Page 22 - CinemaRecord #86

THE WARRACKNABEAL TOWN HALL –

ANOTHER VICTORIAN TOWN HALL CINEMA
by Tony Tibballs

Warracknabeal Town Hall c1940 - Regent marquee in place.

arracknabeal is located in the Wimmera to be a cinema from the outset
Wdistrict of Western Victoria at the and has an interesting history.
intersection of the Henty and Borung Highways,
approximately 350 km NW of Melbourne. Like The Shire of Borung was
many rural communities, the population has gazetted in January 1891 after
declined over the years to around 2300 people. Warracknabeal residents
The town is a service centre for the surrounding petitioned to have the West
cropping and sheep farming areas. Riding of the Shire of St Arnaud
secede to form the new shire. The
Silent films were first screened in the early town became the centre for the
1900s at McCombes Hall/Star Theatre (Scott Borung Shire. It was not until
Street North), built next to the Commercial 1905 that the first Shire offices
Hotel. Another early venue was the (with a small clock tower, but
Temperance/Melba Hall. There was a large without a hall) was built on the
cinema-going public in Warracknabeal, served corner site of Scott and Phillips
by two main venues for film screenings during Streets. However, the moving
the 1920s and 30s. Mr. T. Gardiner had the clays of the Wimmera subsoils
Melba Pictures in the former Temperance Hall soon took their toll on the
from c.1914 until it was destroyed by fire. The foundations.
other cinema was the Dal Monte in Scott St.,
which screened regularly from 1928, first by Mr By 1938, proposals for a new
J. Vasquez, then by Mr. Frank O’Halloran from Shire Hall and offices were being
the mid 1930s. The demise of the Melba Hall canvassed and, in September of
created a shortage of suitable venues for that year, it was formally
community events in the growing shire. renamed the Shire of
Warracknabeal. The current
The Warracknabeal Town Hall is one of the offices were perceived to be of
more architecturally significant buildings of its inadequate size for community
period in country Victoria, and remains virtually events (as well as civic pride) and
unaltered since its construction. It was designed were deteriorating due to

22 CINEMARECORD # 86