Burrill Lake Open Air Theatre

Photo Info

Uploaded on: April 22, 2025

Size: 51.1 KB

Views: 298

License:

Burrill Lake Open Air Theatre Balmoral Road, Burrill Lake, NSW

Rod Dewey writes: October 12, 2020 at 9:21 pm - My family holiday rented then purchased one of the 5 ‘Lakeside Cottages’ opposite the theatre. This was late 1950’s to the 1970’s. I was the ‘lolly boy’ walking the aisles selling sweets to the patrons. Mr Riley was the operator of the theatre. He would pay me 10 shillings for sales less theft from the local louts who would throw sixpence into my lolly tray and take a shillings worth of chocolate.

The tray was suspended in front of me with a leather strap around my neck as support. I helped Mr Riley in winter lighting the coke fires in old dunny (toilet) cans. We would then push a steel pipe through the can top and carry into the theatre and place in a space under cover to heat the ‘posh’ area under the roof covering. Sometimes the strange noises were the possums climbing over the corrugated iron walls to search for food amongst the patrons.

On theatre nights when I was not on duty we would dress in warm clothing, take a cushion and a blanket to keep us warm in those low slung canvas seats. The lower front door area was made from bark but in high King tides the front door area flooded. Mr Riley built a fibro entry on the upper end (rear) of the theatre and made a kiosk

In later years Mr Riley ran a small theatre in the centre of Sydney near Martin Place. Mrs Riley looked after the ‘Lakeside Cottages’ across the road in Balmoral Drive.
The Bond family were also regulars.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -