But after 143 years of entertaining the masses, urgent restorative works are needed to secure this grand theatre for the next generation and beyond. Yesterday, the City of Ballarat launched a campaign to save Her Majesty's Theatre.

Council gratefully accepted a $2 million dollar Living Heritage grant from the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning through Heritage Victoria earlier this year to undertake much needed conservation works for the theatre.

Together with $5.3 million dollars committed by council in its 2018-19 budget we can have the theatre back open and safely operating in early-to-mid 2019.

However, much more is required to bring Her Majesty's back to its best and to keep it operating for the tens of thousands of local patrons and those who travel across the state and country every year to witness the Her Majesty's magic.

Without the financial assistance of our government counterparts, we cannot achieve the full $20 million-dollar program of works required.

The budget allocation determined by council demonstrates our commitment to saving Her Majesty's; we take our role as the custodians of this magnificent Victorian era theatre – the oldest and longest continually operating theatre of its type in Australia – very seriously and we will work tirelessly to secure its future.

Our campaign to save Her Majesty's – aptly named The Time Is Now – calls on the community to help us advocate to the state and federal governments for an additional $15 million to complete the next stage of works.

We must complete works which better enable this 19th-century theatre to meet the professional standards required of theatres today.

A complete refurbishment of back-of-house and stage areas is needed to enable its continued safe operation.

But we cannot do it without you.

In order for this campaign to be a success, we need the help of everyone who loves Her Majesty's.

We need an army of passionate supporters to advocate for this iconic, professional theatre which embraces 15,000 performers on its stage each year, entertaining more than 75,000 admiring patrons.

We have launched the The Time Is Now website at www.savehermaj.com

Here, you can express your support and donate to the community fundraising appeal.

All money raised by the community will go directly towards capital works to save Her Majesty's Theatre.

The more we can do as a community, the more likely the state and federal governments are to support our cause.

Showing them how important this theatre is to our community through our own willingness to contribute is a vital part of the process.

The time is now. We must act to save Her Majesty's before it is too late.

We will not run the risk of losing this glorious theatre and all the wondrous history it holds.

As residents, supporters, and champions of Ballarat and of the arts, we must do everything in our power to ensure that generations to come can experience the magic that is Her Majesty's just as we have.