Page 29 - CinemaRecord #82

PENRITH

Hayden Twin. (Les Tod)

Hoyts started building their complex in Penrith
Plaza and had offered to lease the Lawson
Street Cinemas. They ran the complex as a
Mike Walsh initially wanted the High Street budget house for a short time but did not renew
Twin and when he could not secure it, he set the lease with closure coming in 1999.
about building his own complex on the corner The building shell still stands as offices, but
of Henry and Lawson Streets. His opposition has none of its cinematic features left inside.
Hayden Twin opened on 18th December 1981
screening Winter of Our Dreams and Roar.
The cinemas were side by side with a seating
capacity of 643 in Cinema One, and 561 in
Cinema Two. Above the foyer was Mike’s Amazingly, in the early 1990s, there had been a
Bar which was later converted into the small big battle to build three new cinema complexes
Lounge Cinema which seated 147. This was in Penrith at the same time!
an interesting theatre that featured rear/mirror Hayden Theatres advertised their Hayden 8
projection, with the projector almost beside the “opening for Christmas” in 1992. This was to
cinema! The picture shone into a mirror which be a big redevelopment of their Lawson Street
then reflected the image onto the back of the site.
screen. At the same time Reading Cinemas were
planning a large complex at the Panthers
The complex was changed again in late 1992, Leagues Club and also there were the plans for
when the two large cinemas were cut in half to the cinemas in the Westfield Plaza Shopping
make the complex a 5-plex. Centre.
The resultant cinema renumbering caused
much confusion as now both Hayden Lawson It was thought the first to open would be the
Street (as it was now known) and Hayden winner. The Panthers proposal fell through but
High Street both had cinemas “3 and 4”. the Hoyts complex went ahead, with the ten-
People would buy their tickets at Lawson screen Hoyts Penrith opening at Penrith Plaza
Street and be told the film was in cinema 3. in April 1998.
They would then walk down to High Street
(where they knew Cinema 3 had always been In 2014, this most recent complex is now the
located) and be told to go back to Lawson sole operating movie venue in this suburb
Street! which has had a long and very interesting
cinema history.

Steve Maggs is the National Promotions Officer for
CATHS, Convenor of our QLD chapter, and still
works in the industry.
After Penrith High Street closed, he moved to
Hayden’s flagship, the Cremorne Orpheum and now
manages a nine cinema complex in Brisbane.

Resources and Information:
The Flicks: A History of the Cinemas from
Hoyts Penrith Parramatta to the Nepean. By Kevin Cork.1982.

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