Page 15 - CinemaRecord Edition 3-2003 #41

Outside the Town Hall and right at
the end of the jetty was Moseley
Square, which was terminus of the
South Terrace Adelaide train route from
the City to ‘the Bay’. Dear old dad has
a photograph of himself and his mother
among the crowd with the new H class
tram in the background, taken on the
Above photo’s: The Glenelg Theatre & its Photoplay organ.
day in 1929 that the steam railway
converted to an electric tramway. Immediately across Moseley Square Next door to Godwin's the Central
A little up the ‘Bay Road’ (Anzac from the Town Hall was the stately Provision Stores grocery was generally
Highway), were embankments and the Pier Hotel. Another legend had it that good for a handout. A little distance up
glass and iron remains of some sheds, one of great-grandfather's winemaker Jetty Road, along which the tram ran
which had almost reconvened with brothers, in company with his into the Square, stood Ryan's Furniture
nature. This area later became the sympathetically rotund wife, broke Emporium, allegedly owned by distant
Holdfast Bay Bowling Club. The their bed in the hotel while on their relatives. Over the road from the
remains about which I had been so annual summer pilgrimage. Emporium, wonderful aromas from Van
curious were those of the workshops Further up the square from the Pier der Zwan's cake shop, and dubious
and stables of the former rival train Hotel, and near the billiards and emanations from the fishmonger.
service to North Terrace in the city. snooker entrance of the lesser St
Between these remains and the Vincent's Hotel - "never go in there,
Glenelg North beach was the swampy dear" - was the gloriously aromatic site
malodorous lingering of the Sturt River, of Godwin's Ham Shop, complete with
known as the Patawalunga Creek. scrubbed wooden benches. Lance
Legend had it that in the old days a Godwin was a long time director of
horse and buggy, but not the driver, had Glenelg Theatres.
been swallowed by the treacherous, Across the square from Godwin's,
surrounding sands. About 1960 these near the Police Station, was the Further along Jetty Road was the
swamps became a series of marinas, substantial cafe which had been cinema known as the Strand acquired
with portcullis-style gates providing associated with the outdoor cinema, by Glenelg Theatres in 1924. Built as
access to the open sea of Gulf St scene of many summertime young the Palais in 1922, as the Strand it had
Vincent. happenings, and owned by Sam the distinction of being the first cinema
Percival, another director. in suburban Adelaide to present moving
pictures with an integral sound
accompaniment.

Above: The steam railway terminus adjacent to the Pier Hotel. Electric trams took over the train tracks in 1929.

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