Regent Theatre, Wollongong facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Regent Theatre |
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| Location | 197 Keira Street, Wollongong, City of Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia |
| Built | 1950–1954 |
| Architect | Reginald J. Magoffin Interior by Marion Hall Best |
| Owner | Apostolic Church Australia |
| Official name: Regent Theatre | |
| Type | state heritage (built) |
| Designated | 9 May 2005 |
| Reference no. | 1735 |
| Type | Cinema |
| Category | Recreation and Entertainment |
| Builders | Unknown |
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The Regent Theatre is a historic building in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia. It used to be a popular cinema and theatre. The building was designed by Reginald J. Magoffin, and its amazing inside look was created by Marion Hall Best. It was built between 1950 and 1954. Because of its special history and design, it was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on May 9, 2005.
Contents
A Look Back at the Regent Theatre's History
The Jones Family and Early Movies
Herbert Wyndham Jones was a very important person in bringing movies to the Illawarra area. He started out as a shopkeeper. But by 1930, he was running the Princess Theatre in Corrimal. This building used to be a boxing stadium.
During the Great Depression, many people in Illawarra were struggling. The theatre became a place to help people. Herbert Jones spent a lot of money fixing up the theatre in 1931. It seems he wanted to give unemployed people a chance to enjoy movies and escape their worries.
At first, he showed silent movies. But by September 1931, "talkies" (movies with sound) were introduced. Jones bought the Princess Theatre in 1931. His family owned it for 41 years until it was destroyed by fire in 1971.
Herbert Jones also helped the Balgownie School of Arts Committee in 1933. They were having a hard time during the Depression. He started showing films there again. Film showings stopped in 1960, but the hall is still there today.
In the early 1940s, Jones began showing 16mm movies. These were shown in the Miners' Reading Room in Kembla Heights. After Herbert died in 1943, his son Maurice continued these shows until 1950.
In 1938, Herbert Jones won a bid to show movies at Wollongong Council's Town Hall Theatre. The Council then improved the building. The theatre reopened in October 1939. Jones added new things like "deaf aids" (for hearing impaired people). He also showed more Australian movies. After his death, his wife continued running the Town Hall (Civic Theatre) until it closed in 1964.
The Jones family also brought many new technologies to the Civic Theatre. In 1951, they installed a new Western Electric sound system. They started showing foreign-language films in 1953. In 1954, they introduced the VistaVision process with a second large screen. These changes helped the Jones family try out new ideas for moviegoers. This helped them later with the Regent Theatre.
Building the Regent Theatre
In 1934, Herbert Jones bought land on Keira Street. He planned to build a new movie theatre there. In 1935, architect Reginald John Magoffin from Sydney drew up plans. The theatre was meant to be very large and modern. It would have comfortable seats, big lounges, and cool lighting. The main movie hall would be set back from the street. This would help block out traffic noise and make the sound better.
Jones started a new company called South Coast Theatres Ltd. They wanted to raise money to build the theatre. The plans showed a grand building. However, the theatre that was actually built looked quite different from these early ideas.
Building the theatre took a long time. In 1938, Jones said that money problems and the start of World War II stopped the work. He died in 1943 before the project even started. His wife, Emily Vaughan Jones, and his son, Maurice, took over the movie business.
In 1947, they restarted the Keira Street project. This time, they got approval. Magoffin updated the plans. Instead of an open courtyard, there would be offices above the entrance area. These offices would bring in money to help build the main movie hall later.
Construction began in February 1950. But it was very slow. The offices were not finished until 1954. Many local people thought the entrance area was the whole theatre. But then, an even bigger building rose behind it, which was the actual movie hall.
The beautiful entrance area, called the vestibule, was designed by famous interior designers Marion Hall Best and Janet Single. Marion Hall Best was born in 1905. She became one of the first independent decorators in Sydney. She was known for her bold use of color and modern designs. She used bright colors on walls and ceilings. She also used modern furniture and unique fabrics.
Finally, the Regent Theatre opened on Boxing Day 1957. This was 23 years after the land was first bought!
Regent Theatre's Operations and Modern Changes
Over the years, the Regent Theatre saw many exciting changes:
- In 1961, it had its first Cinemascope screening. This made movies look much wider.
- A Westrex Stereophonic Sound system was installed in 1963. This made the sound much richer.
- A huge curved screen (32 feet by 19 feet) was added in 1967. This was for movies like "My Fair Lady."
- The theatre also had two special Phillips Cinemeccanica 70mm projectors. These were very advanced for their time.
- Later, Dolby system speakers were added. These made the sound even better.
The Regent Theatre was a big success for the Jones family. They owned it until Herbert Jones's daughter, Rowena Milgrove, passed away in 2004. She had planned to close the cinema permanently due to money problems.
In 2002, there was a plan to tear down the building. But the plans did not go ahead. In 2005, the Gateway City Church bought the theatre. It had 1200 seats. They spent a lot of money improving it. They also used it for live music shows sometimes.
In 2016, the building's owners painted it olive green. This was the original color of the outside walls. In 2017, the church put the building up for sale again because they needed a bigger space. In 2020, a group of local businesses bought the theatre. They plan to reopen it as a place for live performances. They want to restore the theatre. They also plan to remove the seats in the main hall to create standing areas. They will turn the old snack bars into new bars.
What the Regent Theatre Looks Like
The outside of the Regent Theatre has a strong, geometric design. It mixes Functionalist and Art Deco styles. The main movie hall is "beautifully simple." It has a criss-cross pattern on the ceiling with hundreds of star-lights. The ceiling curves and has a hidden area that used to have lights. The ceiling and walls are painted gray-green. This is a strong contrast to the orange-red main curtain.
