Perth Entertainment Centre

ThePerth Entertainment Centrewas an indoor arena and cinema complex inPerth,Western Australia, located onWellington Streetat the northern edge of thePerth central business district.It was demolished as part of thePerth City Linkproject in late 2011, with its replacement,RAC Arena,opening the following year.

Perth Entertainment Centre

Former names	Channel 7 Edgley Entertainment Centre (1974–1975)
Location	Perth,Western Australia
Coordinates	31°56′57″S115°51′16″E
Owner	TVW Channel 7
Capacity	8,200
Construction
Opened	27 December 1974
Closed	2002
Demolished	2011
Construction cost	A$8.3M,equivalent toA$76.3Min 2022
Architect	Hobbs, Winning and Leighton
Tenants
Perth Wildcats(NBL) (1990–2002) Perth Breakers(WNBL) (1993)

History

The venue was conceived and championed by the late Brian Treasure, then General Manager at Perth television stationTVW 7and theatrical entrepreneurMichael Edgley.Their interest was principally that their two organisations had mounted large stage shows which toured the country in circus tents; a process that created major logistical challenges. The venue was designed byarchitectsHobbs, Winning and Leighton and was forecast to cost $5 million, but its construction coincided with a period of intense industrial action. Delays and interruptions, including strike action which was timed to coincide with concrete pours, led to a cost blow-out. The final cost was $8.3 million and interest charges put immediate financial pressure on the venture.

The venue opened on 27 December 1974 as theChannel 7 Edgley Entertainment Centrewith the Australian debut of the secondDisney on Paradeshow. In around 1975 the owners approached the State and Federal governments for assistance and theGovernment of Western Australiatook ownership of the building, renaming it The Perth Entertainment Centre.

With a capacity of 8003 seats, the Entertainment Centre was Perth's primary large concert venue from 1974 until its closure in 2002. It was listed in theGuinness Book of World Recordsas the largest purpose built regular theatre (containing aprosceniumarch) in the world.The venue also played host to a number of theatricalextravaganzas,as well as a range of other events includingmusicals,circuses, corporate functions and international beauty pageants (Miss Universe 1979).

The Entertainment Centre was home toNBLteamPerth Wildcatsfrom 1990 until 2002.It was also home to thePerth Breakersof theWNBLin 1993.

At the front of the Perth Entertainment Centre (west side) was "The Academy Twin Cinemas" which opened on 17 January 1975. The name changed to "Academy West End Alternative Cinemas" in June 1986. The name changed again to "Lumiere Cinema" in 1989. The "Lumiere Cinema" closed on 28 June 1996. The theatre remained empty, and was demolished along with the Perth Entertainment Centre.

