Page 11 - CinemaRecord #84
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been  renewed  and  restored  to  its  The Bondi Spectator reported in August 1984
                                                    original  condition.    New  screen,  that the Heritage Council had, on two separate
                                                    stage curtains and draperies have  occasions,   recommended   an   interim
                                                    been  installed  and  treated.    The  conservation  order  on  the  building,  and  the
                                                    whole of the interior and exterior  Australian Heritage Commission had approved
                                                    of the building has been repainted  the inclusion of the theatre on the Register of
                                                    and redecorated.”   This is rather  the  National  Estate.    The  Royal  Australian
                                                    remarkable, that a 2,000 seat theatre  Institute  of  Architects  had  resolved  at  its
                                                    would  be  repaired  in  this  way  in  meeting to include the Wintergarden on its
                                                    1972  rather  than  simply  closed  Register  of  20th  Century  Buildings  of
                                                    down and sold.              Significance.    But  Woollahra  Council
                                                                                continued with its efforts to have the theatre
                                                    The Wintergarden reopened with  rezoned and demolished.
                                                    Ryan’s  Daughter  on  Friday  26
                                                    January 1973.  But with the arrival  On  July  1984,  100  people  demonstrated
                                                    of  the  1980s,  the Wintergarden  outside  the  theatre  protesting  against  its
                                                    was  under  threat.  In  1980  it  was  demolition.  But their efforts were in vain and
                                                    sold to Low Yat, a company based  the Wintergarden finally closed on 17 April
                                                    in Kuala Lumpur.  It continued to  1985.
                                                    operate, if only to pay the rent.
                                                                                In July 1985, a State Government Commission
                                                    In  1981,  Woollahra  Council  of Enquiry was held into the Wintergarden’s
                                                    announced, oddly, that it wanted the  fate and also that of the Randwick Ritz.  The
                                                    building demolished because it was  Commissioner,   Mr  C h a r l e s
                                                    “an undistinguished white box” and  O ’ C o n n e l l ,  recommended
                                                    that  “it  contributes  very  little             against heritage
                                                    benefit,  except  in  terms  of                   act  protection
                                                    entertainment  to  steadily                        for   both,
                                                    d w i n d l i n g                                  stating   “in
                                                    p a t r o n s . ”                                   most capital
                                                    Classified by the                                   c i t i e s ,
                                                    National Trust, it                                  including
                                                    had  an  order                                     S y d n e y ,
                                                    p r e v e n t i n g                         buildings   which
                                                    demolition  placed                    expressed the Hollywood ethos
        destroyed and there was smoke damage to the  on it by the Heritage Council.  were built.  Examples of these, I believe,
        auditorium.                         The heritage order was suddenly     may  be  validly  held  to  be  within  the  term
                                            lifted  by  the  Minister  for  P l a n n  “environmental heritage’ as defined in the Act.
        As  a  result,  the Wintergarden  was  closed.  ing,  Eric  Bedford,  leaving  the  theatre  I did not believe, however, that it was intended
        One would think this would be an opportunity  completely unprotected.   to preserve for posterity the pale shadows of
        to close it permanently, but the owners advised                         the city centre’s picture palaces which were
        “the above theatre will cease operations until  The Wintergarden  Action  Committee  was  built in the suburbs and country towns.”
        necessary repairs have been carried out.”  formed to help save the theatre, but its pleas
                                            were falling on deaf civic ears.  Council was  Mr O’Connell’s latter comment is so way off
        The damage was not “a small fire” as stated.  exhibiting plans for a multi storey hotel on the  the mark, it is shameful.  The Wintergarden
        The  Government  architect  reported  a  few  site.                     was  the  equal  of  many  of  the  city’s  picture
        weeks  later  that  “…  the  whole  of  the  fire                       palaces  and  far  superior  to  many  of  them.
        damaged stage end section of the theatre has                            There were many cinemas in the city centre
                                                                                 which went nowhere in measuring up to the
                                                                                 standards  of  the Wintergarden.  Professor
                                                                                 Ross  Thorne  of  the  University  of  Sydney
                                                                                 correctly stated that if all theatres were to be
                                                                                 measured against the Sydney State Theatre,
                                                                                 then all would fail.

                                                                                 With demolition pending, protests continued
                                                                                 outside the theatre, including a major protest
                                                                                 on 6 January 1987 where protesters climbed
                                                                                 the façade and refused to come down.
                                                                                 The curtain at the Wintergarden finally fell
                                                                                 in  February  1987  when  demolition  crews
                                                                                 moved in and quickly reduced the grand old
                                                                                 lady to rubble.  An apartment building now
                                                                                 occupies the site. H


                                                                                 Acknowledgements:
                                                                                 Text copyright Les Tod.
                                                                                 Images are copyright to owners as shown.

         Wintergarden Auditorium (Image Les Tod)


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