Former Bunbury Lyric Theatre restoration project complete

The State Heritage listed building was one of three historic sites to receive funding for repairs and maintenance under a round of the State Government’s Heritage Grants Program.

The building, which now houses retail outlets on the ground floor and the creative hub Maker + Co in the loft, were granted $100,000 to undergo important works to revitalise its historic look.

Co-owner Michael Honeybell said they were thankful for the contribution to what was a massive project.

“We applied for some assistance from State Heritage and under their grants system they allow for certain projects that benefit the community on a matching grant program,” he said.

“Fortunately we qualified so we got that full $100,000 but for every dollar they threw in, we had to match it and then some.

“So we got the grant and it was great that we did get that help for our restoration but we’ve probably ourselves spent three times that.

“But we see benefits for us too obviously – the building is looking so much smarter.”

The Bunbury property-owner said the building was in desperate need of a makeover to maintain it’s historic significance, so they got to work right away.

“Stewart Binnie and I have owned the building for nearly a year now, so as soon as we bought it, we got stuck into it,” he said.

“It needed doing, or at least something did, and being a heritage listed building, we wanted to bring it back to it’s former glory.

“Out the back we put a new contemporary stairwell in and toilets and all that sort of thing to make a bit modern but the Symmons street side we refurbished and it’s back to what it used to look like in the Victorian time.”

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said the building now adds to the streetscape of the area and is great for the community.

“I wrote to the owners only this week, congratulating them on their project, it looks fantastic,” Mayor Brennan said.

“It’s a heritage building, one of the few left in our CBD so it’s obviously got a lot of history, but what I really like to see about the building is that it’s being occupied.

“The experts in heritage buildings informed me that adaptive reuse of heritage or old buildings is the best way to maintain them.”

He praised Mr Honeybell and Mr Binnie for taking ownership and caring for one of few State Heritage listed buildings left in Bunbury.

“We’ve got the old classroom in the Stirling Street Art Centre, the art gallery, the Rose and Prince of Wales Hotel, the old railway station – there is still a few but there was a lot more,” he said.

“In the days gone by there wasn’t such a focus on retaining old buildings but that attitude has completely changed now – the last ten or 15 years.

“There is a strong social focus now on trying to retain and reuse, which is great.”

The building was originally Victorian, built in 1905 as a stage theatre.

It was badly damaged by fire in the 1930’s which destroyed the entire front of the building.

After a slight fix-up, it was used as a cinema, and then a dance hall but has always been a significant building in Bunbury.

Mr Honeybell said the bulk of the main project is complete, but there is still work to be done.

“The next thing we want to do is get some kind of lighting for the outside of the building that lights it up at night,” Mr Honeybell said.

“That’s going to be next year’s project because that certainly won’t be cheap either to get some nice coloured lights so it stands out.

“We’ve got our eye on another project down the track, another building but we can’t say too much about that.”