Majestic Theatre, Pomona facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Majestic Theatre |
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Majestic Theatre, 2023
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| Location | 3 Factory Street, Pomona, Shire of Noosa, Queensland, Australia |
| Built | 1921 |
| Official name: Majestic Theatre | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 5 February 2009 |
| Reference no. | 602696 |
| Significant period | 1920s |
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The Majestic Theatre in Pomona is a very old and special building. It's listed on the Queensland Heritage Register because of its history. This theatre is famous for being one of the oldest places in the world that still shows silent movies. It's also the longest-running movie theatre in all of Australia! Even though it's been updated, it still shows us what old country halls that became cinemas used to look like.
Contents
The Theatre's Amazing History
Pomona's Early Days
Back in the 1860s, cutting down trees was the main job in the Pomona area. Later, people started farms there. The railway line came through in 1891, connecting Pomona to bigger towns like Brisbane and Gympie. The town of Pomona was officially named in 1900, after the Roman Goddess of fruit. At first, Pomona was known for timber, then for dairy farming and growing fruit like bananas.
Building the Majestic Hall
In 1921, a couple named Errol and Myra Osborne, who ran the Railway Hotel, decided to build a hall next door. Myra's mother, Clara McDonald, helped pay for it. The hall was finished in late 1921. It was called the Majestic Hall.
This hall was built for many things. It showed silent movies, had live shows called vaudeville, and was a place for the community to gather. People used it for dances, concerts, weddings, roller skating, boxing, and even church services! The hall was about 12 meters wide and 18 meters long. It had a special "sprung" dance floor made of strong timber, which is still there today.
Next to the hall's entrance were two small shops. One was the Majestic Cafe, which was also a general store. The other shop was used by a dentist, a radio shop, and a mechanic at different times. Later, a supper room was added for snacks during events.
From Silent Films to Talkies
At first, travelling movie showmen brought silent films to the Majestic Hall. In 1923, Harold "Picture" Page leased the hall and got a theatre license. Early silent films in Pomona were often played with music from a pianola, sometimes by a schoolgirl!
On April 28, 1931, something new happened: the first "talkie" was shown. This was a movie with its own sound! Around 1933, Ernie Bazzo took over the hall. He made it more like a proper theatre by adding a small balcony and a special room for the movie projector, called a bio box. He even replaced the old canvas seats with better ones from a theatre in Brisbane.
A Special Place for the Community
The Majestic Theatre became very important to the people of Pomona. It was a place for fun and to connect with the outside world. Many small towns in Queensland had theatres like this. They showed movies, but also hosted school concerts and dances. Most of these small theatres were owned by local people. In the 1930s, Queensland had about 200 theatres, and most were outside Brisbane.
The theatre was super busy during World War II. Soldiers stationed nearby got first pick of seats, which sometimes made local people a bit grumpy! People would even stand in the road outside to watch. After the war, it stayed popular. In the 1940s to 1960s, movies were shown on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and Saturday afternoons. You could watch a cartoon and two movies for four shillings and sixpence!
The Magic of Silent Movies Returns
In 1973, Ron and Mandy West started a Travelling Film Festival at the Majestic Theatre, showing new and unusual films. They bought the theatre in 1974. The Majestic was the only movie theatre in the Noosa area until 1984.
Ron West loved theatres and music. He used to work in movie theatres and as a musician. His wife, Mandy, also loved theatre. In the 1980s, she directed a local acting group called The Majestic Players. They put on plays and pantomimes on the theatre's stage. Famous musicians, like Judith Durham from The Seekers, also performed there.
In 1987, Ron West was asked to show a silent movie. He had a copy of The Son of the Sheik starring Rudolf Valentino. Ron played music on his restored Wurlitzer pipe organ as the movie played. People loved it! Soon, the Wests decided to only show silent movies. The Majestic Theatre became famous worldwide for its silent film shows. School groups and tourists from all over came to visit. Ron West even won an award for his work for the community.
The Theatre's Special Organ
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Ron West has a special interest in pipe organs. He uses them to play music for the silent films. The organ you see in the theatre is a 1936 Compton organ from a cinema in England. Ron and John Brooks rebuilt it. The organ's pipes and other parts are hidden in a room next to the stage. Some of the pipes came from a church in Sydney, and others from a theatre in New Zealand.
Ron also collected other parts from old theatres, like the timber screen for the organ room, which came from the Roxy Theatre in Parramatta. He even saved drapes and furniture from famous theatres in Brisbane and Ipswich.
A Big Renovation Project
In 2006, a community group called Pomona Progress Art Tourism Inc took over the theatre. They wanted to keep it going as a place for all kinds of entertainment. Ron West stayed on to manage it and play the organ.
A big upgrade of the theatre started in 2006 and it reopened in mid-2007. The building was made stronger with steel, the roof was fixed, and old materials like asbestos were replaced. The old fixed seats were taken out and replaced with new, movable ones. The stage roof was raised, and new sliding doors were added. The old Majestic Cafe was turned into Valentino's Restaurant, and the other shop became a modern kitchen. The special dance floor was cleaned and oiled. New paths and ramps were also added outside.
A Look Inside the Majestic Theatre
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The Majestic Theatre is a long, cream-colored building with bright red details. It has a special roof and a covered walkway called an awning at the front. The building sits on low concrete stumps.
Above the main entrance, there's a special box called a bio box. This is where the movie projector used to be. Inside, the entrance has timber steps and walls. There's an old ticket booth window that is now covered.
The theatre has a main room called the auditorium. On one side, there's a restaurant and toilets. On the other side, there's a cafe, kitchen, and the organ room. The small entrance area has a bar and a new ticket booth.
Above the entrance, there's a dress circle, which is a small balcony with seats. From here, you can see the whole theatre. The bio-box is behind the dress circle.
The main auditorium has a flat timber floor, not a sloped one like many modern cinemas. At the front, there's a raised stage with a decorated archway called a proscenium arch. The white Compton organ is on the left side of the stage. A special screen on the wall lets the sound from the organ's pipes fill the room.
The theatre has new, movable chairs. Outside, there's a new concrete path with metal stars. These stars celebrate people who have helped the theatre, like Ron and Mandy West.
Why the Majestic Theatre is Special
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The Majestic Theatre is a very important part of Queensland's history. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on February 5, 2009.
Showing Queensland's History
This theatre shows how movie places grew in Queensland. It also shows how important going to the movies was for people in country towns from the 1920s to the 1950s. The Majestic Theatre started as a hall and was changed to show "talkies" in the 1930s. This shows how community halls often became movie theatres. It also highlights how local people often owned and ran these theatres.
A Rare and Special Place
The Majestic Theatre is rare because it's one of the few old movie theatres from before World War II that is still standing and still used as a theatre. It's also the longest continuously operating movie theatre in Queensland.
A Great Example of a Country Theatre
Even with its recent updates, the Majestic Theatre still shows what a small country theatre, adapted from a local hall, looks like. You can still see where the original shops were and the supper room. Adding a bio-box and a balcony was a common way to turn a hall into a movie theatre.
Important to the Community
For the last 20 years, the Majestic Theatre has become a favorite place for people who love silent films. Its popularity helped it get money from people, businesses, and even the government for its big renovation. This shows how much the community cares about it.
Supporters of the Theatre
- Noosa Council
- Noosa FM 101.3 Community Radio
- Pomona & District Community House
