display the significant contributions South Australians have made on stage and behind-the-scenes to theatre, opera, music, dance, musical theatre, film, and circus.

Over the last forty years the collection has evolved to become one of the most important and comprehensive performing arts collections in Australia and now comprises over 100,000 objects from artworks, to design, architecture, to textiles, archives and event files dating back to 1858.

It holds significant collections from Dame Judith Anderson, Sir Robert Helpmann, Australian Dance Theatre, State Theatre Company and State Opera of South Australia.

Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery is free to visit and will be open to the public before and during performance times and for special exhibitions during major festivals.
For more information visit adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au/whats-on/exhibitions/

The Pickard Terrace can be enjoyed by patrons, pre-shows and during intervals and is available to hire for private functions. For function enquiries email  functions@adelaidefestivalcentre.com.au

Images from top: Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery at Adelaide Her Majesty’s Theatre; Making of The Maj exhibition - Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery at Her Majesty's Theatre; Pamela and Ian Wall outside the Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery at Her Majesty's Theatre; The Pickard Terrace and Ian and Pamela Wall Gallery at Her Majesty's Theatre. All images credit: Roy Vandervegt.