The Wharf Theatre

1831 The first jetty in the area of Pier 4/5 (Sydney Theatre Company’s Wharf) was constructed and called ‘Pitman’s Wharf’.

1919 Work on STC’s Wharf, Pier 4/5, is completed by H.D Walsh.

1984 Vivian Fraser’s re-development of Pier 4/5 officially opened by Premier Neville Wran

In 1979 Sydney Theatre Company was searching for a home. Elizabeth Butcher, Administrator at NIDA, discovered the derelict finger wharves at Walsh Bay and proposed that Pier 4/5 be restored and become STC’s place of residence. Her recommendation was accepted by the Premier’s department.

When the designing architect, Vivian Fraser, began work on the redevelopment of Pier 4/5 one of the major design issues was which end of the finger wharf to put the theatre. In keeping with the brief to do as inexpensive conversion as possible, the government architects did a feasibility study which put the theatre at the Hickson Road end of The Wharf. Fraser argued, on aesthetic grounds, that the theatre should be put at the sea end. Richard Wherrett, Artistic Director at the time, agreed with him and it was their opinion which prevailed. In Wherrett’s words “I liked the metaphorical notion that every time you went into the place to see a play, you went on some kind of journey”.

Today a 200 metre wooden walkway, lined with framed posters of STC productions, takes patrons through twenty years of theatre. The walkway also has huge windows displaying the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the waters of the Harbour. Journeying from the street to either one of the two theatres: Wharf 1 (339 seats) or Wharf 2 (205 seats), the traveller arrives at the very end of the building to enjoy The Wharf Restaurant, complete with east and west facing balconies, providing views of Luna Park and the north city skyline.

The Wharf is a unique location for a state theatre company. The influence of water is seen in the Company’s logo and the use of blue as the Company’s colour. Approximately the size of 1.5 rugby fields, The Wharf cost $3.7 million to restore, and took the builders 56 weeks to refurbish.