St Kilda's Memo Music Hall stands as a testament to both wartime remembrance and Melbourne's enduring love affair with live music.
From its inception as a memorial to First World War veterans, through stints as a picture house and recording studio, to its current incarnation as one of Melbourne’s most beloved music venues, Memo has weathered around 100 years of cultural evolution. The art deco building, designed by Hudson & Wadrop – the architectural firm behind the Shrine of Remembrance – was funded largely through beach carnivals at Luna Park and community fundraising efforts.
Originally conceived in 1920 as a revenue-generating venture to support distressed soldiers and their families, the venue has maintained its connection to the veteran community while establishing itself as a cornerstone of Melbourne’s music scene. The grand hall – which officially opened in 1924 and could accommodate 500 for dancing or seat 1,000, quickly became a focal point for local entertainment.
Memo Music Hall historical milestones:
- 1924 – Opened by the Earl of Stradbroke, Governor of Victoria
- 1927-1958 – Operated as the Memorial Picture Theatre
- 1961-1965 – Home to Telefil recording studios under Bill Armstrong
- 1974-1992 – Pan Pacific Pictures film studio period
- 2025 – Memo celebrates 10 years as a live music venue and RSL with JAZZ PARTY
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A home for Australian music royalty
The venue’s recording studio era in the 1960s saw it play host to some of Australian music’s most significant names, with Normie Rowe, Olivia Newton John and The Easybeats all laying down tracks within its walls. This period under sound engineer Bill Armstrong cemented the building’s place in Australian music history.
The following decades saw the space transform again, this time into a bustling film studio. From 1974 to 1992, it served as the primary filming location for Val Morgan cinema advertisements and television commercials for major Australian publications. The studio hosted regular appearances from television personalities including Bert Newton, Michael Pate, Pattie Newton, and casts from popular shows like Homicide, Matlock Police, The Box and Number 96.
Today’s Memo maintains its historical significance while embracing its role as a contemporary music venue. The building still houses 12 apartments for returned service members, managed by the St Kilda Memorial Hall Trustees, while the ground floor comprises a public bar, members’ bar, and lounge bar alongside the performance space.
An intimate atmosphere and exceptional acoustics
Contemporary music lovers are drawn to the venue’s warm, close-quarters setting, where the carefully preserved architecture creates natural sound chambers throughout the space. The grand hall’s original 1920s design inadvertently produced perfect acoustic conditions – every note rings clear whether you’re pressed against the stage or settled in the back row. The two-level layout means even a full house maintains that coveted sense of proximity between performer and audience, while the building’s art deco bones seem to amplify and embrace each frequency with remarkable clarity., with the grand hall particularly suited to both seated performances and standing shows. Recent years have seen performances from Australian music royalty including Paul Kelly, Kate Ceberano, The Models, Chris Wilson, and The Black Sorrows.
The venue’s preservation of its historical features, including vintage posters and original decorative elements, creates an atmosphere that bridges past and present. This connection to history, combined with state-of-the-art sound capabilities and clear sightlines throughout the room, makes Memo a favourite among performers and audiences alike.
The building’s evolution from war memorial to cultural institution reflects the changing face of St Kilda itself, while maintaining its core mission of service to the community. Whether hosting tribute shows or contemporary artists, Memo continues to honour its legacy as a space where music and memory intertwine.
Memo is celebrating 10 years in its current iteration with a huge JAZZ PARTY gig on March 15. Get tickets here. For more information on Memo and what’s coming up, head here.
