Page 16 - CinemaRecord #86

By Gerry Kennedy

uyen is located in the far north-western Nulty’s Pictures also screened in the Fire the building was timber framed, with
OMallee region of Victoria. The township Brigade Hall. corrugated iron walls and roof. Plaster lining
is situated on the Calder Highway some to dado height was proposed. Latticed panels
440 kms from Melbourne. After council After a holiday in tropical Queensland, Mr. were used (instead of windows) and these were
amalgamations in 1997, Ouyen became part of Hugo Frederich Ingwersen, a local covered by roll up canvas blinds mounted on
the Mildura Rural City Council head-quartered businessman, applied to the Public Health the inside; such construction was sometimes
some 100 kms north of the town. Ouyen has Commission (PHC) on 28 March 1936 for called tropical design. The building was
a population of about 1200 and provides permission to build a theatre and dance hall in utilitarian in design and, except for the lattice
regional services for the small towns and rural Oke Street. Ingwersen had seen the light timber and canvas blinds, was reminiscent of many
properties in the surrounding dry farming construction tropical style theatres in country halls.
districts. The arid rural district, known as the Queensland, and thought the style appropriate
Mallee, frequently suffers from drought. to the hot weather conditions of the Mallee. The auditorium was 80 feet long and 34 feet
wide. An entry porch was constructed at the
Films were first screened in the Public Hall in The permit allowed the construction of a street frontage, within the auditorium. The
Oke Street, and its neighbouring outdoor building 100 feet long by 34 feet wide (30 x slightly indented stage area was 20 feet by 34
theatre. The Public Hall was leased out to 10 metres) of a type generally described as feet. Access to the auditorium was to the left
various entrepreneurs and traded for many light timber construction. It was set back and right from the entry porch. A projection
years as the Star Theatre. between and behind two shops. Set on stumps room (12’2” x 10’) was constructed over the

The Roxy 2014. Image: Mike Trickett

16 CINEMARECORD # 86