Wittenoom Theatre Gardens
3rd Avenue and King Street,
Wittenoom,
WA
6751
3rd Avenue and King Street,
Wittenoom,
WA
6751
1 person
favorited this theater
Additional Info
Nearby Theaters
The first films in Wittenoom were free 16mm screenings for the asbestos mine workers in Wittenoom Gorge(South of Wittenoom) begining before 1947. The first screenings in Wittenoom(township) were in 1948 at the site where the Open Air Gardens were later built on 3rd Avenue at the east corner of King Street. The Wittenoom Theatre Gardens were opened in(1951?). The Wittenoom mine closed in 1966. As television reception was not available in Wittenoom until August 1987, the Open Air Cinema was an important entertainment venue, and it was only the gradual departure of the population that made the commercial screenings no longer viable, till in 1978 the Open Air Cinema closed.
After that, the Parents and Citizens association screened films weekly for several years, but that too, eventually stopped. The building was demolished early in 1996, along with most of what still remained of the town. All that was left in 1997 was the general store and a few houses - and signs warning of the dangers of asbestos dust.
Contributed by
David Coppock
Want to be emailed when a new comment is posted about this theater?
Just login to your account and subscribe to this theater.
Recent comments (view all 2 comments)
Wittenoom Theatre Gardens 3rd Avenue and King Street, Wittenoom, WA – PHOTO 1949 Tom Whiting.
The first films in Wittenoom were screened for the mine workers and their families before 1947, in the 16mm format and were free. The location was a site in the gorge. An iron bio box housed the projectors, and the patrons sat on tin drums or packing cases. A stage was mounted on drums with steps at one side and the screen was placed behind and above the stage. Screenings here went on for some years, at least to 1949.
Pioneering Times
Utilizing only one projector, Charlie Smith continued regular 16mm film screenings on the site until the theatre was later erected. This was on the east corner of the junction of King and Third Streets. According to old tales there were many times when the spool ran out, Charlie had to be collected from the Hotel down the street to continue the screening – Contributed by Greg Lynch –
The last remaining resident was moved out of the now former(degrazetted) town of Wittenoom earlier this year, and the remainder of what survived of the former town was removed and buried in a big hole in the ground. Unknown if anything will will happen to the former town site after the cleanup is finished?