Page 16 - CinemaRecord #85

Bowen Summergarden Cinemas

by Gerry Kennedy

Muttaburra sheep grazier from Western projection ports were entry points for pigeons
AQueensland, Douglas Harrison, in as the owners were bird fanciers.
partnership with Bowen Cinema owners, Sam
and Ethyl Kerr built the Summergarden Most of the original house is still to be seen
The tropical township of Bowen in the Theatre in 1948. The theatre was built some within the walls of the current theatre building
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beautiful Whitsundays is characterised by the 4 km from the business centre of Bowen, in although the rooms may have different usage
lazy and easy charm of classic far North the suburb of Queens Beach. today.
Australia.
The theatre began construction as an open air Bush timber poles were erected over 25% of
With wide streets, simplicity of lifestyle already (1948) and was gradually roofed over. It was the rear yard and war surplus tarpaulins were
akin to the 1940s and 1950s, Bowen needed eventually opened on 19 October 1951 with placed over the poles for weather protection.
only a 40 days cosmetic makeover to become The Time, The Place and the Girl, a movie The ground was excavated to make a sloping
the Darwin in which Lady Sarah was caught starring a future President of the United States floor and the screen was made of cement
up in the disastrous Japanese raids of WWII; of America, Ronald Reagan. sheets. Over time the bush poles and a
and the Darwin where she cracked her whip permanent roof progressed towards the screen.
to drive hundreds of cattle through the main Due to the unavailability of building materials
street of town. and permits in the post war era the theatre had In 1958, Bowen took a direct hit from a
a very unusual beginning. It basically started cyclone and the Summergarden lost its screen
For Australia, Bowen became an outback as a large house built of concrete with a rough and most of the roof. The screen was quickly
1940s town; reminiscent of Broome as well as cast finish. A large room at the back of the replaced with volunteer assistance and the
Darwin of that era complete with outdoor house became the projection booth for an theatre reopened about a week later.
cinema, police station, hotel, brothel, outdoor theatre.
shantytown and stockyards. Permanently open louvres allowed for
Screenings began without authorisation; when ventilation from the top to the bottom of the
– “Australia the Movie” people enquired about the holes in the wall, side walls. Lattice was fixed to the outside of
at www.discoveraustralia.com.au the euphemistic response was that the these walls. In times of bad weather panels

16 CINEMARECORD # 85