Page 11 - CinemaRecord #83

BCC decided to construct a new,
stand-alone, six-screen complex
next to the large Shopping Fair on
Moores Creek Rd., in North
Rockhampton. Called the BCC
Senstadium Cinemas, this
attractive complex opened on the
18 December 1998.
The downtown City Cinema
Centre immediately switched to
operating as a $5 discount, second
run house. This policy proved to
be very popular. The cinemas
were then renamed and promoted
as the Southside City Cinemas.

Much to the embarrassment of
BCC a partial ceiling collapse at
the new complex led to its
temporary closure. The old
The building as St Andrews Presbyterian Church c. 2010 Southside City Cinemas quickly
reverted to first run screening
An unusual feature of the candy bar was the The total cost of the twinning was $750,000. until the Senstadium Cinemas were repaired
refrigerated chocolate and confectionery and re-opened.
display which was, no doubt, an advantage in The cinema was re-opened on 2 August 1974
the tropical climate. by Sir Gordon Chalk, the Premier and The Southside City Cinemas then again
Treasurer of Queensland. A special preview became a popular re run house until BCC
The parallel twin cinemas were roomy, well night was held the preceding evening for the finally closed the venue on the 28 November
appointed and comfortable. Cinema 1 seated builders, contractors and BCC staff. The 1999. All projection and sound equipment
576 and was decorated in the fashionable opening films were Mame (Cinema 1) and was then removed. It is interesting to note that
colours of the times including such exotic Alvin Purple (Cinema 2). Alvin Purple was the longest film to screen at the old City
colours as arroyo (seats) and paw paw (the an “R” rated movie, which caused some Cinema Centre was Forrest Gump, which
side wall ‘natural acoustic sound folds’). An concern at the time. ran for 19 weeks.
old gold velvet stage curtain completed the
décor. Cinema 2 seated 320 and its décor With the opening of the Rockhampton twin, In 2002 the building was sold to the St.
included natural timber panelling to the named the City Cinema Centre, BCC now Andrews Presbyterian Church who converted
sidewalls, green wall and screen curtaining claimed Rockhampton to be the first rural city the former Cinema 1 into a church space and
and black seats. Cinema 2 was also equipped in Australia with both a twin cinema and a Cinema 2 into a function/meeting centre.
with a small stage, which was sometimes used twin drive in theatre. BCC’s Wintergarden Cinema 3 is used as meeting space.
for visiting artists and concerts. theatre had closed a few weeks earlier on
29 June 1974. The BCC Senstadium is now the sole cinema
The ceilings of both cinemas were covered operation in Rockhampton. H
with a sprayed on sound deadening medium. To accommodate the requirements of
Both cinemas were fitted with wall to wall distributors and the increasing availability of
curved screens. Only Cinema 1 had screen film product, a third cinema, seating 146, was
curtaining which was gold striped. opened on 10 August 1993. This cinema was Acknowledgements:
located upstairs, parallel to the frontage of the
The commodious projection ‘suite’ extended building, in the space formerly occupied by ● The Film Weekly Motion Picture Directory,
the full width of the cinemas and included the function room. As part of the alterations, 24 December 1958 and 1963-65
projection rooms, rewind rooms, service areas the roof line was lifted to provide the
● Interview with Brian Stuart, former operator at
and storerooms. Cinema 1 was equipped with maximum sight line to the screen. A new the Starline Drive-in.
a pair of Kalee projectors whilst Cinema 2 projection room was also built. The air
was fitted with a pair of 35/70 mm Bauer U3s, conditioning plant for Cinema 3 was included ● Copies of undated newspaper accounts of the
which were rarely used for 70 mm in this area. Improved disability access to the time.
presentation. centre was also constructed at this time. This
was by means of a ramp to a new entrance at ● Picture Theatres in Rockhampton – The past
The upstairs space between the street façade the right hand end of the foyer. and the Present.
and the full width projection area was mainly
taken up by a large function room. This was All three cinemas were equipped with ● A research paper by Margaret Black: Central
accessed by a stairway from the main foyer. Cinemeccanica Victoria 8 projectors, Queensland University Library.
Cinemeccanica platters, and Dolby sound
The architects responsible for the conversion systems. ● Saluting the Rockhampton Wintergarden,
Don Latham.
were Charles Arnold & Alan W Smith Pty Ltd
of Townsville. This firm had built other With the passing of the years, the era of the ● Kino Quarterly Summer 1999, Published by
prestigious cinemas for BCC in northern large twin cinema also came to an end. A twin Australian Theatre Historical Society.
Australia including the Townsville Twin cinema was simply inadequate to handle the
Cinemas (1971), Cairns Odeon (1973) and volume of films and modern long run Images:
Darwin’s Cinema Darwin (1973). The screening policies. The seating capacities of Gerry Kennedy
Townsville Twin was claimed to be the first Cinemas 1 & 2 were too large for average Mike Trickett
twin cinema in rural Australia. screening requirements. CATHS archive collection

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