Page 8 - CinemaRecord #81

n October 1930 Herbert Wyndham Jones, This tactic created many a headache for the
Istorekeeper, leased the Corrimal Princess FRXQFLO DQG -RQHV ¿UVWO\ EHFDXVH WKH FRXQFLO¶V
Theatre, Princes Highway from owner Mrs exhibition licence had not been endorsed by
W J Jeffery. Extensive renovations allowed the new Theatres and Films Commission yet
screenings to commence on 1 November, and so to be established under the recently amended
began 73 years of cinema operation by the Jones Theatres and Public Halls Act.
family in and around Wollongong. Secondly when the Commission was hastily set
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In 1934 Jones bought a block of land on the objections were raised by Wollongong Theatres
eastern side of Keira Street, Wollongong (refer CinemaRecord, Issue 77).
(between Crown and Market Streets) but it was
not until 1936 that he advertised establishment By October 1939 the council received the
of South Coast Theatres Pty Ltd for the purpose necessary endorsement and Jones opened the
of erecting on the site a picture theatre that renamed Civic Theatre on the 5th October
“will be of the latest design, modern in every following minor moderations by Crick and
particular. Furse.
Special features will be the approach,
comfortable seating, spacious lounges, winter In the meantime Jones informed the Chief
Herbert Wyndham Jones.
garden, and ultramodern lighting effects. Secretary that legal shenanigans over the
The auditorium being set back from Keira council’s theatre had further prevented his
ŽƌƌŝŵĂů WƌŝŶĐĞƐƐ ŝŶ ůĂƚĞƌ LJĞĂƌƐ͘
6WUHHW ZLOO HOLPLQDWH WUDI¿F QRLVHV ,W LV persevering with the Keira Street proposal. By
proposed to extend the operations of the November 1939 he could more legitimately
Company on the South Coast after the theatre claim that he could not proceed due to the
is well established”. intervention of World War 2.
The company prospectus included an impression
of the theatre’s courtyard and auditorium Jones did not live to see the Keira Street project
H[WHULRU E\ 6\GQH\ DUFKLWHFW 5HJLQDOG 0DJRI¿Q completed since he died in March 1943. His
wife, Emily Vaughan and son Maurice took over
In late 1938, Jones informed the NSW Chief the business and four years later successfully
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conditions had prevented work commencing. proposal.
Then in early 1939 in the absence of his own
structure, Jones saw an opportunity of exhibiting
in Wollongong by submitting a tender to lease
Wollongong council’s Town Hall Theatre in
Kembla Street.

ďŽǀĞ͗ dŚĞ dŽǁŶ ,Ăůůͬ ŝǀŝĐ dŚĞĂƚƌĞ͘
ZŝŐŚƚ͗ ŽŶĐĞƉƚ ĚƌĂǁŝŶŐ ĨŽƌ ŽƌŝŐŝŶĂů ZĞŐĞŶƚ ƉůĂŶ͘

The Jones family.

8 2014 CINEMAREC ORD