Page 16 - CinemaRecord #79

– By Gerry Kennedy –
azimierz (Kasey) Siemiginowski was In 1962 a letter from Kasey’s mother found its
Kborn on the 16 August, 1923 in Lwow in way to him via the Red Cross. He was amazed
Southern Poland (now part of the Ukraine). He and delighted to learn that all his family had
was the second eldest of five children (three survived the war. Kasey and Lisa immediately
boys and two girls). left for Europe and a long overdue family
During World War 2 when the Germans were reunion.
conscripting young men into forced labour in
Germany, Kasey (at 18 years) offered to go In 1974, after 18 years in business, Kasey and
instead of his older brother who was left to Lisa sold the business and went on a European
look after the family. holiday. Upon their return they purchased a
The journey to Bavaria took six weeks and rural property at Carrabin, near Merredin.
when he arrived at his allocated farm he was They leased the farm for 5 years and then sold
in an emaciated state. The farm was between it, at a considerable profit, and began looking
Bamberg and Koberg. for a new business interest.

He worked as a farm hand for three and half In the meantime Ronald had been working at
years until he was repatriated by the American the local Merredin Drive-In Theatre (1960-
Army. Whilst in a displaced persons camp 1992) and had gained considerable experience
he was asked by the Americans to work as a in theatre operations. The family decided to go
security guard in Munich and other places. into the drive-in business and started looking
Sadly, his attempts to find his family proved to for the right theatre. They found it in Albany
be unsuccessful for many years. (405kms from Perth) on the south coast of
Western Australia.
Kasey married a German girl, Lisa, and In 1957 Kasey and Lisa decided to go into
migrated to Australia, arriving in Fremantle business. They opened a small cafe in Albany has had a rich cinema history with
(WA) on New Year’s Day 1951. He looked Merredin (WA), a wheat-belt town. This two main indoor cinemas: the Empire (1912-
for the highest paid manual labour jobs he business prospered and they then decided to 1965) and Regent and, at one stage, three
could find and started on road construction build a new restaurant/reception centre in the drive-in theatres: Orana (April 1960 - 1993);
but the sun exposure forced him to find other same town. This also proved to be an excellent Boronia (January 1964 - March 1967) and the
work. Jobs in abattoirs and industrial painting business and the freehold is still held by the Central 70 (December 1964 - 1983).
followed. He moved to Maralinga and worked family. Their only child Ronald was born in
in construction, preparing for the British 1960.
atomic bomb tests.

The 1925 Regent. Closed in 1969.

The former Empire. Opened 1912, remodelled 1928 and closed in 1965.

16 2013 CINEM AREC ORD