Page 19 - CinemaRecord #79

Cinemas 1-3 have decorative panels of
geometric shapes applied to the walls and
cinema 4 is fully curtained in maroon fabrics.
All cinemas have been upgraded to the same
seating and setback standards

From Albany, the company started to expand
their operations, starting in 1999 with the
construction of the Orana 4 Cinemas in
Geraldton (430kms north of Perth).

In Kalgoorlie they purchased from the Ace
company Ace 3 Cinemas. Like their Albany
site, this location had an interesting history
having been opened by Ace in 1960 as the
View-way Drive-In Theatre.
Ace added a 344-seat single screen cinema on Orana Cinemas Albany..
the site in October 1983 (which operated in
tandem with the drive-in) sharing projection
room, toilets and candy bar. The drive-in
section finally closed in July 1999, whilst the
Ace Cinema was expanded to three screens,
seating 320, 235, and 148. It now trades as
Orana Cinemas Kalgoorlie.
A further company investment was another
take-over from Ace of the Busselton Cinemas
which was renamed Orana Cinemas
Busselton.
The family company, Orana Holdings Pty.
Ltd. is mainly run by Ronald, but Kasey is still
very much involved in the operation on a daily Kalgoorlie Viewway Drive-In and Cinema.
basis. Lisa unfortunately died in 2005.

Popular meaning of the word Orana translates
to “Welcome”. Starting with Albany’s Orana
Drive-In Theatre, the company now operates
a chain of luxury cinema complexes in rural
Western Australia that not only lives up to its
name, but must also make a family of humble
and distant beginnings, extremely proud.

ALBANY ORANA CINEMAS.
For the technically minded (prior to digital):
Cinema 1 - 78 seats (was 120): Toshiba TP 20
projector, Christie lamp house and platter. Orana Cinemas at Geraldton.
Cinema 2 - 132 seats (was 180):
Simplex Millennium projector, Strong lamp house
and Speco platter.
Cinema 3 - 144 seats. Toshiba TP 20 projector, Super
Lumex lamp house and Speco platter.
Cinema 4 - 185 seats: (inc.18 in Bogarts) Simplex
projector, Strong lamp house and Speco platter.
Widths:
Cinemas 1 – 3 Auditoriums: 12m / Screens: 11m.
Cinema 4 Auditorium:16m / Screen: 15m.

Photographs courtesy of: Ric Bean; Colin Flint and
the Kevin Adams collection.

Busselton as Ace. Ace Cinemas at Busselton rebadged as Orana.

CINEM AREC ORD 2013 19