Skating on thin ice: Where have all Australia’s ice rinks gone?
Australia was once home to more than 40 ice-rinks, with the popularity of skating peaking in the ’50s and again in the ’80s. There are now just 20 – so what happened to all the others?
With substantial commercial real estate space needed to house a rink, which measures 1800sqm (around half the size of a rugby league field and larger than an Olympic-sized swimming pool) and the fact that they are expensive to run and even more expensive to maintain, many have closed to make way for other businesses and even housing.
The newest ice rink in Australia opened in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater in 2004. It was closed down less than a year later, displacing over 200 figure skaters and ice hockey players, and sold to a developer. It is one of more than 30 ice rinks that have closed their doors in the last century.
There are just 20 ice rinks left in Australia. Picture: Getty.
Recreational ice-skating dates back more than 4,000 years and hit its peak in the early 20th century. It’s an activity virtually everyone in Australia has tried at least once, however the abundance of available physical and fitness hobbies has seen it lose relevance in an age of limitless choices.
Many original ice rink building remain and have been repurposed; some were demolished to make way to provide housing for a rapidly expanding population. Several ice rinks across the country have met unfortunate endings over the years thanks to either arson attacks or accidental fire.
From the sunny shores of the Gold Coast to chilly Tasmanian suburbs, here’s what happened to the real estate that used to house just a few of Australia’s many lost ice rinks.
Sydney Glaciarium, Ultimo NSW
One of Australia’s oldest ice rinks took the commercial space of a former cyclorama when it was opened by New South Wales premier Joseph Carruthers in central Sydney in 1907.
The interior of the Sydney Glaciarium. Picture: Sam Wood/Legends of Australian Ice
The public could enjoy a recreational skate for 2 shillings in a 1840s steel-framed open-trussed Victorian railway building with seating for 1500. Despite being a seasonal rink that doubled as a cinema in warmer months, it soon became home competitive ice hockey matched, fuelled by visiting American warships promoting the sport.
The rink’s location in Wembley House at 849-855 George Street is now a National Trust protected heritage building of architectural significance in one of Sydney’s busiest retail thoroughfares.
Sydney Morning Herald advertisement for the opening of Sydney Glaciarium in 1907. Picture: Legends of Australian Ice
The rink was closed in 1955 after the booming success it found as a haven for serviceman during the Second World War dissipated. It is now a flexible retail/commercial space of offices and shops underneath the Taragon Central residential development.
Ice Palais, Moore Park NSW
The Ice Palais skating rink in the Sydney suburb of Moore Park was housed in the iconic Royal Agricultural Society’s Royal Hall of Industries.
Recreational skating at the Ice Palais in 1938. Picture: Pix Magazine/State Library of New South Wales
The Greater Sydney Parklands-owned building was constructed in 1913 in time for the Royal Easter Show. After various commercial uses including as a roller skating rink and a First World War defence force camping ground, it became a temporary hospital following the outbreak of Spanish influenza in Sydney in 1919.
The Ice Palais opened in 1938 to coincide with Sydney hosting the 1938 Commonwealth Games and remained as a key attraction for Sydneysiders until its closure in 1952.
Today, the famous commercial space is being transformed as the future headquarters for the Sydney Swans. First announced in 2018, the project will transform the space into a world-class sporting hub in a project presented by realestate.com.au.
Dungowan Ice Rink, Manly NSW
Dungowan, one of the most recognisable and famous historical buildings overlooking Manly Beach, was once home to an ice rink.
Advertising next to Dungowan Ice Rink. Picture: Northern Beaches Library Local Studies
The rink which was installed in 1932 to increase footfall in the historic building at 7 South Steyne after the Great Depression.
The ice rink replaced a former roller skating rink within the building but lasted just two years due to complications operating it.
The closure of the ice rink in 1950 saw Dungowan repurposed once again for commercial use, this time as a car sales space, before it was converted once again into the block of apartments in remains as today.
This three-bedroom, two-bathoom apartment in Dungowan sold for $10,000,000 in March 2024. Picture: realestate.com.au/sold
The landmark historic block houses some of the most expensive that sell in the premier beachside suburb, with a three-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment sale in 2024 going $2m above its auction guide to sell for $10,000,000.
