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The Armadale Theatre

A Centenary of Survival

By Brian Miller

recent decision by art-auction When the 1,332 seat Embassy at Malvern
A house Sotheby’s to sell the freehold (later known as the Metro Malvern) opened
of their showrooms at 926-930 High in 1935, and then improvements were also
Street Armadale, is the latest chapter made at Hoyts Victory Malvern (1,498 seats),
in the life of one of Melbourne’s early closure of the now antiquated Armadale
purpose-built cinemas. Theatre as a cinema was inevitable.

The solid brick building was constructed for After the film years, a few lessees tried
the Armadale Picture Theatre Co. Ltd. and to attract audiences with vaudeville and
opened as the 1200-seat Armadale Picture wartime concerts, relaunching the venue
th
Theatre on 18 September 1912. Unfinished as the “New” Armadale Theatre - all
upon opening, clusters of electric lights and terminating around 1942.
interior decoration in cream and white were
added later. The building then went through a multitude
of uses. It may have housed a light
The most distinctive internal feature was the engineering works during the later war years,
theatre logo – APT – in plaster relief at the and a later tenant was the well-known soft
centre of the proscenium. An orchestra pit toy manufacturer Joy Toys. It was also the
was provided for musicians to accompany home to the Sylvana Knitwear factory for
the silent movies. The bio-box was (and some time.
remained) at stalls level.
In the 1960s an indoor (dry) ski ramp became
Lessees of the building as a cinema were: a short-lived novelty. The ramp was fitted
Mendel Snider (1912-21), Associated/ from the dress-circle down to stage level. It
Hoyts (1922-36), and independent showmen looked risky and ultimately, didn’t last long.
(1937-39). For many years now the old theatre building
has served as auction/display rooms, but that
In the 20s the Armadale Theatre’s programs time has now also come to a close.
were switched with the much larger Hoyts
New Malvern (1,588 seats) only a suburb What the future holds for this early cinema
away. However this arrangement was pioneer is yet to unfold.But 100 years and a
transferred to the re-modelled Crystal Palace number of alterations and varied uses later, the
near Caulfield railway station in 1936, when building still stands proudly on trendy High
Hoyts did not renew their Armadale lease. Street and awaits its next incarnation. H

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