The building on Barrack Street has been at the heart of Douglas for well over a century. It's been a hall for troops, a school, a mission hall, a community club, a nightclub, and a bar. The use changed, but the purpose never did — it's always been a place where people gather. Through every era, the walls have stayed standing and the stories have kept piling up.
This is its story — from the early days to the venue it is today. If you were there, you remember. If you weren't, you missed out.
1860s Onwards
THE BUILDING
ON BARRACK STREET
The building appears on maps as early as the 1860s, situated within the Barrack Street area linked to Douglas's military presence. In its earliest years it likely served as a hall or support building for troops. Over time it took on other roles — a school linked to St George's, a community hall. These uses overlapped rather than replaced each other. From the start, it was a building that adapted to whatever the community needed.
The original stone building on Barrack Street
Early 1900s — 1970s
THE MISSION
HALL ERA
For decades, the building was known as the Barrack Street Mission Hall. Religious services, Sunday school, community gatherings, meetings, Pleasant Sunday Afternoon events — the hall was the social hub of the area. Records from the 1910s reference "Barrack Street Club" with billiards and snooker tables. Pew seating from its church days lined the walls. It remained in active use well into the 1970s — a community space in the truest sense.
The club interior — billiards table, piano, Union Jack bunting
1983
THE
NIKKEI DOW
The building was converted into a bar and nightclub — its first step into the nightlife world. Known as The Nikkei Dow, it was linked to the Dow Jones venue up by the old prison. The vertical signage went up on Barrack Street, the interior was fitted out with a mezzanine bar, chequered floor tiles, and a proper staircase to the upper level. This was the moment Barrack Street became somewhere you went for a night out rather than a Sunday service. The Nikkei Dow didn't last, but it set the direction for everything that followed.
The Nikkei Dow — exterior with vertical signage and interior with mezzanine bar, 1983
1994
THE TARDIS
"The Late Club at the End of the Universe." Barrack Street, Douglas, 661547. The Tardis opened on Monday 18th July 1994. Free entry Mon–Thur, £2 on Fridays and Saturdays. "All your favourite tunes. Smart dress not advised." This was the moment the building became a dedicated nightclub — not just reused space, but a purpose-built nightlife identity.
Original opening flyer for The Tardis, 1994
Late 1990s
THE OUTBACK
IS BORN
Around 1998, The Tardis became The Outback. The Australian theme arrived — corrugated iron, VB signs, the kangaroo logo. What started as a sports bar evolved into a pub and nightclub hybrid with multiple zones, and it stuck. The building finally had an identity that would last.
2020s
MODERNISATION
A full network rebuild, sound system redesign, and the installation of Void Acoustics systems across the venue. In 2025, the Middle Bar was completely renovated with a Monster Energy theme and an exclusive cocktail menu. The building that started as a troops' hall now runs on VLANs, professional-grade audio, and more Monster Energy than is probably advisable.
Today
STILL STANDING.
STILL GOING.
From a troops' hall to a mission hall. From The Nikkei Dow to The Tardis. From The Tardis to The Outback. The use changed, but the purpose never did — it's always been a place where people gather. Five spaces, three sound systems, one building that refuses to stop.
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