This single level country-town cinema was originally called “The Regent”. The brick and cement rendered facade, is backed by an auditorium of wood and fibro construction. It has a reasonable stage area, backed by a “supper-room” which is now used as a 2nd hand shop by the current owners. There is a slight slope to the auditorium floor, with the rear section “stepped up” to form a “lounge” area. The lounge was reseated about 7 years ago with black vinyl seats taken out of the “greater Union cinemas” (former CIVIC Theatre)in Canberra.
The facade of the building was recently (some say unsymaptheticaly) repainted in garrish purple and green colours.
When it opened as The Regent, it traded in opposition to the towns earlier film venue “The Returned Serviceman’s Pictures” which was located in an adjacent street. The RSL Pictures building still survives but is now used as a lodge hall. Its bio box has been removed, but the projection ports, auditorium ceiling, procenium and small entrance foyer are still there. The lodge have built a smaller meeting room as a “shell” inside the old auditorium.
The local high-school has a new multi-purpose stadium seated theatrebuilt within its grounds, and live shows are mostly presented there now. It is to be hoped that movies are kept in their rightful home – the Mansfield Cinema, because it is important that this last vestage of a REAL country picture-show survives.
The organisation may be called the AUSTRALIAN National Theatre, but the BUILDING is simply called “The NATIONAL Theatre” -even by the organisation that runs it. I would call it more “classic” than “art-deco” too!
(Being pedantic for history’s sake)..
The Esquire was actually GUTTED to create further retail space for the adjacent department store. It has since been rebuilt at street level into an aracde/food-court. The original “Hoyts (Deluxe) Pictures” facade remains in all its glory, hidden behind a 1976 false street frontage. The facades original double arched windows – complete with “Hoyts Pictures” in cement render on the central column are still there, waiting to be re-discovered by a new generation of cinema archeologists… one day!
The Deluxe/Esquire was built on the site of the original St.Georges Hall – the birthplace of “Hoyts Theatres”. Next door was Melbourne’s historic THEATRE ROYAL, a live venue which closed in 1934 and was demolished for – you guessed it – more retail space!
Kevin Adams.
Identical on the exterior only, as the facades of both were radically different with the Sydney Capitol being a rebuild of the former “hippodrome” and utilising exisiting exterior decor of the former Belmore Market Building – whilst Melbourne’s State was a completely new structure of styriking moorish design – quite spectacular even today!
This single level country-town cinema was originally called “The Regent”. The brick and cement rendered facade, is backed by an auditorium of wood and fibro construction. It has a reasonable stage area, backed by a “supper-room” which is now used as a 2nd hand shop by the current owners. There is a slight slope to the auditorium floor, with the rear section “stepped up” to form a “lounge” area. The lounge was reseated about 7 years ago with black vinyl seats taken out of the “greater Union cinemas” (former CIVIC Theatre)in Canberra.
The facade of the building was recently (some say unsymaptheticaly) repainted in garrish purple and green colours.
When it opened as The Regent, it traded in opposition to the towns earlier film venue “The Returned Serviceman’s Pictures” which was located in an adjacent street. The RSL Pictures building still survives but is now used as a lodge hall. Its bio box has been removed, but the projection ports, auditorium ceiling, procenium and small entrance foyer are still there. The lodge have built a smaller meeting room as a “shell” inside the old auditorium.
The local high-school has a new multi-purpose stadium seated theatrebuilt within its grounds, and live shows are mostly presented there now. It is to be hoped that movies are kept in their rightful home – the Mansfield Cinema, because it is important that this last vestage of a REAL country picture-show survives.
-Kevin Adams
The organisation may be called the AUSTRALIAN National Theatre, but the BUILDING is simply called “The NATIONAL Theatre” -even by the organisation that runs it. I would call it more “classic” than “art-deco” too!
(Being pedantic for history’s sake)..
The Esquire was actually GUTTED to create further retail space for the adjacent department store. It has since been rebuilt at street level into an aracde/food-court. The original “Hoyts (Deluxe) Pictures” facade remains in all its glory, hidden behind a 1976 false street frontage. The facades original double arched windows – complete with “Hoyts Pictures” in cement render on the central column are still there, waiting to be re-discovered by a new generation of cinema archeologists… one day!
The Deluxe/Esquire was built on the site of the original St.Georges Hall – the birthplace of “Hoyts Theatres”. Next door was Melbourne’s historic THEATRE ROYAL, a live venue which closed in 1934 and was demolished for – you guessed it – more retail space!
Kevin Adams.
Identical on the exterior only, as the facades of both were radically different with the Sydney Capitol being a rebuild of the former “hippodrome” and utilising exisiting exterior decor of the former Belmore Market Building – whilst Melbourne’s State was a completely new structure of styriking moorish design – quite spectacular even today!