Page 15 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2002 #37

The visit in 1897 was billed as: The publicity must have worked, ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
because the next issue of the Sunbury To friend and media researcher Chris. Long;
News reported: ‘.... a fair audience the late D. H. Merry of Parklands, Riddles
Creek, who allowed me to carefully remove
including a party from Rupertswood,
his kitchen linoleum!; and to the writers and
assembled at the Mechanics' to
editors of small country newspapers who have
witness.... the Cinematograph.... the
provided the medium for us to glance back.
general opinion was that the
REFERENCES
Cinematograph which was here a few
(1) The Gisborne Gazette 4 June 1926, p3.
weeks back was some points better
(2) The Argus Weekend Magazine 17
than the gallant Colonel' s. However September 1938; ‘On the Road With the
the Phonograph made amends and First Movies (1910), by M.P. Greenwood
was alone worth the price of (p5)
admission.’ (8) (3) The Sunbury News 12th June 1897, p3.
The reference to Rupertswood (4) C. Long in Cinema Papers June 1996, p42.
gave the event an up-market touch. (5) The Sunbury News 19th June 1897, p3.
Located in the centre of Sunbury the (6) C. Long in Cinema Papers June 1996, p44.
(7) The Sunbury News 28 August 1897, p2.
mansion was owned by the prominent
(8) The Sunbury News 4 September 1897, p2.
Clarke family and was one of the out-
of-town gathering points for the
socialites of Melbourne. (There is also
the claim that it was the birth-place of
The Ashes.)
Who was Colonel Lumare? His
name certainly travelled widely.
Notice the similarity to Lumiere, one
of the major players in the
development of cinema! A little
confusion would go a long way in
obtaining audiences in those days. In Sunbury Mechanics Institute c 1910.
this instance, the Colonel was © Peter Free
‘represented’ by W.H. Archibald, an
The Sunbury News later reported early moving picture entrepreneur in
that the show ‘drew a fair attendance.... Melbourne. Apparently his picture
those present all agreeinq that the show was not as good as the earlier
exhibition was one of the most promotional claims, but entertainment
wonderful ever seen in Sunbury....’ . supplied by the phonograph seems to
(5)
Which begs the question; was there an have saved the day.
earlier show, perhaps a private screening Early travelling shows were
at Rupertswood, or was this report an multimedia events - not just flickering
early form of journalistic hype? silent pictures. They often included
Competition arrives musicians, singers, comedians and
novelties such as the phonograph - the Sunbury Memorial Hall (c. 1930)
Close behind Mr. Coates was built on the site of the Mechanics
whole event was far from silent.
Colonel Lumare's GENUINE Institute. The Boardman family ran
Almost any form of unusual or novelty
CINEMATOGRAPH! managed by shows here until the 60’s.
entertainment would have enticed the
W. H. Archibald. The "Colonel" had © Peter Free
residents of a country town to spend
toured Tasmania in March 1897 where
their money and see the most recent
he screened films made in Melbourne
offering of the travelling show-man.
by E. J. Thwaites and R. W. Harvie. (6)
Sunbury's new cinema complex is
The Sunbury News reported that
fitted out with the latest projection
‘.....the company had appeared in all
technology; dare I suggest, complete
the important centres in Australia....
with an ‘out of control’, super sound
including Ballarat, Geelong, Bendigo
system! The younger members of the
and Castlemaine. (7) Sunbury, by
district will probably feel quite at
inference was the next most important
home with the visual and audible
centre to be visited!
attack awaiting them, but I wonder
The article went on, ‘.... the The Sunbury Memorial Hall today.
whether the new flicks will have the
machine , it is said, to be a show in The old biobox is there but all ports
same impact as the visits by those
itself, the vibration (shaking of the have been covered.
early show-men? And I guess that
picture) is less pronounced than in the © Peter Wolfenden
there will be little hope of finding a
case of other machines introduced
local newspaper report about the new
here.’
cinema complex, under the lino in 75
years time! ★
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