Crystal Ballroom (Melbourne)
The Crystal Ballroom (also known as the Seaview Ballroom and the Wintergarden Room) was a music venue that opened in 1978 in St Kilda, an inner suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Located within the George Hotel at 125 Fitzroy Street, it has often been referred to as the epicentre of Melbourne's post-punk scene, launching the careers of The Birthday Party, Dead Can Dance and many other local groups, as well as showcasing international acts, including The Cure, New Order and The Fall.
Named after the venue's ornate Victorian age ballroom and chandeliers, the Crystal Ballroom was owned by Australian rules football identity Graeme Richmond and run by a succession of music promoters, starting with Dolores San Miguel (who also ran other prominent Melbourne venues, including St Kilda's Esplanade Hotel), and later by Laurie Richards, founder of the Tiger Lounge in Richmond and the Jump Club in Fitzroy. In 1980, San Miguel and Richards co-ran the Ballroom and opened on the ground floor a second performance arts space, the Paradise Lounge, which became a hub for Melbourne's Little Band scene. Nigel Rennard, owner of Missing Link Records, was the Ballroom's final booker. It closed in 1987.