Accessibility & convenience

Parking & transport

Reviews

• Aena Pareek

  ★★★★★

  “I visited Hawthorn Arts Centre today with my son for a kids’ photography workshop by Clare Steele, and it was such a wonderful experience. The workshop was engaging and very well conducted. Alongside, we also enjoyed an exhibition of Andrew Li’s paintings, which was a real treat. The building itself is stunning - the architecture is beautiful, and the interiors are just as fabulous. The Library Lounge inside looks so quiet and inviting, a perfect place to sit and read. What I love most is that there’s always something happening here - from exhibitions to workshops and events, making it such a vibrant hub for art and culture. Parking is ample right outside, and the location feels central, right in the heart of the city. Overall, a lovely place to spend time, learn, and get inspired. Highly recommended!”

• Sonia D.

  ★★★★★

  “A great exhibition space with a very strong programme! Love it. Also, free entry, plenty of parking and some events organised there too. The Tonalists exhibition earlier this year was a cracker, which beats any NGV show, and the smaller shows now on are interesting to check out too.”

• Anabelle Leigh

  ★★★★☆

  “The Witch Market at Hawthorn Arts Centre was a delightful and charming experience overall. The exposition was thoughtfully curated, with a particularly impressive effort put into the shop front decorations and individual stall designs clearly, a lot of creativity and care went into creating a welcoming and vibrant atmosphere and the right magical ambience. However, for those unfamiliar with the area or coming from outside Hawthorn, navigating to the correct entrance can be a bit confusing. Clearer signage or guidance would make a big difference, especially for first-time visitors. The same applies once inside the venue, the layout isn’t immediately intuitive, though thankfully, the staff were incredibly kind and helpful in directing people to where they needed to go. All in all, the market is well worth visiting. If you can get past the minor challenge of finding your way in, you’re in for a lovely experience. On another note, It’s disappointing to see that the recent edition of Jill Murphy’s The Worst Witch claims a first publication date of 2021. This is misleading and does a disservice to both readers and the legacy of the book. The Worst Witch was originally published in 1974 and went on to become a beloved series long before the Harry Potter books appeared. This misrepresentation is troubling, especially given the long-standing discussions about the significant similarities between The Worst Witch and J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series, similarities which have fuelled allegations of plagiarism. It has been reported that Rowling faced legal consequences and reached a settlement related to this issue. If so, efforts to obscure or revise the historical publication timeline only compound the problem by diminishing the originality and priority of Jill Murphy’s work. I found that disturbing. Publishing houses have a responsibility to honour literary history with transparency. Revising dates in a way that distorts authorship chronology not only misleads readers but also undermines literary integrity. I am sorry for being so firm about that but as a writer I find it unacceptable and yes, it did spoil the overall impression.”

• Claudine Faerie

  ★★★★☆

  “Beautiful, majestic old building in the heart of Hawthorn- used to be the Town Hall. Carefully restored and maintained, it is spacious with some lovely architectural features. Main room has a stage area, and would be ideal for weddings, lectures, performances or events- with high ceilings, decorative painted walls, grand light fittings and stained glass windows. I attended the Witches Night Market and Ball here on the weekend and the main hall was perfectly suited to display a range of stalls in a lovely setting.”

• Barbara Saunders

  ★★★★★

  “Excellent venue. Saw the Hawks 100 year celebration tour with all 13 Premiership cups. Also experienced 3 collections of art, All exceptional displays. Drove a long way but well worth the effort. Easy parking off street for $2.”