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When she felt for another piece her
hand touched a rat that was sharing it
with her.
If the ceiling in the theatre wasn’t
100 feet from the floor, it certainly
looked that high. Particularly the night
a foot came through the ceiling. The
son of the manager was up there and
slipped. Lucky for him, he fell astride a
beam and didn’t fall any further.
The theatre was also the venue for
political rallies. Heckling and humour
made a good night of entertainment. At
one meeting held shortly after the war,
a Communist Party candidate for the
Senate had his speech drowned out by
stamping feet and singing. After it was
all over the bus carrying a small group
Part of the new dress circle, Majestic Flinders Street. In a surprise move, these lights of supporters back to Wonthaggi was
were soon replaced. The smaller ones were purchased by Alf Lawrence for his pelted with eggs. The next issue of the
Korumburra. communist newspaper The Guardian
said that the people of Korumburra had
They Can’t Burn Memories given the candidate a great reception.
- Brian Blake Boxing tournaments in the theatre
The late Elijah Alp started a The Korumburra Theatre brought packed houses barracking for
syndicate that built the Korumburra Commercial Street the local talent. These tournaments also
theatre with proceeds from a 5,000
Architect: Not credited. raised a great deal of money for district
pounds win in Tatts. It was a grand Builder: Messrs. Thomas and charities.
building for the time and was the Chapman. At the pictures on a Saturday night
entertainment centre of the community. Built for: Alpha Theatres Company.
there was always a lonely kid in the
The swirling skirts of Ginger Opened: 10 November 1926 front seats. This lad didn’t mix much
Rogers caused a bit of trouble for us Projectors: C &W with the other kids, but he always
kids going to the pictures in those days. Later Owners: Korumburra Theatre Ltd. looked as if he wanted to. Years later
The good nuns at Saint Joseph’s School 1926 the same theatre was bulging at the
E. H. Castle 1933
were not in favour of the ‘sinful’ antics
Lawrence Bros. 1935 seams to hear the same Leonard
of some of the stars. And Ginger J.G. and E. V. Hughes Hungerford, concert pianist return to
showed too much leg for decency. At 1952? play in his home town.
the Monday morning school parades Closed: 1972? When Geoff Hughes bought the
those who admitted going to the Last use: Roller Skating
theatre from the Lawrence brothers, he
pictures on Saturday night were often Fire: May 1982 spent thousands of pounds to make it
paraded as bad examples in front of the
the most up-to-date picture theatre
kids who had also been there but hadn’t
around. He had been told that
owned up.
Korumburra was on the fringe of the
We’d feel ashamed for a while, but coming television reception area and
would recover in time to join the rebellious. It wasn’t healthy to back- that film attendances would not be
queues next Saturday night. Two ladies chat Biddy and it was mortally affected. TV reception proved to be as
worked back to back in the island ticket dangerous to sit in her seat. good as in Melbourne and the theatre
box, always flat to the boards handling ‘Upstairs’ was a place of mystery. It never recovered. ★
the crowds. was financially out of reach for kids on
It used to irk us standing in the paper rounds who had ferrets for
queue to see Biddy Stowe and Arthur friends. The mystery of upstairs This is an edited version of a story
Ashwood walk majestically past the remained until I turned 21 and was by Brian Blake which first appeared
ushers and settle in their favourite seats initiated into the Buffalo Lodge. They in The South Gippsland Sentinel
half way up the theatre. But not one of held their meetings on a Sunday night Times on 11 May 1982.
us was game to challenge them. Biddy in the upstairs foyer. It was a grand
had the fiercest tongue in the district place…carpet and all.
and the management gave her and From then on upstairs was FURTHER READING:
Arthur free seats at every show for demystified. Not long afterwards it lost Alf Lawrence reminisces about his
Biddy to keep the rowdy kids in order. its appeal when the screams of a Gippsland circuit and the Korumburra
And keep them in order she did. woman in the balcony were heard in all theatre in CinemaRecord 39.
Biddy would prowl around the seats parts of the darkened theatre. She had
and sail into the offenders. A hefty box unwrapped a block of chocolate and
under the ears would be ready for the left it on her lap.

36 2005 CINEMARECORD