Around the stage, there is a plain plaster area. This used to have hidden lights, but they are not connected anymore. On each side of the movie hall, there is a plaster design. It shows a mythological scene under the golden rays of a star or sun. This star is a round glass cover for a light that was never turned on.
From the stage, you can see groups of lights under the balcony. There are also Dolby stereo speakers at the back of the lower circle and on the side walls. The projection room is at the back of the circle.
The projection room has a lot of impressive equipment. It includes two old Westrex machines (not used anymore) and two Philips Todd-AO DP-70 projectors. These projectors were made in Holland. They are similar to those used in other big Sydney theatres. There is also a slide projector and other important equipment.
You enter the Regent Theatre from Keira Street through five double glass doors. These lead into a long, 120-foot entrance area with a terrazzo floor. On the left, there are display cases. On the right, there is a long candy bar, a ticket office, and the manager's office. The amazing, colorful walls and ceiling were designed by the famous Australian interior designer Marion Hall Best, with help from Janet Single.
This glamorous look is made even better by several pumpkin-shaped lanterns at the far end. They hang at different heights.
On each side of the staircase that leads to the lounge area, there are smaller ticket booths (not used anymore). There are also doors to the "lower circle" seating area. This term was usually used by a rival company, but the Regent Theatre used it for its ground floor seating.
The lounge area is a huge space under the Dress Circle. Its exposed beams push the sloping ceiling upwards. This area has an Asian-inspired look. It has bamboo-patterned wallpaper on the ceiling, tropical plants, and paper screens with lights behind them at the candy bar.
At each end of this "Grand Assembly" area, a split-level staircase leads to the dress circle. From there, you get a breathtaking view of the starry ceiling in the movie hall.
The Regent Theatre shows many influences from other countries. It has an "atmospheric" theatre style. It also seems to reflect the architectural style of the Museum of Modern Art in New York from 1938-1939.
Condition and Changes
In 2002, the theatre was reported to be in good condition and well looked after. Only a few small changes have happened. The neon sign on the awning is gone. New "fairy" lights were put in the ceiling above the street entrance. A fountain was removed from the foyer because of vandalism. It was replaced with a pretty decorative panel of plants and animals.
Why the Regent Theatre is Important
The Regent Theatre is very important to the history of New South Wales. Its foyer and lounge areas have a rare and amazing interior design by Marion Hall Best. This was a huge project for a public space by one of Australia's top modern interior designers. It is one of the few remaining examples of Best's special "glazing" paintwork. The Regent is also important as a great example of women's design from the mid-20th century in NSW.
The Regent Theatre is also special because it is a rare and still complete large cinema. The building and its outside were designed in the Art Deco style by Reginald Magoffin in the mid-1930s. But it wasn't actually built until the mid-1950s. The theatre is important for bringing wide-screen technology to cinemas in NSW. It still has its wide screen and large "picture palace" style movie hall.
The Regent also has local importance because of its connection to Herbert Wyndham Jones. It shows how successful he was in managing cinemas in the Illawarra region. The Regent has social importance for the thousands of people from the area who watched movies there for over 50 years. When people heard it might be torn down, they worked together to save it. This shows how much they loved it.
The Regent Theatre was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on May 9, 2005, because it met several important rules.
- It shows how cultural history developed in New South Wales.
The Regent Theatre is important because it is a rare, large cinema. It shows how important and popular movies became in this area in the mid-20th century.
- It is connected to important people in New South Wales's history.
The Regent Theatre is important because of its connection to Marion Hall Best, who designed the inside. Her design for the theatre was one of her most important public projects. It is one of the few remaining examples of her work. Marion Hall Best was a leading and very important interior designer in Australia in the 20th century. The theatre is also very important locally because of its connection to Herbert Wyndham Jones and his family. This includes his daughter Rowena Milgrove, who managed the cinema for 30 years. The theatre shows how Herbert Jones pioneered film showings, even during the silent movie days and the Great Depression. His family continued the business after he died, bringing new ideas and technology to theatres in the region.
- It shows great creative or technical skill in New South Wales.
The Regent Theatre's interior design by Marion Hall Best is rare and outstanding. It is one of the few complete examples of her special "glazing" paintwork. With Best working on the interiors with her architect niece, Janet Single, the Regent Theatre is also a great example of women's design in NSW from the mid-20th century. The theatre's original look, both inside and out, is almost completely intact. This makes its design even more special. The Regent Theatre still has its original large movie hall and wide screen. This makes it one of the few "picture palace" style cinemas in NSW that still looks like it did originally.
- It is important to a community or group in New South Wales.
The Regent is very important to the thousands of people from the region who watched movies there for over 50 years. The strong community effort to save it when it was almost torn down shows how much it is valued.
- It can help us understand the history of New South Wales.
The Regent Theatre is important locally as a large, early cinema that still exists. It shows how wide-screen technology was introduced in NSW cinemas. It still has its original layout.
- It is rare or endangered in New South Wales.
The Regent Theatre is important because its interior design by Marion Hall Best is rare and still complete. It might be her only surviving commercial interior. It is also one of the few grand cinemas left in NSW that is still intact.
- It shows the main features of a type of cultural place in New South Wales.
The Regent is very important locally as a rare, complete, and typical cinema from the 1950s. This was a time when the movie industry was growing and using new technologies like "Cinemascope."
See also
- List of Art Deco buildings in New South Wales