Blacktown International Ice Arena, Blacktown NSW
Blacktown International Ice Arena in the Sydney’s west opened in 1979 and was the city’s first suburban ice rink.
Blacktown Ice Arena. Picture: Les Tod/Blacktown City Libraries
The rink, a family run-business, was forced to close in 2007 after rent hikes made it unsustainable to run. A two-year demolition process of the site began in 2008.
The prime-position 2814 square metre site retains the original exterior ice rink structure and is currently a Centrelink building benefitting from its prime proximity to Blacktown railway station.
It was sold for $74,580,000 in March 2022.
Sydney Ice Arena, Baulkham Hills NSW
Opened in 2002 as The Glaciarium, Sydney Ice Arena was the first new Olympic-sized ice rink Sydney had seen in more than 20 years.
The former Sydney Ice Arena in Baulkham Hills. Picture: Sydney Ice Arena
The dedicated commercial space on the edge of Norwest Lake in Sydney’s then up and coming Hills District featured seating for 1000 spectators, a café, function rooms, and an undercover carpark for 200 cars.
Despite its success, a proposal for a 20-storey mixed-use development was submitted to the Hills Shire Council by Capital Corporation on behalf of the arena’s owners, Hillsong Church, just years into the rink’s operations.
The proposal planned to take advantage of the expanding population, the growing Norwest Business Park and the second phase of the North West & Bankstown line of the Sydney Metro, which was eventually opened in 2024.
The demolition of the ice rink came just 15 years after it first opened its doors, with a residential project having now taken the space, adding to the rapid expansion of the Hills District over the last decade.
The apartment complex at 11 Solent Circuit, Norwest has replaced Sydney Ice Arena. Picture: realestate.com.au
The mixed-use development includes 267 apartments as well as restaurants, shops and offices.
Warringah Ice Skating Rink, Narrabeen NSW
Built inside a Second World War aeroplane hangar, Warringah Ice Rink on Sydney’s Northern Beaches first opened in the 1970s.
Constructed by Dutchman David Groenteman – once Australia’s oldest living survivor of WWII concentration camp, Auschwitz – the rink’s creation was a labour of love for the ice hockey fan. The rink’s hockey team, the Warringah Bombers, took their name from the military plans that had conducted rescues during the war.
Warringah Ice Rink in the 1980s. Picture: Northern Beaches Library Local Studies
The commercial space for the rink, an enviable 200 meters from Narrabeen Beach, was the site of a former Catholic convent and shared a wall with a still-existing Woolworths.
Since its closure in the late 1990s, the site has evolved into a large residential and commercial complex which is home to and osteopath, an aged care provider, and furniture and clothing stores which form part of Narrabeen’s high street offerings.
Narrabeen, 18.6km from central Sydney, is a 2025 REA Group Hot 100 suburb.
Penrith Ice Palace, Jamisontown NSW
The 8505sqm Penrith Ice Palace opened in 2000 near the city of Penrith in Sydney’s west in a then-undeveloped area by the Nepean River.
It was sold to developers for $15,400,000 in 2021 after struggling through the COVID-19 period.
The Western Sydney Ice Sports Co-operative – formed by the rink’s longtime figure skating and ice hockey clubs – leased the rink after it was first sold but were unable to secure a buyer to continue operations.
Inside the old Penrith Ice Palace. Picture: Our Penrith
Developers chose not to continue running the rink in 2022, which was located in a prime specialist commercial area housing a Bunnings, Fantastic Furniture, Spotlight, Forty Winks and Harvey Norman.
The current usage of the site is unknown.
Eastern Ice Skating Centre, Bayswater VIC
One of the country’s shortest surviving rinks was the Eastern Ice Skating Centre in the Melbourne suburb of Bayswater.
Opened in 2004 on the corner of Barry Street and Jersey Road, the rink catered to up and coming ice hockey champions as well as recreational skaters.
In early 2005, the Australian Junior Ice Hockey Team who trained at the rink returned from the World U18 Championships in Bulgaria to find the short-lived rink had closed.
