Hoyts Circle Theatre

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Hoyts Circle Theatre 519 High Street, Preston, VIC

A magnificent Picture Palace *

Supplied by Brian Membrey ; Local historian for Darebin area and sports of all sorts via the WikiNorthia website

The Circle Theatre at 499 High Street was one of several cinemas which opened in Preston during the movie boom time from the late 1930s, its art deco style and was one of the more unique designs, advertisements boasting that there was not a right angle to be seen anywhere in the interior.

The building was constructed in 1938 by W. Braithwaite Pty Ltd, tanners, and leased to Hoyts Theatres Limited – The founder of the tannery, William Braithwaite (senior) acquired the land in 1866 and established Braithwaite’s Tannery in Murray Road with the family home Northallerton on the corner of High Street. The site of the theatre was originally part of the Northallerton gardens.

The architects Cowper, Murphy and Applegate designed the Circle Theatre at around the same time as well-known Northcote identity Edgar “Son” Yeomans had the Sun Theatre in Yarraville built in a very similar design (one of just a handful of theatres from the era still operating, Yeoman’s other theatre, the Westgarth coincidentally one of the others).

Grand opening *

The Circle was opened on 25 November, 1938 by the Mayor and Mayoress of Preston, Cr. and Mrs Fred. L. Pike in front of a group of 600, including Councillors, directors and executives of Hoyts Limited, and leading citizens of the district and their wives.

The guests were treated to a screening of the Warner Brothers movie Valley of the Giants, a full-colour movie starring Wayne Morris, Claire Trevor, Charles Bickford and Alan Hale. (Not to be confused with 1919 and 1927 silent movies of the same name, nor was it sci-fi – the story revolves around efforts to save a Californian valley of giant redwood trees).

Enclosed within the building were two shop extending to Clinch Avenue, a milk bar and confectionery immediately adjacent and on the corner for many years there was a laundry run by Gouge Limited (later Brown-Gouge)

The theatre catered for around 920 patrons and continued operations into the early 1960s when Hoyts sold it and it was converted into a ballroom, primarily for rock-an-roll dances.

It was later used as a dance studio and reception centre before being demolished in 1976 to make way for the Circle Arcade of shops – Contributed by Greg Lynch –