Page 14 - CinemaRecord #79

he large rural city of Orange (NSW) is located 250kms west of
Sydney on the Western Highway and today has a population of some
T38,000. Of all its many theatrical venues over the years, the most James Dalton
interesting is perhaps its oldest...

It was in the early days of being a large country Being unable to find a venue in which to stage
town that James Dalton, a wealthy local merchant the meeting, he consequently built his own hall in
and retailer, built his large Australian Hall in the Lords Place to host the Irish visitation.
1880s. Named the Australian Hall for patriotic
reasons, the two level brick building featured a
This came about when he wished to host a visit classical facade fronting a fairly long but narrow
of some Irishmen seeking support for the then auditorium.
Independent Movement (from England). Given
the colonialist nature of New South Wales at the Because of its size, it proved to be a popular
time his proposal for the visit drew strong local venue for touring shows and local live theatre.
and Government opposition - in fact he was Soon the venue was hosting a wide variety of
stripped of his Justice of the Peace status. concerts, meetings and theatrical presentations,
and the Australian was considered to be the
“best theatre west of the Blue Mountains”.
Its opposition venues included the School of Arts
and the Oddfellows Hall.

1920s.

14 2013 CINEM AREC ORD