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Diana Waldron, the Perth-born dancer, teacher and choreographer who founded Perth City Ballet and helped bring the Quarry Amphitheatre to life, died on 27 February 2025, aged 89. With her husband, architect Ken Waldron, she helped conceive the City Beach venue, raise funds for it and see it built. It opened in 1986.
Who was Diana Waldron?
Born in Perth in 1936, Waldron became an influential figure in Western Australian dance. PerthNow reported that she was among the original members of WA Ballet. In 1961, she founded Perth City Ballet, where she taught from that year, according to the Australian Government’s honours record. These were separate chapters of her career: Waldron’s early membership in WA Ballet and her later work founding and teaching at Perth City Ballet.
The Royal Academy of Dance described her as a Life Registered Teacher who nurtured generations of dancers. It also identified her as founder and director of the Diana Waldron Ballet Academy and Perth City Ballet.
How did Waldron help create the Quarry Amphitheatre?
The Quarry Amphitheatre began with a walk through the bush. In an oral-history account reproduced by the Town of Cambridge, Waldron recalled seeing a newspaper notice about a football club being refused use of a quarry. She asked Ken why they could not have a quarry of their own. “He said, ‘I know just the place,’” she recalled. They drove to find it, went through the bush and came upon the area that would become the stage.
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The Town of Cambridge credits Diana and Ken Waldron as the creative forces behind developing the amphitheatre, including its inception, fundraising and construction. The project received Commonwealth, State and Local Government funding. The former quarry became an open-air venue in City Beach, opening in 1986.
A venue that became part of Perth’s cultural life
The Heritage Council of Western Australia describes the Quarry Amphitheatre as a 556-seat venue. Its heritage record notes the site’s continuing cultural significance as a place for concerts, ballet and other events since it opened. Ballet at the Quarry became one expression of the venue’s connection to Waldron’s work in dance.
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What recognition did Waldron receive?
The Australian Government’s 2019 honours material records Waldron’s Order of Australia Medal for service to dance. In 2020, the Royal Academy of Dance awarded her an Honorary Fellowship.
PerthNow reported that she created more than 70 original productions. That figure is attributed to the newspaper; a complete production catalogue was not available in the cited institutional records.
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How was Waldron remembered?
The Town of Cambridge memorialized the couple’s work with the words: “The Town will forever be grateful for the vision and tenacity of the Waldrons in creating the Quarry Amphitheatre.” PerthNow reported that the final two Ballet at the Quarry performances of the 2025 season were dedicated to Waldron.
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Sources
- PerthNow obituary and career report
- Town of Cambridge memorial and reproduced oral history
- Heritage Council of Western Australia heritage record
- Australian Government 2019 honours list
- Royal Academy of Dance memorial
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