🎪 Did you know the site of Arts Centre Melbourne used to be home to a circus? Our conservators restored this scrapbook compiled by Wirth's Circus transport manager Charles West, which is filled with thousands of fascinating images from times gone by, and stories waiting to be discovered. Come make your own memories at our summer blockbuster, Circus 1903 this January in the State Theatre → https://brnw.ch/21wDvJs | Arts Centre Melbourne

Footage of Wirth's Circus shot by American tourists in the early 1950s. It shows their arrival, construction of the big top, behind-the-scenes footage of the performers, and part of the show. From our #Circus collection: https://www.nfsa.gov.au/collection/curated/australian-circus-shows-performers-and-history | NFSA - National Film and Sound Archive of Australia

In this clip from 1943, members of Wirth’s Circus and Zoo parade down the main street as a large crowd looks on. The parade includes elephants, clowns, performers on horseback and caged animals. In another shot, Shetland ponies are led by boys over a bridge towards the show ground. Wirth’s Circus was Australia’s largest and most prestigious circus company. For eight decades Wirth’s was billed as Australia’s own ‘Greatest Show on Earth’, and was a huge travelling circus with an international repu

🎪 Did you know there's a long history of circus on the site where Arts Centre Melbourne now stands? Ian our curator of the Australian Performing Arts Collection shares his knowledge of one of Australia's major circus companies, Wirth's Circus. 🎟️ Not long now until Circus 1903 rolls into our State Theatre stage! Don't miss out → https://brnw.ch/21wFB6j | Arts Centre Melbourne

Would you pay $119 to see this show? Back in the day, Wirths’ Circus occupied the site of Arts Centre Melbourne. Now a new production is harking back to the ‘greatest show on earth’. “There are a lot of parallels between what we tried to do with this show and the amazing shows of the early 1900s, of which Wirth’s was one,” said Circus 1903 creative producer Simon Painter. To read the full story by Jewel Topsfield, click the link in our bio. Video: Abbir Dib Photo: Circus 1903 | The Age

🎭 Did you know that the Arts Centre Melbourne is built on the site of Wirth's Circus? Join one of Arts Centre Melbourne’s Guided Tours and get to know this iconic building in an intimate and entertaining way. http://bit.ly/artscentremelbtour Have you been before? What did you think? | TOT: HOT OR NOT