La Boite Theatre had its origins in the Brisbane Repertory Theatre Society that had its first production in 1925. The theatre group purchased four cottages near the interesection of Sexton and Hale streets, Milton, and converted one of the buildings into a 'theatre in the round.' The first La Boite production officially opened on 25 June 1967. The name, French for 'the box,' aptly described the Sexton Street buildings' box-like shape. The site was further developed with a new building in 1972.
The 1970s and early 1980s were a difficult period for La Boite as it struggled with the adjustment from amateur to professional status and also the loss of funding from the Queensland state government and the Australia Council. The 1990s realised new successes, based solidly on a commitment to Queensland writers in particular and Australian plays in general. In 1994, La Boite's Studio 2 was destroyed by fire and, with a protracted insurance claim and increasing encroachment on the Milton site, La Boite accepted the state government's offer to fund a move to the Queensland University of Technology's Creative Industries Precinct at Kelvin Grove.
[Source: La Boite website and 'La Boite Theatre Company' Wikipedia)
