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optimistic about attracting a new
lessee. They may have seen the theatre
as a ‘last-chance’ house for the
suburb, something akin to the Victory
Malvern. Nothing came of it.
Manresa Hall reverted to dances,
may have been fitted out with a
banked-track roller rink, opened as a
Drop In Centre and had a stint as the
Manresa Function Centre (their
brochure was the source of the
photos). Now it is the Billy Lids
Indoor Play Centre. The bio box is
long gone, replaced by copies of the
original lead-light doors that open on
to the balcony above the street. I stood
in the centre of a cheerfully painted B
hall, jostled by children exploring
indoor adventure equipment. Speaking
above the din, the staff member who
kindly let me look around said that
she was not surprised by my visit,
“This place has had an interesting
life.” It’s still having one. ★

Manresa Hall
345 Burwood Road Hawthorn
Built for: The Immaculate
Conception Church
(Jesuit Order)
Architect: Y. W. Vanheins
243 Collins St. Melb.
Builder: James C. Brockie
Social functions from
1925.
Apollo Theatre
Open: 29 September 1934
Cradle Song
Dorothea Wieck
Thundering Herd
Randolph Scott
Lessees: Gladys Young,
C
Warne St. Heidelberg
1934 –36 D
David Laidlaw,
Paxton St. E. Malvern
1936 – 39
Projectors:C&W
Sound: Adaptation of RCA
system by Fred Bevans.
Capacity: Stalls 650,
Balcony 150
Closed: 2 June 1939
One Night of Love
Grace Moore
Sunset in Vienna
Lilli Palmer
REFERENCES From Top A: An orchestra was unique for a thirties suburban theatre.
Public Records Office/Melbourne The Herald 8 June 1938. Source: State Library of Victoria.
Archives Centre. File no. B: Foyer of Manresa Hall. The island ticket box has been removed.
7884P1/254/1293 Alf Lawrence C: A simple stage setting.
Remembers in CinemaRecord 39, p.27 D: The bio-box was in the centre of the balcony wall. The space is now as it was before
Hawthorn Free Press
the theatre fit out.

CINEMARECORD 2003 17