Concerts

List of concerts

• Eric Clapton– 28 April 1975 and 28 November 1984
• The Sweet– 22 August 1975
• John Denver– 13–14 October 1975, 10 May 1983 and 1 December 1994
• Status Quo– 17 October 1975, withSnafu,24 November 1976, 2–3 August 1978 and 16 November 2000
• Wings– 1 November 1975
• Queen– 11 April 1976, with Lucifer
• TheSkyhooks– 21 August 1976 and 7 May 1983
• Rainbow– 4 November 1976, withBuffalo
• AC/DC– 2 December 1976, 15 February 1977, 13 February 1981, 1–2 February 1988 and 23–24 October 1991
• TheRobin TrowerBand – 31 January 1977
• ABBA– 10th (2 shows)–11th–12th (2 shows) March 1977
• Alice Cooper– 14–15 March 1977, 5 September 1997, 23 February 2000 and 17 April 2001
• Jethro Tull– 4–5 September 1977and 14 March 1994
• Tina Turner– 10 September 1977 with Magna Carta
• 10cc– 24 September 1977
• Lou Reed– 7 November 1977
• Electric Light Orchestra– 17 September 1978
• Fleetwood Mac– 18–19 November 1977, 21–22 February 1980, withJohn Paul Youngand 8–9 April 1990
• Boz Scaggs– 9 March 1978, withDragon,17 September 1980
• The Beach Boys– 14–15 March 1978
• Bob Dylan– 25 and 27 March 1978, 16–17 February 1986, withTom Petty and the Heartbreakers,18 March 1992 and 18 March 2001, withPaul Kelly
• Billy Joel– 1 April 1978, 3–4 and 6 November 1987 and 13–14 December 1994
• Bette Midler– 4 November 1978
• Peter Frampton– 9–10 November 1978, with Cold Chisel
• Olivia Newton-John– 12 November 1978
• David Bowie– 14–15 November 1978, with The Angels and 4–6 November 1983
• Bob Marley and the Wailers– 23 April 1979
• Elton John– 7 December 1979, 21 December 1980, 7–8 April 1982, 6–7 March 1984, 25–26 November 1986, 27–29 January 1990 and 23–24 February 1993
• The Police– 19 March 1980 and 26 February 1981
• The Boomtown Rats– 10 June 1980
• Thin Lizzy– 18 October 1980
• Cold Chisel– 24 October 1980 and 15 October 1983
• KISS– 8–11 November 1980 and 4 February 1995
• Dire Straits– 22 March 1981, 24 March 1983 and 13–20 April 1986
• Johnny Cash– 16 June 1981 and 2–3 March 1994
• The Cure– 22 August 1981, 28 August 1992 and 10 October 2000
• The Kinks– 14 February 1982
• Devo– 17 February 1982
• Elvis Costello– 21 May 1982, withThe Attractions,15 December 1987, with The Confederates and 18 September 1991, with Rude 5
• Madness– 27 October 1982
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts– 6 December 1982
• Barry Manilow– 14–15 May 1983 and 13 June 1996
• Duran Duran– 27 November 1983
• The Manhattan Transfer– 30 November 1983
• Robert Plant– 28 January 1984
• Split Enz– 12 February 1984, 8 October 1984
• INXS– 24 February and 27–28 September 1984, 4–5 September 1985, 6–7 and 9 November 1988, with Sting, 15–16 April 1991 and 20 March and 21 May 2000
• U2– 23–24 September 1984, withMatt Finishand 21–23 September 1989, with B.B. King andWeddings Parties Anything
• Cliff Richard– 25–26 October 1984, 16–17 February 1988, 3–4 March 1990, 9–10 November 1991, 28 February and 1 March 1995 and 1–2 March 1998
• Deep Purple– 27 November 1984 and 5 March 2001
• Tina Turner– 23–24 December 1984, 23–24 December 1985, 23–24 February 1988, 11 October 1993, 29–30 October 1993 and 3–5 April 1997
• Neil Young– 1 March 1985, withCrazy Horseand The International Harvesters and 5 April 1989, with The Lost Dogs
• Phil Collins– 20 April 1985 and 4–5 April 1990
• The Stranglers– 18 May 1985
• Meat Loaf– 22 June 1985
• The Motels– 30 August 1985
• TheAustralian Crawl– 1 February 1986 (their last concert)
• TheThompson Twins– 14 February 1986
• Santana– 5 and 7 June 1986 and 7 May 1996, withEmmylou Harris
• Joe Cocker– 4 November 1986, 30 September 1988, 26 November 1992, 8 September 1995, 31 January 1998
• Jackson Browne– 2 December 1986
• Genesis– 5 and 6 December 1986
• ZZ Top– 9–10 March 1987 and 17 April 2000
• Crowded House– 15 July 1987 and 6 August 1988
• Simply Red– 29–30 August and 1 September 1987, withSinéad O'Connor,19 August 1989, with Sinéad O'Connor, 3 October 1992, with Sinéad O'Connor and 10 April 1996, with Sinéad O'Connor
• Midnight Oil– 10 October 1987 and 11 June 1993
• John Farnham– 11 November 1987
• George Michael– 8–9 March 1988
• John Mellencamp– 9–10 April 1988 and 1–2 May 1992
• Whitney Houston– 31 October 1988
• Bryan Ferry– 11 November 1988
• The Robert Cray Band– 3 December 1988
