Early Picture Theatres in the Shire to 1961

[p][size=5]Picture theatres have always played an important role in people's social life.  This is no more true than in the early days of Sutherland Shire. [/size][/p]

[p]Entertainment venues were at first usually the school of arts.  A school of arts had been established in Sutherland township before the turn of the 20th century.  Cronulla School of Arts was open for business from the early 1900s.  They served primarily as a venue to conduct meetings and house libraries of books.[/p] [p]When silent movies became available however new venues popped up all over Sydney suburbs to accomodate new crowds of people wanting to see them. The first purpose built venue in the Sutherland Shire was commonly known as the old tin picture show.  It was orginally designated a temporary structure and located on Gerrale Street.[/p]

[p]This image shows the Cronulla area where the theatre was located.  It was operated by Ebenezer Furley who had purchased the land from Sutherland Shire Councillor [url=https://localhistory.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/103728]Charles McAlister[/url] in 1910.[/p] [p]Furley was a local resident who also edited the shipping news for the Daily Telegraph for a number of years.  The building was in use by 1912, described as being only a few yards from the beach. By 1913 admission cost sixpence and it appeared to be a going concern.[/p] [p]Furley sold the business in 1915 to Cronulla Pictures Limited, a company who's director, Hector Melville, served until 1918. By 1922 the theatre was in the hands of Theodore Glasgow, who would be the last person to run the tin theatre. Around 1924 the movies would run each Wednesday and Saturday and, because there was not enough electricty from the local power house, management had to have an oil engine to generate its own power.  Part of the theatre was open air and these were usually sold as the cheap seats so it was very uncomfortable if it rained![/p]

[p]In 1927 Glasgow had plans for a new picture theatre.  It was designed and erected by Mr Duggan, who was listed as the architect.  On the 5th October 1928 the theatre opened on the corner of Kurranulla Street and Kingsway.[/p] [p]The old site, which had been sold, was later used as a bus depot for Bardlsey Buses.[/p] [p]In late 1929 the Cronulla theatre entered into an arrangement with Audiotone to supply talkie equipment, however, there were problems with the installation and the theatre had to renegotiate with a new supplier.[/p]

[p]At about the same time the Sutherland Picture Theatre was about to open the doors to a new picture palace, just down the street from its original location in Boyle's Hall.  Originally known as Marshall's Picture Theatre (pictured), [url=https://localhistory.sutherlandshire.nsw.gov.au/nodes/view/6060]Emily Russack[/url] brought the movies to Sutherland in 1921.[/p] [p]At first, the silent movies were all that were available and to keep the audience entertained a pianist would play an accompanying piece of mood music in keeping with the storyline.  By the end of the roaring twenties talkies were being introduced.[/p]

[p]Sutherland Picture Theatre (pictured) officially opened on the 21st of March 1929. The talkies brought a whole new experience to theatre going for patrons.[/p] [p]Movies were presented in the Miranda School of Arts located in Kiora Road, however this was not a purpose built theatre. In the early 1930s the venue was run by Messers Brodie and Dent and although they did not show talkies it was said that their selections, accompanying music and amplification were well done.[/p] [p]In 1931 Sutherland Picture Theatre was closed for a few weeks for the purpose of installing new talkie plant.[/p] [p]In 1934 Miranda theatre sound was vastly improved when the newest sound and projection equipment was installed.[/p]

[p]Engadine residents were also able to enjoy the movies from 1945, when Percy Jones organised to show films in the Literary Institute Hall. Because the movies were well attended, Jones began an ambitious project to construct a purpose built theatre in a new location, which took nearly 5 years. [/p] [p]By September 1956 the theatre was ready.  Although movies were shown regularly at the theatre the advent of television had a disastrous effect on all picture theatres, particularly Engadine, which was still in its infancy.  Sadly the theatre closed in 1961.[/p]