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The Westgarth

Picture Theatre

By Cameron Hall

An extraordinary 80th anniversary awaits Northcote’s historic Westgarth
Picture Theatre in 2001. Classified as locally significant in 1994 by the
National Trust of Australia (Victoria) it is the oldest purpose-built cinema
still operating in Melbourne. Today Westgarth is the last living remnant
of the long ago halcyon days of cinema along High Street. Its survival is
inexorably linked to the collective foresight of its past and present
proprietors who have adapted the theatre to accommodate technological
and social change. However, there is little room for complacency. Can
this single-screen, independent cinema secure its future in an age of
megaplexes and sophisticated home entertainment?

Beginnings
he Primitive Methodists introduced cinematographe to Thornbury Picture Palace, in fact a small hall, was construct-
the Northcote region in 1897. Not surprisingly, it was ed in 1910. However, it did not replace the adjoining open air
Tgreeted with acclaim. The Northcote Leader newspa- theatre, until improvements were made to the Thornbury
per reported that a still portrait of Queen Victoria, during her Picture Palace in 1911.
jubilee year, prompted the audience to stand and sing the On 27 June 1912, cinema in the Northcote/Thornbury
National Anthem! region attained its highest water thus far with the grand open-
Yet prior to World War 1, it is probable that the first cine- ing of the substantial Northcote Theatre on the corner of High
matic experience of many Northcote residents was an alfresco and Bastings Streets. Northcote could now boast a cinema
one. On 8 March 1911, an open air theatre in High Street with stalls, a balcony, its own generator and the adaptability to
Thornbury was opened by Mr Nicol Miller. Another open air accommodate live performances, including the much feted
venue, the Lyric Theatre, was opened on 20 December 1911 Mayoral Ball!
by Mr E Lees on the corner of High Street and Robbs Parade The Northcote Theatre was built by Mr T G Farr and
Northcote on the site of an old timber yard. The Lyric screened designed by Mr Frank Richardson in association with the firm
only during summer. Twentyman and Askew. It is believed to have been the first
Fortunately, early enthusiasts were not entirely at the public building in Northcote to have been fitted with electric
mercy of the weather. The Northcote Town Hall had screened lights. The auditorium of the theatre was approximately five
films from at least 1910. The somewhat ostentatiously named times larger than that of the Northcote Town Hall. The vision
of its founding directors: Mr A M Lonie, Mr B E
Johnson and Mr R J Whalley, was augmented by
a ten year agreement with Amalgamated Pictures
Limited under which Amalgamated agreed to
supply pictures to the Northcote Theatre. Mr
Robert McLeish became the inaugural manager
of the theatre. McLeish would later become asso-
ciated with several other cinemas including the
Rivoli Camberwell, Austral Collingwood and the
Fairfield Theatre.
The benchmark had been established. In
January 1915, the Thornbury Picture Palace
underwent momentous change with the introduc-
tion of a new facade, a dress circle balcony and a
raised ceiling.
Into this ebullient, though by no means yet
mature market, the Westgarth Picture Theatre on
the corner of High and Barry Streets would be

The Westgarth’s distinctive entrance doors on
High Street. Photo: Adrian Maiolla.

10 Autumn 2001 CINEMARECORD