New life for the Trocadero

With over a century of colourful history and a fascinating list of tenants, another new era is about to begin for the grand dame of King Street - the Trocadero.

Newtown-based Fuel International has its sights set on making the famous landmark home to its award winning visual effects magic.  The new offices will be leased from Trocadero’s owners, Moore Theological College and refurbished to house 60 staff.

Fuel's Dave Kelly told The Glebe that work was needed to make the heritage-listed Trocadero comfortable for staff, but their intention was to retain as many of the original features as possible.

Built in 1888, the then extravagantly named Trocadero and Academie de Musique was one of the first purpose built indoor rolling skating rinks in Sydney and one of the first buildings to be lit by electricity.

Following its roller skating heyday, the Trocadero underwent a series of different uses including a ballroom, picture palace, vaudeville and music hall, boxing ring and a centre for soldiers’ wives and mothers attached to the University of Sydney.

In 1974 Moore Theological College bought the Trocadero from Probert Motor Body Company who had operated in the Victorian Flemish-style building for over 40 years.

In 2006 a dramatic facelift of the King Street façade reclaimed it as a striking feature of the Newtown streetscape. 

Fuel’s relocation will be the Trocadero’s first occupancy in over a decade.

The Fuel International team is currently under contract to provide visual effects for Baz Luhrmann’s epic film Australia due for theatrical release in November.

History buffs can learn more and see some snapshots of one of the Hub’s most famous “residents” at Sydney Architecture.