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BENDIGO & DISTRICTS TOUR By Brian Miller

Our annual country jaunt was held on Saturday 1st and policy of alternating films with live-show events. We wish
Sunday 2nd April, 2000 with a record attendance including them every success for the future and it is pleasing to report
a number of first timers. In fact, two motels had to be used. their ice-cream counter was enthusiastically patronised by
Damp drizzle greeted us around Daylesford until lunchtime our members.
after which perfect weather prevailed. The former Rex
Theatre houses Daylesford's Spa Centre Variety Store at 49
Vincent Street. Opened in 1929 to replace the Alpha Hall,
the original Spanish decor is mostly intact. despite the
ravages of times. We were unable to visit the Alpha Hall
and Galleria, used until recently as a dinner venue combined
with 16mm screenings or nostalgia films. Mr. Dave Endicott
of the Daylesford and District Historical Society escorted
us to their museum for an interesting talk on the town's
colourful past.

Theatre Royal - Castlemaine

An unofficial visit was offered to the Royal Theatre Cafe
and Gallery in High Street, Maldon. This delightful little
hall has been fully restored, including a beautiful ceiling
and small stage. Dating from the 1860's when hotels could
have an entertainment venue attached. it is believed to have
survived dances, church services, music hall, a Masonic
Lodge and pictures until the 1960's. The projection room
can be seen from the opposite side of the street, built out
Rex Theatre - Daylesford over the front verandah with access by ladder, apparently.
The operator must have been hardy, juggling the nitrate films
Continuing on to the Daytesford Town Hall, now part of the up the ladder on a hot night! Our keen shoppers reported
Hepburn Shire Council, this building is a true Victorian- that the quality of the antiques stocked was excellent.
style auditorium dating from I 883 and little altered. Due to
the slope of land, street entry is at balcony level with stairs The Eaglehawk Town Hall or Star Cinema as it is now known
down to the ground floor. A U-shaped balcony is fiued with was built in 190 I and has returned to films after a break of
an early type of seating long rows of padded benches with almost fifty years. A solid, substantial building, it was
no dividing armrests in the middle, just a number indicating recently been re-decorated and operates under the
your allotted space. The very last is number 250 in the top management of Joan Rodger and Tony Salter. Programming
left-hand comer. Too bad if several heavyweights arrive is a mixture of art films and popular attractions and there is
before you can claim your section! A small projection booth an optional meal arrangement. A single Chinese-manufac-
has been built omo the balcony, suitable for one machine tured projector. platters and a conventional sound system
and a diminutive operator, j udging by the outside made the bio-box tour of particular interest. '·Gone With
dimensions. The venue was used for silent films but no The Wind .. was being shown at 7.00pm and when we saw
evidence remains of where more substan6al equipment was the lavishly comfortable couches provided in the stalls. it
located. would have been tempting to stay. Again our best wishes to
Joan and Tony for their enterprise.
An early afternoon an·ival brought us to the Theatre Royal,
Castlemaine where proprietors John and Donna Walter had After checking in to rhe Oval Motel and the nearby Barclay
graciously deleted a matinee screening to aUow us to see on View Motel, we set out for the Bendigo and District R.S.L.
this historic building and let a team of helpers prepare for a Services Club on the north side of the city. Bendigo's street
major cabaret event that evening. Mr. & Mrs. Walter took signs are not all that easy to identify by day and even harder
over the Royal in July, 1999 rather than let it remain idle. by night, but eventually we all arrived safely. After a bit of
The building dates from 1857, one of the oldest surviving table juggling (36 at one table is not really practical!) and a
theau·es on the mainland. It was remodeled in 1938 in a long pause between the soup and the main course due to
basic Art-deco design and although the Walters did not have another big group in the next room, a delicious meal was
a show-business background, have expended all their served.
energies in essential repairs, on-going maintenance and a A return to the Oval Motel saw the presentation of an hour

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