The George Ballroom has rock’n’roll pervading its structure. Nick Cave, The Cure and INXS et al. performed there during the 1970’s when it was the infamous Crystal Ballroom. So it’s ironic that a rather punk incidence would prove to be the space’s downfall. The ballroom is rumoured to have closed its doors after a disgruntled neighbour – driven to madness by apparent raucous merry-making – crashed a party and began wrenching tablecloths from their tables mid-fete. For nearly a decade it had fallen into disrepair (quite literally: the ceiling had fallen in) and became the stuff of curious legend, similar to the much-whispered-about ballroom above Flinders Street Station. At last, the George Ballroom has been restored to its former Victorian splendour with a hint of broke-down glamour. The ballroom is back.

Photography: David Cook