It has been more than 40 years since Dungog lost one of its great treasures – the Victoria Hall. For those with long memories the Victoria Hall with its grand facade was the place to in Dungog for live performances. Built in 1896 next to the Bank Hotel and designed by local architect C H Button, the Victoria Hall was 88 ft by 35 ft with a stage, gallery, two cloak rooms and a ticket room.

Some of the first moving pictures shown in Dungog were presented here before the Dungog Picture Palace (now known as the James Theatre) was established in Brown St. As balls and dramas became less frequent the Victoria Hall was often the site for less dramatic activities, including vegetable auctions and as the original site of Stevens Knitting Mills.

Gradually deteriorating, the owners Tooth & Co proposed its demolition. Unfortunately, despite an attempt by the Dungog Musical and Dramatic Society to save the building and being offered a lease of 10c a week for 5 years, there was insufficient money to restore the building to a useable condition. In 1972, the Victoria Hall was demolished and the site is now a car park.