• Robert Palmer27 February 1989
• Poison– 12 July 1989
• The Black Sorrows– 3 August 1989
• Johnny Diesel& The Injectors – 5 August 1989
• Jimmy Barnes– 12 December 1988, 27–28 October 1989 and 23 November 1990, with TheStray Cats
• Bon Jovi– 8 November 1989 and 4 October 1993, with Jimmy Barnes and Rough Justice
• Simple Minds– 18 November 1989
• Eurythmics– 28–29 November 1989
• Tracy Chapman– 13 February 1990
• Steve Earle– 18 August 1990, with The Dukes andJohnny DieselandNick Barker & the Reptiles
• The Angels– 4 September 1990, withCheap Trick
• Aerosmith– 15 October 1990
• Kylie Minogue– 13 February 1991 and 28 and 30 April 2001
• Steve Winwood– 18 March 1991
• Diana Ross– 24 October 1991
• Paul Simon– 5–6 November 1991
• Amy Grant– 16 March 1992
• Rod Stewart– 22–23 March 1992
• George Thorogood & The Destroyers21 April 1992
• Def Leppard– 11 July 1992
• The Cure– 28 August 1992 and 10 October 2000
• TheRed Hot Chili Peppers– 17 October 1992, 10 May 1996 and 7 February 2000
• Hoodoo Gurus– 24 October 1992, withL7
• Richard Marx– 14 November 1992
• Hunters and Collectors– 18 December 1992
• Metallica– 7–8 April 1993 and 11–12 April 1998
• Bobby Brown– 26 April 1993
• Arrested Development– 29 April 1993
• Faith No More– 30 April 1993, with Storytime, 17 August 1995 and 1 November 1997
• Ugly Kid Joe– 19 October 1993
• Bryan Adams– 25 January 1994 and 13 March 2000
• Lenny Kravitz– 16 February 1994
• Peter Gabriel– 21 February 1994
• Depeche Mode– 5 March 1994
• East 17– 27 March 1994
• B.B. King– 9 May 1994 and 10 May 1997
• Culture Beat– 22 May 1994, withCut 'N' MoveandMelodie MC
• Cypress Hill– 27 May 1994, withIce Cube
• Garth Brooks– 5 September 1994
• ThePet Shop Boys– 1 November 1994
• Pantera– 18 November 1994, 24 September 1996 and 20 May 2001
• R.E.M.– 13–14 January 1995, withDied PrettyandGrant Lee Buffalo
• Roxette– 17–18 January 1995
• Janet Jackson– 23 February 1995
• Pearl Jam– 6 March 1995, withThe Meaniesand 19–20 March 1998, withShudder to Think
• Foreigner– 22 April 1995
• Take That– 4 October 1995
• Tom Jones– 28 November 1995 and 29 May 2000
• Chris Isaak– 14 February 1996
• The Smashing Pumpkins– 4 March 1996
• Celine Dion– 18 March 1996, withHuman Nature
• Everclear– 26 September 1996, with Silverchair andJebediah
• Sting– 19 October 1996
• TheSex Pistols– 24 October 1996
• Bush– 6 November 1996, withThe Superjesus
• The Corrs– 4 February 1997 and 4 February 1998
• Live– 12 May 1997 and 16 March 2000, withSugar Rayand Rumanastone
• Tina Arena– 22 November 1997
• Silverchair– 20 December 1997 withMagic DirtandAmmonia,and 8 August 1999 withPre-ShrunkandPlacebo
• Radiohead– 10 February 1998, with TheBig Heavy Stuff
• Oasis– 26 February 1998, withYou Am I
• Van Halen– 29 April 1998, withThe Poor
• Plácido Domingo– 8 September 1998, withJulia Migenes
• TheBeastie Boys– 11 February 1999, withSpiderbaitandB(if)tek
• The Offspring– 21 June 1999, withGuttermouthandThe Andy Callison Projectand 17 March 2001, with28 Daysand H-Block 101
• Alanis Morissette– 5 October 1999, withGarbageandStellar
• Macy Gray– 1 May 2000
• Ben Harper& The Innocent Criminals – 14 June 2000, with TheWicked Beat Sound System
• Matchbox 20– 14 November 2000
• The Wiggles– 5–6 December 2000 and 4–5 December 2001
• Blink-182– 9 April 2001
• Roxy Music– 19 August 2001
• Robbie Williams– 1 November 2001
• Tool– 4 May 2002, with TheMelvins
• Youth Alive WA– August 2002 (the final show at the venue before closing.)

Demolition

The disused venue in May 2011

The venue was owned by theSeven Networkand was officially closed in August 2002. In 2005, theGovernment of Western Australiaunveiled plans for a new entertainment centre to be built on the site of the carpark for the existing centre. In 2006, the new centre was officially given the name ofPerth Arena.Demolition of the disused venue began on 11 May 2011 and was completed in December 2011, in preparation for the State Government'sPerth City Linkproject and included tentative approvals for new residential and business towers on the site.

External links

• 6000TIMES: photo series inside Perth Entertainment Centre prior to demolition
• Northbridge Link
• NorthbridgeLink
• Brian Treasure
• Perth Entertainment Centreat Austadiums