Mandolin Cinema
150 Elizabeth Street,
Sydney,
NSW
2000
150 Elizabeth Street,
Sydney,
NSW
2000
3 people
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Previously operated by: Hoyts Cinemas
Functions: Cultural Center
Styles: Romanesque Revival
Previous Names: Australian Hall, Phillip Theatre, Richbrooke Theatre, Rivoli Theatre, Dave's Encore Cinema, Jade Cinema, 42nd Street Cinema, Trak Cinema, New Mandarin Cinema, Mandarin Cinema, Mandolin Cinema, Rialto Mandolin Cinema,
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Originally built in 1905 as the Concordia Club, a meeting place for the German community which was located on the first floor of the building. Elizabeth Street was widened in 1911 and it was given a new facade designed in a Romanesque Revival style and it reopened on 20th December 1911. During World War I it was in use as a church. In 1923 it was renamed Australia Hall and was used for vaudeville, concerts, dancing, political rallies and some film screenings. It had a seating capacity for 850-seats. It became the Phillip Theatre in 1960, when the Phillip Street Theatre moved into the building and the seating capacity was reduced to 500-seats. In August 1971 it was re-named Richbrooke Theatre. In 1974, it was converted into a cinema with modern decorations and given a new proscenium which was wide enough to screen CinemaScope films. Known as the Rivoli Theatre, opening with Peter Sellers in “The Optimists of Nine Elms” on 5th December 1974. In late-1975 it was briefly subleased to Hoyts.
In early-1976 it was renamed Mandolin Cinema and began screening Chinese films. On 31st January 1977 it was Dave’s Encore Cinema, operated by David Coles screening revival films. It then went back to Chinese films as the Jade Cinema. From 4th September 1981 until December 1981 it operated as the 42nd Street Cinema screening move-overs from other city centre cinemas. It then became the Trak Cinema screening rock films and arthouse revivals. This lasted until the end of 1982. In early-1983 it reopened as the New Mandarin Cinema, again screening Chinese films. It was closed in January 1987. In October 1987 it reopened as the Mandolin Cinema screening repertory programming. and that closed in 1988. Another attempt was made to reopen as the Rialto Mandolin, which only lasted 8 weeks. It remained closed until 16th January 1997 when it became the Mandolin Cinema again, but closed for the final time on 8th October 1997.
It was converted into a cultural centre for the indigenous Aboriginal population.
Contributed by
Ken Roe, Ian Hanson & Les Tod
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Recent comments (view all 8 comments)
It was Dave’s Encore Cinema for a few years from early 1981 to perhaps 1983 (?) Unfortunately there’s almost nothing online about Dave’s, just some archives newspaper articles. Sad.
Oops, had the dates wrong. Dave’s Encore was there in the mid to late 1970s.
Saw some great independent films here in the 1980’s and early 90’s. Good times.
Click on the “PHOTOS” tab (above)
Heritage listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 2/4/1999. Heritage listed on the Australian National Heritage List on 20/5/2008. The building is now owned and run by tne Metropolitan Aboriginal Association. The name Australia Hall is still on tne front of the building.
https://www.newspapers.com/image/122637003/?fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjEyMjYzNzAwMywiaWF0IjoxNzE3MjgyMjc4LCJleHAiOjE3MTczNjg2Nzh9.v0gGJXgrH2w2NvaHa5jD8hmIuMOlhe0CfVoVxGz7oo8&clipping_id=15640961
Found this link to Dave’s Encore cinema. Sadly almost nothing on line about this.
And this:
https://www.in70mm.com/news/2009/coles/index.htm
Daring Dave’s moved to the Forum in George St for a short time in 1980.
I remember a school excursion to the theatre then known as the Richbrooke Theatre.
It was a religious school so the excursion was for performance Godspell.
The price of the ticket was $2.00.
It was a long walk from the entrance past the box office to the foyer of the theatre.
There were no curtains for the opening and end of the performance.
It was disappointing that the set was a cheap and nasty wire fence with the musicians above and behind the wire fence.
I was expecting to see a more elaborate set like a desert scene in Bethlehem or River Jordan or Mount Calvary where Jesus was crucified.
In the latter scene, the song had somber lyrics “…oh Lord I’m bleeding…oh Lord I’m dying…” with a slow mournful reprise of “Prepare Ye The Way Of The Lord”.
The performers and musicians more than made than enough for want of lack of sets.
In one scene the song was “Turn Back O Man”. The performer made her way into the audience and sat on a brother’s lap. The brother was one of the teachers accompanying us students.
The performer incorrectly called the brother “Father”, although he was wearing the same clerical clothing as a priest.
Even though the the auditorium had no curtains, here is a photo of the auditorium with curtains.
Photo of the auditorium curtains closed https://archives.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/568870
Since the purchase in 1999 by the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council, the auditorium has been restored to its original historical status.
Gone are the wide proscenium and veneers of the side walls. The only modern additions are the green ‘Exit’ signs to the left and right exit doors.
Photo of auditorium restored to original https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPCidfgG7BvpPqk9yCXWkNcapPvXf_dBW5Qdj2a=s864-w824-h864 photo by Ramadevi Pepakayala
Thanks
In case the photo of the restored auditorium disappears, I had the photo archived at: https://web.archive.org/web/20240831111921/https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/p/AF1QipPCidfgG7BvpPqk9yCXWkNcapPvXf_dBW5Qdj2a=s864-w824-h864
Thanks