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The Cinemas & Theatres of Oz
The Cinemas & Theatres of Oz –– Part 1: Melbourne Part 1: Melbourne
The Cinemas & Theatres of Oz The Cinemas & Theatres of Oz –– Part 1: Melbourne Part 1: Melbourne
by John Seligmann and Neville C TaylorJohn Seligmann and Neville C Taylor
by
by John Seligmann and Neville C Taylorby John Seligmann and Neville C Taylor
SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY: SETTING OFF DAY / TUUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY: SETTING OFF DAY / TUESDAY 14 FEBRUARY: ARRIVAL DAYESDAY 14 FEBRUARY: ARRIVAL DAY
S
SUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY: SETTING OFF DAY / TUSUNDAY 12 FEBRUARY: SETTING OFF DAY / TUESDAY 14 FEBRUARY: ARRIVAL DAYESDAY 14 FEBRUARY: ARRIVAL DAY
With a mixture of excitement and trepidation, our group of globe trotting explorers, armed with Ken Roe’s exten-
sive 80 pages of visit notes, met at a very busy and chaotic Heathrow Airport to check in for our journey to Mel-
bourne. After 12 hours on the plane, we arrived in Hong Kong at night, so it was too dark to see anything from
the airport. Then on to Sydney, another 9 hours, to catch our first glimpse of the famous Harbour Bridge and the
Opera House before a short internal flight took us to the heat of Melbourne. After wondering what happened to
Monday, as it was already Tuesday, we had our first view of the city of Melbourne as a coach took us to our ho-
tel, the Victoria. The hotel’s car park is the site of the former GrosvenorGrosvenor Cinema (opened 1942 and closed
GrosvenorGrosvenor
1968). After check-in we met Gerry Kennedy, President of Cinema and Theatre Historical Society (CATHS) and
Ian Williams, who would be our guides for the Melbourne leg of the trip
WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARWEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY:Y:
W
WEDNESDAY 15 FEBRUAREDNESDAY 15 FEBRUARY:Y:
F
FREE TIME / A BEGINNFREE TIME / A BEGINNING AND AN ENDINGING AND AN ENDING
FREE TIME / A BEGINNREE TIME / A BEGINNING AND AN ENDINGING AND AN ENDING
Our free day only lasted until 10:00 when we all met up in the foyer
of the hotel to take the short walk to the Greater Union Greater Union Russell
Greater Union Greater Union
Street Cinemas, a purpose built six-screen cinema, erected in 1978
with a total of 2,588 seats, on the site of two previous cinemas. Of
the six screens, which seat between 252 and 742, three were built
on the ground floor and three on the first floor and, in the spacious
foyer, all are well signposted with neon arrows and screen numbers.
Each screen has been decorated in a different style and we were
free to wander around as films were yet to start. Upstairs, the foyer
has a vintage projector on show as well a set of three old seats
which look very uncomfortable. A poster informs us that at Greater
Union Cinemas “Movies have never looked better” and the building
looks good as well. It is a shame that the cinema is under threat,
following the opening of an eleven-screen Hoyts multiplex nearby,
which we were to see on the next day.

Greater UnionGreater Union
The Greater UnionGreater Union Russell Street
on its last day before closure that evening. As the auditoria were
being used we enjoyed a little luxury in the private screening room,
used for previews by the executives from the Village Cinemas offices
above. This is where, it is argued, that the “Gold Class” style of pres-
entation was born; the use of extra comfortable and/or reclining
seats with plenty of extra leg-room and even separate foyer areas.
We all then sneaked into the back of the largest screen, screen c,
for a quick peek, although the film was still being shown. There were
a lot more of us than the paying customers watching the film!
Greater Union reater Union Russell Street
G
Greater Union Greater Union
Hoyts Cinema Hoyts Cinema
Next we embarked on a walking tour taking us to the Hoyts Cinema Hoyts Cinema
Centreentre, which was Australia’s first multiplex. It opened in 1969 with
CentreCentre
C
three screens, was converted into four and closed in September
2005. A large poster for Flight of the Phoenix can still be seen on
the façade, behind the trees. Next is the BercyBercy Cinema which
BercyBercy
opened in 1965 and closed in 1983 and is now a gaming venue
(pokies/slot machines). Fur-
ther up the road is the impres-
sive pale blue façade of the
Metro
Metro Bourke Street, which is
MetroMetro
now a nightclub, followed by
the Mid City 3 ChinatownMid City 3 Chinatown
Mid City 3 ChinatownMid City 3 Chinatown
Cinemas, closed by Hoyts in
1992 but now showing Chi-
nese films. Our journey
brought us to our final cinema
of the day, the Village City Village City
Village City Village City
Centre 4 re 4 Cinema, which was
Centre 4 Centre 4
G Cent V Villageillage & Mid City Mid City cinemas Bourke Street
Mid City Mid City
VillageVillage
Greater Union reater Union Russell Street
Greater Union Greater Union
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