Page 31 - CR

REMEMBERING

RockdalE

e lived in the Sydney suburb of The Sutherland theatre fared a little better as
WRockdale (NSW) for some years the building itself still stands today, although
and if we were well behaved and promised to not as a theatre. The front façade and parapet
attend Methodist Sunday School the next day, is covered in aluminium profiled cladding
we were given one shilling to the Saturday and the ground floor houses a restaurant and
matinee “flix” at the Odeon Theatre in pizza parlour. A first floor has been added
Rocky Point Road, Rockdale. Up until 1964 and is used as a dancing school.
the projectionist was Hugh Nelson. M.Pope.
Airlie Beach.QLD.
Rockdale had two theatres, the Odeon and the
Rex. There was even a trolley bus right past
the door. The double decker type bus had two
sets of stairs to get to the top deck and many
a youth used this stair system to dodge paying
the conductor the penny for a ticket! The bus
depot was on the corner of Rocky Point Road
and Richie Street, now a motel.

In the 1960s I fondly remember seeing such
movies as The King and I with my family at
Rockdale. The Odeon lasted until the mid-70s
but is now long gone and today just a memory.
But back in the mid-1950s we had a huge
choice of not just the local Odeon and Rex,
but also nearby theatres at Brighton, Bexley,
Kogarah, Hurstville or even enjoying a train
trip to the barn-like Sutherland Odeon.
Top four photos - Rockdale Odeon
Bottom - Sutherland Odeon now - and then.

CINEM AREC ORD 2012 31