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Paris Moore Park
The former OlympiaOlympia Darlinghurst Paris
OlympiaOlympia
ParisParis
Norton Street CinemasNorton Street Cinemas
N
Norton Street Cinemasorton Street Cinemas Leichhardt The former MetroMetro
MetroMetro
A little further up the road, Bent Street, we came to Hoyts Fox Stu-Hoyts Fox Stu-
Hoyts Fox Stu-Hoyts Fox Stu-
dios Cinemasdios Cinemas
d
Our next journey took us to the infamous red-light district of Kings dios Cinemasios Cinemas. An altogether larger building with sixteen screens, the
Cross to view the exterior of the former Metro Cinema Metro Cinema in Orwell exterior has a vertical sign and an Art Deco look about it. One wall of
Metro Cinema Metro Cinema
Street. In Art Deco Modèrne style and seating 1,006, this opened in the foyer simulated the exterior of a Hoyts Plaza Theatre of an ear-
May 1939 for both live theatre and cinema use until 1950, when it lier decade. The warning from a manager that “You can’t take pho-
became a full-time cinema, closing in May 1969. Back as a full-time tos here!” came a little too late but we went out looking disap-
live theatre a month later, it finally closed in 1976 until 1981 when pointed anyway!
an indoor food market opened. Financially a disaster, this soon
closed and the building was converted into a television studio, which
it remains. There was just time for coffee and a snack before leaving
Kings Cross on foot for Darlinghurst and the former West’s Olympia West’s Olympia
West’s Olympia West’s Olympia
Cinema inema in Oxford Street. The building, dating from 1911, was used
Cinema Cinema
C
as a cinema under various names until 1972. Since then the audito-
rium has been gutted and is a function suite and club but the build-
ing still houses a twin cinema at the stage end, the Academy TwinAcademy Twin.
Academy TwinAcademy Twin
This has Art House programmes in its two screens, which seat 500
and 300.
Continuing our walk, we headed for Moore Park, which is the home
of the Sydney Cricket Ground and the Aussie Stadium. The latter
was the venue that evening for the Grand Final of the Hyundai A-
league football (soccer) competition between Sydney FC and Central
Coast Mariners. So we walked along with the crowds heading for the
game in the 42,000 seat stadium, which was to be over 99% full!
Hoyts Fox Studio CinemasHoyts Fox Studio Cinemas
Hoyts Fox Studio Cinemasoyts Fox Studio Cinemas Moore Park, exterior & foyer
[Sydney FC won 1-0]. But we passed by the stadium and headed for H
the site of the former Sydney Showground, which was redeveloped
in 1998 to house Fox Studios. The complex contains shopping and Tired but happy, the remainder of the group, which had been de-
entertainment venues including two multiplex cinemas both opened pleted by members going off to pursue their own interests on this
in 1999. We came first to the Cinema ParisCinema Paris, an intimate art-house our last day, made its way back the Capitol Square Hotel. The final
Cinema ParisCinema Paris
cinema with four screens and an interesting display in the foyer area evening lay ahead of us and after that all that remained was to pack
of movie memorabilia and film equipment. At this time on a hot our cases and get a good night’s sleep ready for departure in the
sunny afternoon, it seemed to be doing good business. morning.
MONDAY 6 MARCH 2006: DEPARTURE DAYONDAY 6 MARCH 2006: DEPARTURE DAY
M owners, managers and staff who had welcomed us so enthusiasti-
MONDAY 6 MARCH 2006: DEPARTURE DAYMONDAY 6 MARCH 2006: DEPARTURE DAY
With no formal gathering in the morning, the party was free to catch cally on our invasions of their premises. This was certainly the fur-
up on last minute shopping and farewells to various members who thest that the CTA had ventured – so far!
were either making their own way homewards or were staying on for This article is the second part of a two-part report on the
an extended visit to other parts of Australia. Everyone was taking Cinema Theatre Association’s visit to Australia, which took place
home their own special memories but we all had a thoroughly enjoy- between 12 February and 7 March 2006.
able three weeks exploring some fabulous cinemas – and a few Digital photography © 2006
buildings which were past their best. We were grateful to all the by Kevin Gooding, Richard Norman and Neville C Taylor

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