IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK

Stories from 14 MacMahon Street – MacMahon’s Manor

14 MacMahon Street transformed into MacMahon’s Manor – a fine dining and theatre restaurant – in 1983 after being sold by the St George Rugby Union Club to John & Annette Ibbitson. After renovating, restoring and redecorating the venue for six months, MacMahon’s Manor became a very popular venue playing host to theatre productions, numerous weddings and various special events.

Courtesy of John Ibbitson

The first room on the right as you enter the property was a fine dining area with an open log fireplace, a small grand piano and lace tablecloths set with “real true silverware and crystal glassware.” The second room along was the cocktail bar – the bar itself was rescued from an old ferry that was in the process of being dismantled!

In what is today the main gallery space of Hurstville Museum & Gallery, was the theatre restaurant, with a small stage that held big costumes! A new show was put on every three months, with at least a dozen changes of costumes for an audience of approximately 150 people 6 nights a week. The shows became so popular they were booked out 3 months in advance, and every show had a corresponding themed menu and signature cocktail.

Courtesy of John Ibbitson

Bruce Scott, costume designer and choreographer for the stage shows at MacMahon’s Manor, describes  the recipe for a successful night of entertainment at ‘The Manor’ as “variety and comedy that’s it, there's no ifs or buts that’s all you do in theatre restaurant.  You’ve got to entertain the masses when they're eating and drinking and so if you’ve got colour and movement on stage and you've got comedy that’s success, that’s it.”

See some of the original costumes worn on stage at MacMahon’s Manor on display today in the IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK exhibition.

Courtesy of John Ibbitson

These are just some of the stories of 14 MacMahon Street. Come and visit the multisensory exhibition IF THESE WALLS COULD TALK to find out more about the building’s past.

Exhibition proudly sponsored by