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The Alfred Hall on the Yarrowee - Corner Grenville & Curtis Streets. A multi-use building, it screened films
over many years. Alfred Hall was built in six weeks to provide a suitable venue fot yhe reception for Ballarat's
first Royal visitor, the Duke of Edinburgh in 1867. As a compromise it was built over the Yarrowee Creek which
formed the boundary of the two rival local bodies. The Alfred Hall was supposed to be a temporary construction,
but continued for another 89 years as the central meeting place for Ballarat. The first long term lease taken out
for the screening of Pathe Filme was on the 19th of August, 1909. In 1923, I was the winner of a Jackie Coogan
competition run in conjunction with the screening of Charlie Chaplin's "The Kid". It had two levels, and was built
in 1867 and demolished in 1956.
The Coliseum Picture Palace- Grenville Street South. A monstrous building on two levels, it had a vast stalls
area, and an upper balcony around three sides, was opened by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin on 28th of
September, 1908. From the information provided with the photos, it had a seating capacity of 4000, and it was
rumoured on one particularly popular occasion to have accommodated 10,000 people. Films were shown at the
South Street Band Contests on 12th of November, 1909. A popular picture Palace during it's time, I remember
seeing "King of Kings" there, and was told that it had one of the longest projection distances known for a theatre
at that time. I was present at it's destruction by fire on the 24th of March, 1936, and saw the current Bing Crosby
film go up in a huge ball of fire.