Once the entertainment jewel in the Victorian spa country’s artistic crown, The Palais had lost its sparkle. “There was mismanagement, and people weren’t treated very well,” Ireland explains. Ireland had moved to Daylesford about four years ago, initially booking the venue before deciding to move on. Built originally in 1926, the heritage-listed Palais boasts Victoria’s oldest sprung dancefloor. Over its almost-90 year history, The Palais has been everything from a movie theatre to a performance venue, even an ice-creamery.
In 2009 the venue closed, much to the disappointment of locals and visitors alike. Having witnessed the venue’s decline, the building’s owners were keen to ensure any new occupants understood the building’s heritage and potential, and had a viable plan for its future success. “It sat on the market for a while,” Ireland says. “The owners were very careful about who’d take over the lease.”
In 2010 Matthew Goodison and his partner Korinna Glen, owners of a local cafe and winery, took over the lease and began the process of restoring the venue to its original status. With Ireland recruited to her previous role as booker for the venue, the owners commissioned chef Billy McIldowney to run the kitchen.
The result is a revitalised Palais that will blend weekend music events with a diverse culinary experience. “We’re trying not to go into overkill with the music,” Ireland explains. “We’ll have a couple of gigs a week – people like Ross Wilson, overseas acts like Jimmy Webb, as well as supporting solo shows, like Sarah McLeod from The Superjesus.”
The musical focus will be on quality, not quantity, with shows intended to provide for a rich musical experience. “We’re not targeting anyone as such,” Ireland figures. “We’ll have some artists like Ross Wilson and Renee Geyer, as well as local acts.”
Daylesford’s contemporary reputation as a regional focus for the arts will contribute to the venue’s attraction. “Every second person up here is in the arts,” Ireland laughs. “There are visual artists, potters and musicians. We have famous people living up in the hills, but there’s also a lot of up and comers,” she adds.
As for the culinary experience, Ireland says it will be a mixture of fine dining and the de rigueur pub fare menu. “Billy used to run the Cosmopolitan in Melbourne in its heyday,” Ireland says. “On Friday and Saturday there will be fine dining, while on Sunday there will be traditional Sunday roast theme.”
An additional element on the menu will be the ‘paddock to the plate’ aspect, with meals including organically grown food from owner Korinna and Matthew’s farm.
This weekend sees the formal re-opening of The Palais, with local band Checkerboard Lounge joined by the Town Bikes on Friday night and Tim Rogers playing solo on Saturday evening. With bands gradually realising the potential and merit of indulging the regional circuit, the future of The Palais is looking as bright as ever. “”It’s not like the older days when bands just hit the road and toured,” Ireland says.
“But when people look around at the cost of playing, they’ll realise it’s worth coming to The Palais because it’ll be a great crowd, and a great venue.”
