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Great storage for a carpenter!

After closing as a cinema, the Jubilee saw little ancestral owners of the building and a wealth
use other than a few local public meetings. A of Queensland cinema history once again
carpenter stored timber in the auditorium with saw the light of day.
a TAB operating in the cafe. Jack Walters was
quoted in The Gatton Star newspaper in 1983 These treasures included a magnificent
saying “he’d sell the Jubilee now, if he could advertising drop curtain, hand-painted on calico,
find a buyer”. This didn’t eventuate, and the (signed and dated, H. Whitman, 1935) that had
theatre sat vacant for over twenty years. been rolled up above the stage since 1966. This,
plus the C&W projectors, movie posters, canvas
The Jubilee auditorium now operates as a chairs and seating, glass advertising slides and
“Wayne’s World” variety store with a five numerous cinema ephemera from the theatre
year lease. However even in this guise, little were recently sold at auction.
alteration has ever occurred.
A visit to the old building today will still
While the Jubilee Theatre sat, so did history evoke wonderfully warm memories of local
within its walls. The stage area was sealed picture-shows and its halcyon days as the
up and the bio-box securely locked, both beautiful Jubilee Picture-Theatre. H
making ideal storage areas for many decades
of cinema artefacts. References: The Queensland Times and Gatton
Star newspapers. Rosewood Scrub Historical Above & Below: Auction treasures and
In fact it was only over the past few months Society, Lowood District Local Historical Group. the unfurled 1935 drop-curtain.
that these areas were cleared out by the Photos from Chris Hampton, Kevin Adams & Fran Finn.

CINEM AREC ORD 2012 29