Auditory time travel: Acoustic notes on the virtual reality reconstruction of the Queen's theatre (Adelaide, 1841)

This paper presents the results of an international interdisciplinary effort to reconstruct the Queen's Theatre in Adelaide as it stood on its inaugural debut in 1841. Our collaborative approach brings together real actors, set and costume designers, architects, virtual reality (VR) developers, motion capture specialists, and acoustic engineers in order to reproduce, as realistically as possible, the opening night monologue by Mr Gustavus Arabin. By combining the modelled ambisonics room impulse responses with a proprietary algorithm, we achieved an authentic representation of the historical environment both visually and acoustically by allowing the user to immerse themselves in the space at several locations within the theatre. Central to our VR reconstruction is the ability of our software to combine auralisations from multiple sound sources simultaneously as well as allowing the user to upload user-generated anechoic files. The paper focuses on the acoustic nuances throughout the VR reconstruction, providing a comprehensive overview of collaborative endeavours and technological advancements enabling users to grasp and appreciate the acoustic intricacies of Queen's Theatre. Emphasising the acoustic dimension of the space underscores the potential of our virtual model to serve as a dynamic platform for historical exploration, research, and educational pursuits.