The original building remains today and has been leased into individual warehouse spaces that benefit from high internal clearance and container height roller doors consistent with its past use.
The Fabbrostone Park business precinct at 59 Jersey Road now houses industrial space for furniture store Cosh Living, as well as an architectural joinery and kitchen fitting showrooms.
Dandenong Ice Skating Colosseum, Dandenong VIC
Situated in a converted factory on a corner of the South Gippsland Highway, the Dandenong Ice Skating Colosseum was opened in 1977 by Melbourne businessman Pat Burley.
My Burley was the husband of Australia’s first Olympic figure skater, Nancy Burley, who had competed in the 1952 Winter Olympic Games in Oslo. He had already opened and run several rinks across Victoria and New South Wales, drawing attention and funding to the Dandenong Ice Skating Colosseum through sponsorship deals and televised ice hockey games on the ABC.
The rink was closed in 1987 after Mr Burley was unable to find a buyer for the rink which he had self-funded for several years due to dwindling financial success.
The state government was approached to buy the commercial space, but declined due to the isolated premises, which was not able to be reached by public transport at the time.
The original rink building, which boats a floor area of 2137sqm, still stands on Fowler Road and is a warehouse and factory estate most recently leased in December 2018.
Iceland, Ringwood VIC
Iceland in suburban Ringwood first opened in 1906 and was another rink which spent time being operated by Pat Burley.
Situation at 28 Maroondah Highway, the space is perhaps best known as the venue of choice for bands Cold Chisel and AC/DC as well as Daddy Cool, Billy Thorpe and Johnny Young, all of whom would perform on a purpose-built stage on the edge of the ice during its time under Mr Burley’s ownership.
The demolition of Iceland building in 2019. Picture: Victoria Collections/Ringwood and District Historical Society
The rink eventually closed in 2005 and was sold to developers before being demolished in 2019 to make way for a 19-storey apartment block.
The complex will include 376 apartments and four levels of underground parking.
Bendigo Ice Skating Stadium, Golden Square VIC
Victoria’s last remaining regional ice rink, the Bendigo Ice Skating Stadium, went into liquidation and closed its doors in 2010 after 24 years in operation.
An interest free loan of $100,000 provided to the ice rink by the City of Greater Bendigo Council in 2008 was not enough to keep the rink open, despite covering its $82,000 debt.
The former Bendigo Ice Rink building. Picture: Google Maps
The former ice rink building, located in an industrial complex at 60-64 Hattam Street in Golden Gully, remains standing today though its usage and fate are unknown.
Gold Coast Iceland, Bundall QLD
Almost 30 years after first opening its doors, Gold Coast Iceland is the most recent ice rink in the country to close.
The rink’s founders, also within the Burley family, cited the rising costs of maintaining the rink including expensive insurance premiums and pricey operations.
Built inside a former abandoned warehouse on Strathaird Road for a price of $1m, the rink has changed hands several times in recent years, selling for $2.4m in 2017 and again for $2.8m in 2020.
Inside Iceland in Bundall. Picture: realcommercial.com.au
The 3704sqm space comes with 42 car parking spaces and is set to be turned into a $10.5m strata-titled development under current owners The Potter Group.
The prime location of the former rink, just 2km from Surfers Paradise, is an obvious hotspot for the Bundall Base development, which realcommercial.com.au was told in 2020 was set to contain 16 self-storage warehouses.
The Potter Group chief financial officer Shane Corbel confirmed to realcommercial.com.au that the group is currently preparing to lodge the DA application for renovation.
Adelaide Glaciarium, Adelaide SA
Opened in 1904, the Adelaide Glaciarium on Hindley Street in Adelaide’s city centre was the first indoor ice rink in Australia. The original building opened in 1890 as a two-story Victorian terrace cyclorama before being converted into an ice rink, which was known predominantly for its fancy dress carnival events.
The rink was renovated in 1907 with its ice replaced with a rock asphalt surface for use as a roller-skating space.
Ice skaters in fancy dress at the Adelaide Glaciarium. Image: State Library of South Australia/Ross Carpenter
In the years since, the building has been the home of Adelaide’s first picture theatre, a Chinese restaurant and a nightclub before being converted to a Greater Union cinema complex in the 1980s that was ultimately damaged in an arson attack.
