Page 29 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

City and suburbs - a gypsy in
the bio box
★ From Ross King, Essendon:-
When the Essendon Regal, closed
(1958) the projection equipment,
(Centrex, Westrex soundheads,
Westrex arcs and Amplifiers on
Simplex 5 point pedestals) along with
stage curtains, screen, and seating was
purchased by the RMIT and installed
in their Storey Hall, at the top of
Swanston Street in Melbourne.
The screen and curtains were set at
the back of the stage.
When I worked at RMIT in
1965/66, I ran films on the equipment
on a number of occasions although it
wasn't used all that much.
While there, the cellar below the
hall was being cleaned out and the old
tip-up seats from the Regal were being
thrown out. With permission I
collected quite a few and still had them Box Hill Regent: Ross King had a stint in the biobox.
up to a couple of years ago when I
The Radio Theatre in the RMIT’s supplied by a low capacity D.C.
sold them to a CATHS member for his
Building 9 (former Radio school) had generator, so each time a change-over
home theatrette.
seating for about 120). It was a was made the arcs had to be “snatched”
Storey Hall was "done over" about
converted area and was used 10 hours in order to avoid a blackout.
10 years ago so I don't know if the
a day for showing instructional films Reg Boulter, who now runs the
equipment is still there.
for students and feature films for film show at Hamilton (V), still uses one of
The Principal of RMIT at the time
societies. Syd Williams was the the original Croydon machines adapted
was a Mr. McKay (l can't remember
projectionist in the Radio theatre for to Xenon bulb; stereo sounds cells, and
his first name). He had graduated to
many years. film tower.
that position from being a
The equipment was Centrex on Reg was running the Plaza at
Radio/Electronics teacher. He had a
Westrex with H&B arcs later fitted Eltham – quite a nice art-deco style
great interest in the movies and
with Bauer Xenons. There were also public hall – now demolished, but had
consequently supported the purchase
two Bauer Selecton 16mm arc also just taken over the Sunshine
of good equipment at the college.
projectors which did most of the work. Theatre. Whilst he was running the
McKay lived with his teenage son
The Centrex equipment was used for two shows, I helped out doing some of
in Carlton (opposite RMIT) and sadly,
the 35mm Projectionists license the projection work. He eventually
about 1963/64 his son shot and killed
practical exams. moved his business to Sunshine, and
him. I was a student at the Radio
“Cinema Pioneer” members, from memory, Eltham closed.
School at the time.
Garth Eva and Colin Williams (Syd’s The equipment at Eltham was
Storey Hall was similar to the
son) may have even more details as I C&W P5 projectors on rotory stabiliser
Melbourne Savoy although it had
only worked there for 18 months prior sound heads made by David
gained a false ceiling and a rather plain
to my time at the State Film Centre in McWhirter, who now lives in
1960’s proscenium. The original ornate
East Melbourne. Queensland and originally had the
Victorian ceiling remained concealed
While working at the State Film machines in Rosanna. It was a very
by the false one.
Centre a fellow employee was Betty neat little plant.
An ornate balcony supported by
Jope. Betty was also the secretary for Reg was in the Sunshine Theatre
cast-iron columns ran around the hall.
The Croydon Film Society and the for a relatively short time when it was
The main hall was on the first floor
Federation of Victorian Film Societies. destroyed by fire and he was
with a smaller hall (basically a large
The Croydon Film Society effectively without a show.
square room) on the ground floor. A
conducted their screenings at the Betty Jope, representing the
grand staircase with ornate cast iron
Croydon Theatre conducted by Gray Croydon Film Society, offered me the
ballustrade led from the foyer to the
Edmeston. When he retired from the Croydon show on a minimal rental
main hall.
business he sold the projection basis provided that I would run the
I think much of Storey Hall was
equipment to the film society. Society’s monthly screenings.
classified by The National Trust so I
Gray had made much of the sound At the time, my life was taking a
don't know what remains. By the way,
equipment himself. I recall the take-up different direction so I declined but
this hall is where Melba was reputed to
spools on the machines rotated anti- suggested that Reg may be interested.
have given her first public concert -
clockwise and the arc lamps were He subsequently took it up and ran it
boy did she get around!!
CINEMARECORD 2002 29