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Address
360 Burwood Road, Hawthorn VIC 3122
Opening hours
Open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm excluding public holidays.
Venue accessibility
Hawthorn Arts Centre is wheelchair accessible, with ambulant toilets available.
A lift is available to access level 1.
Reserved disability parking spaces are in the public car park behind the Hawthorn Arts Centre.
Hearing loops are available on request.
How to get there
Parking
Public parking is behind the Centre, accessible from Kent St or Oxley Road. Additional parking is also available a short walk from the Centre on Serpells Lane and Swinburne Avenue. Please note, restrictions apply.
Public transport
Train: Alamein, Belgrave and Lilydale lines - arrive at Glenferrie Station, walk 2 minutes south along Glenferrie Road then turn left into Burwood Road.
Tram 16: Melbourne University to Kew - get off at stop 73.
Tram 70: Docklands to Wattle Park - get off at stop 32 and walk north on Glenferrie Road for 9 minutes until you get to Burwood Rd. Turn right and walk one minute east along Burwood Road.
Tram 75: City to Vermont South - get off at stop 32 and walk north on Glenferrie Rd for 9 minutes until you get to Burwood Road. Turn right and walk one minute east along Burwood Road.
Box office
Tickets can be purchased from the box office one hour before a performance begins, subject to availability. All other tickets must be booked online or by phone on (03) 9278 4770.
Browse our What's on page to see upcoming events and book tickets.
Creative Playground
Creative Playground at Hawthorn Arts Centre is designed to engage children and adults alike. This space is an opportunity to relax and to create, with fun activities available to connect with your inner artist.
We regularly activate Creative Playground with interactive artworks to celebrate Town Hall Gallery exhibitions, highlight cultural events, or display community artwork.
Food and drink
Hawthorn Arts Centre has a foyer bar with a selection of refreshments and snacks. It is open for performances pre-show and during interval.
Shop
The Boroondara Arts Shop offers a selection of original gifts and small art pieces made by local artists.
Located in the foyer of Hawthorn Arts Centre, the entire range of items for sale can also be purchased on the Boroondara Arts Shop website(open in new window).
Many of the items are produced as limited editions, so you know you are buying something special.
Hire a space
Hawthorn Arts Centre provides spaces for hire, including:
- function spaces
- meeting rooms
- display spaces.
Visit our Hire a space at Hawthorn Arts Centre page for room facilities and hire rates.
Download the conditions of entry
Download the ticketing terms and conditions
History of Hawthorn Arts Centre
Hawthorn’s first Town Hall (1861) occupied the same Burwood Road site as the current building. It was a humble single story building, housing the police, courthouse, library and lock-up, but when Hawthorn was proclaimed a town in 1887 a modest hall simply would not do.
The Town Hall design was a result of a competition. The Council raised £9,500 in 1887 and received 20 submissions. Melbourne architect John Beswicke who lived locally in Harcourt Street, Hawthorn created the winning design.
In August 1888 the Mayor, Councillor Thomas Barratt laid the foundation stone of the former Hawthorn Town Hall. This foundation stone at the front of the building on Burwood Road is a time capsule containing a document with detailed a list of all past and present mayors and councillors and the history of Hawthorn from its inception.
The large Second Empire style clock was added to the clock tower in 1911.
Since it was built in 1888, the Hawthorn Town Hall has been part of community life in Boroondara, housing the post office and police station as well as hosting debutante balls, early moving picture screenings, school prize presentations, monthly craft markets, the Saturday night 50-50 dances and immunisation clinics, as well as formal municipal events.
Numerous renovations have occurred since the building’s grand opening ball of 1889, most recently in 2013 when the Town Hall was transformed into the Hawthorn Arts Centre.
More information
For more information or to discuss your visit to the Hawthorn Arts Centre, contact us by emailing hawthorn.artscentre@boroondara.vic.gov.au or calling (03) 9278 4770.
You can also follow Boroondara Arts' social accounts on Facebook(open in new window) and Instagram(open in new window).
Boroondara Arts newsletter
Fill in our subscription form to get the Boroondara Arts newsletter and find out about all the exciting Arts and Culture events we have on throughout the year.
Subscribe to the Boroondara Arts newsletter(open in new window)