Court Hotel or The Court is a music venue and bar in
Perth
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia. It is the fourth most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of 2.1 million (80% of the state) living in Greater Perth in 2020. Perth is ...
,
Western Australia
Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...
.
It is a historic hotel, located at the corner of
Beaufort Street
Beaufort Street is a major road in the inner north-eastern suburbs of Perth, Western Australia, connecting the Morley area to the Perth central business district. For most of its length, it is a single-carriageway, two-way road with two lanes i ...
and
James Street. It was built in 1888 and has been continually used as a hotel since then.
It has been a LGBTQ+ friendly venue since the early 1990s.
Description
The venue is located on the corner of James St and Beaufort St, on the east side of the James St Mall through the
Perth Cultural Centre
The Perth Cultural Centre is an area of central Perth, Western Australia, near the James Street Mall.
It is home to a number of cultural institutions including the Art Gallery of Western Australia, Western Australian Museum, State Library of ...
. It neighbours Curtin House, the former headquarters of the WA Police detective unit.
The venue features a large astroturf outdoor courtyard, with a stage area. The outside of the venue is painted in a colourful street-art style.
It is marketed as a LGBTQ+ friendly venue. The venue is known for hosting drag shows.
History and operations
The Court Hotel was constructed in 1888 in the Victorian Regency architectural style, and later renovated to include Federation Free Classical style and, mostly internally, the Inter-War Art Deco style. The name of the venue comes from its position across the road from a building in the Perth cultural precinct that used to operate as a Magistrates court.
From 1903 it was operated by
Con O'Brien, the first Labor Member of the Legislative Council.
Extensive renovations were undertaken in 1938, 2007, 2012 and 2017.
As of 2016, the venue is solely owned by
Bree Maddox, a Perth socialite and former Penthouse model. The venue was formerly owned jointly by Maddox and her partner, Malcolm Day; prior to their separation.
In 2019 and 2021, the venue has faced criticism from members of Perth's LGBTQ+ community. This criticism followed the resurfacing of historic images of a drag queen Scarlet Adams performing in
blackface
Blackface is a form of theatrical makeup used predominantly by non-Black people to portray a caricature of a Black person.
In the United States, the practice became common during the 19th century and contributed to the spread of racial stereo ...
at the venue; as well as claims from some patrons that antisocial and anti-queer behaviour had been experienced by patrons. In response to these criticisms, the venue adorned its entrance with rainbow colours while its owners publicly stated their support for the LGBTQ+ community; and hired additional security, but declined a requested ban on non-queer patrons. In response to the blackface allegations, the venue issued an apology.
In 2022, a mural was painted onto the side of the building by
Fremantle
Fremantle () () is a port city in Western Australia, located at the mouth of the Swan River in the metropolitan area of Perth, the state capital. Fremantle Harbour serves as the port of Perth. The Western Australian vernacular diminutive for ...
-based artist Jackson Harvey.
In September 2023,
Australian Venue Co. entered an agreement to purchase The Court from Maddox.
See also
*
William Street Bird
*
Picabar
Picabar is a small bar located in Northbridge, Western Australia, within the Perth Cultural Centre. It is situated within the old Perth Boys School building, part of the Perth Central School complex in the early 1900s, adjacent to the Perth Ins ...
References
External links
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{{coord, display=title, -31.95027, 115.86249
Historic hotels in Perth, Western Australia
Heritage places in Perth, Western Australia
1888 establishments in Australia
Beaufort Street, Perth
LGBT drinking establishments
Pubs in Western Australia
LGBT places in Australia