The building has most recently been refurbished as the Grainger Studio after being sold in 1999 for $980,000.
It retains a central position of importance in the city as the home of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra.
Noarlunga Ice Skating Rink, Noarlunga Centre SA
When the Noarlunga Ice Skating Rink closed its doors in 2016 at the end of its lease, it left South Australians with just one other option for ice skating.
The operating costs for the rink on David Whitton Drive in Noarlunga Centre had become too expensive for the owners, who had unsuccessfully searched for an investor to fund an upgrade and expansion of the commercial premises, which had been an ice rink for 15 years.
The land once occupied by the Noarlunga Ice Skating Rink advertised for sale. Picture: realcommercial.com
A $12,000 lifeline was presented by the state government in 2012 was not enough, with the land put up for lease for development.
The land, 28km from Adelaide CBD, was advertised as suitable for ritual, recreational and showroom uses.
As of 2024, the site remains unused and undeveloped.
Hobart Glaciarium, Moonah TAS
Tasmania may be the coldest state in Australia but it is the only one without an ice rink despite, having been home to three over the years.
The first of these was the Hobart Glaciarium on Main Street, hailed as the first artificial open-air rink in the Southern Hemisphere when it opened in 1950.
Backed by a company that had previously established ice rinks in Europe, Hobart Glaciarium was initially managed by former Tasmanian forestry minister and Labor politician Rowland Worsley.
Advertisement for the Hobart Glaciarium. Picture: National Library Of Australia
One of the country’s first venues with a focus on speed skating, a restaurant serving afternoon tea was added onto the Glaciarium shortly after opening to try and increase foot traffic to the premises, which suffered from challenges caused by harsh weather conditions.
Despite attracting almost 40,000 patrons in its first three months, the business was in liquidation by 1953 after financial difficulties and two fires within its internal buildings.
The site at 7 Main Road later underwent a renovation and conversion to become a dance hall. Today, the land is home to a trucking business.
Glenorchy Ice Skating Rink, Glenorchy TAS
Tasmania’s only ice rink, the Glenorchy Ice Skating Rink in the Hobart suburb was first opened in 1980 with capacity for 100 spectators.
The building was listed for sale in 2020 and featured a four-bedroom residential unit on top of the ice rink building.
Glenorchy Ice Skating Rink listed for sale. Picture: realcommercial.com
Quickly becoming the state’s most viewed commercial property on realcommercial.com.au at the time it was for sale, the 1012sqm block was eventually sold in mid-2022 for $1,199,000 as a vacant possession.
The former ice rink is now the home of the Saigon Art Gallery – a family-owned space showcasing Vietnamese art.
Perth Ice Palais, Northbridge WA
Perth’s very first ice rink was installed in 1949 in the converted Tivoli Theatre on Beaufort Street in Northbridge – a 1911 building which started life as a semi-open air picture theatre.
Figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating and even basketball on ice were all on offer at the Perth Ice Palais before it closed after just two seasons in 1952.
Figures skates at Perth Ice Palais in the 1950s. Picture: State Library of Western Australia
Increasing overheads had made the continuation of the ice rink unmanageable, leading to the building’s eventual conversion.
In 1955, the building reopened as the Canterbury Court Ballroom, before being demolished in 1990. The site was sold to developers who submitted an application for a 600-apartment building in 2014 which was tipped to be Perth’s largest skyscraper.
Skates Ice Rink, Fremantle WA
A former resident in one Fremantle’s most iconic buildings, Skates Ice Rink operated for nearly 20 years between the 1970s and 1990s.
The South Terrace space, known most famously as nightclub Metropolis Fremantle, has lived many lives over its 120-year history, starting out as a stage venue in 1904.
Metropolis Fremantle listed for sale in 2021. Picture: realcommercial.com.au/for-sale
The 2111sqm property has been home to the Metropolis Fremantle since 1991 but has also served as a car yard, concert venue and Ford Motor display site in addition to its two decades as an ice rink.
It was listed for sale with seven years remaining on its lease in 2021, marking the first time the historic building had been up for grabs in seven decades.
