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Letters A Change To Street Level
Princes Bridge, which spans the
Yarra River dates from 1886 when it
replaced a single arch bridge. The
Australia height of this new bridge necessitated
ABN 37 195 378 179 raising street level along the west side
Reg A0020747R of Swanston Street at least as far as
Collins Street. Contemporary reports
The aims of CATHS are: to record the The Picket That Didn't Stop The tell of shops losing their basements, of
history of cinemas and theatres, and to Show! doors and windows protruding above
promote interest in theatre heritage and The picket remnant unearthed on
architecture, and other related areas. the pavement.
the site of what became the Capitol
Patrons: theatre (CinemaRecord 57) invites Whether this re-alignment
Frank Van Straten OAM Peter Smith OAM consideration of its possible history. continued as far as the site of what
Philip Brady would become the Capitol I do not
Robyn Annear in A City Lost and
Committee: Found wrote about the sale of the land know. Furthermore, this ‘burial’ would
President: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 not explain a picket from a fence, but it
Vice President: Peter Wolfenden 9744 2570 bounded by Collins, Swanston and is an example of the need to consider
Secretary: Mike Trickett 5278 1986 Little Collins Streets. The first land every fact.
Treasurer: Barrie Wraith 9435 9785 auction in Bearbrass (an early name for Henry Jamieson, Balwyn
Rodney Bendix 9563 2927 the settlement) was in 1837 when
Shane Moore 9859 5126 Captain Henry Howey bought the two-
★ acre site for one hundred and twenty
Qld. Convenor: pounds. At the outset this area was on
Steve Maggs 0413 805 320 the fringe of the ‘Village’, which was
★ expanding from government buildings,
Archivist: Gerry Kennedy 5174 1870 mainly in William Street.
Events Co-ordinator: Development as far as Swanston
Brian Miller 9557 7446 Street was impeded by a creek, often
Film Buffs Group:
Mike Trickett 5278 1986 impassable after heavy rain. This later
Publications Sales: became Elizabeth Street. Grazing and
Garry Saunders 9812 7227 vineyards continued at the Spring Street
Membership Secretary: Peter O’Reilly end of Collins Street into the 1840s.
PO Box 393 Cobram Vic. 3644
CinemaRecord Editor: For the picket to have been buried
Ian Smith four foot below street level suggests it
iansmith8@bigpond.com was a squatter’s farm fence. The land
CATHS website: along what was to become Swanston
www.caths.org.au Street must have been filled in before
Postal address:
PO Box 476, Bentleigh 3204. any substantial building could take place.
★ Captain Howey and his family were Harry Kirkland with the picket he mounted
lost at sea between Melbourne and and framed for CATHS.
Membership
Annual membership subscription is $40, Sydney and the property was Modern Acoustics
(overseas subscribers $50) and bequeathed to a brother. Howey Place,
members receive four copies of which threads its way through the block The account of attempts to manage
CinemaRecord, notification of events, commemorates this history. In the better acoustics (CR57), reminded me
and copies of the agenda and minutes Swanston Street section a Colonel that the sound in the Melbourne
of all meetings. There is no joining fee. Wilson bought a group of three-storey Concert Hall was initially described in
Meetings buildings on the south side of what newspapers as ‘thin and reedy’, but I
Meetings are held on the last Sunday of became known as the Talma Building, have no complaint about sound at any
February, April, June, August, October & formerly Buxton’s Art Gallery. performance I have attended.
November. At the school where I taught the
Archive These buildings - shoe shops and theatre looked to be a poor design -
The Archive is located in the Prahran cafes - were demolished by Whelan rectangular box, concrete blocks with
Mechanics’ Institute, 140 High Street The Wrecker in 1921, to make way for plastic seats - but it had good acoustics,
Prahran, 9510 3393. The Archive will the ten-storey, maximum height office
be open between 9.30am and 12.30pm block and theatre designed by Walter and for this reason was favoured by
on the Saturday before each meeting Burley Griffin. Various names for the outside companies for operetta and
(see above), and at other times by building were toyed with during musical comedy without amplification.
appointment with the archivist. construction, but Capitol prevailed. No doubt experts can explain this.
Publications The Howey family continued its link Roderick Smith, Surrey Hills
Back issues of CinemaRecord, other with the site. One member was on the
publications, CDs and videos are
available at meetings. Items are also board that first controlled the theatre.
available by mail. Please contact Garry John Payne, Mulgrave
Saunders on 9812 7227 for details.

4 2008 CINEMARECORD