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Celebrating 100 years
The EMPIRE THEATRE
BOWRAL 1915 - 2015
he Empire Theatre, located in the main cricketer, Don Bradman, leaving on his 1930
Tstreet of Bowral, in the NSW Southern Ashes tour.
Highlands (135 km SW of Sydney), opened in Screening silent movies for the first 15 years
1915 as a two-tiered cinema with 946 seats. In of its life, the Empire saw the introduction of
those days the 'moving pictures' was a very talkies in the 1930s, colour in the 1940s, and
new phenomenon, and that Bowral had an then Cinemascope in the early 1950s.
audience to support such a grand theatre tells
a lot about the vibrancy of the town at the time. The theatre has seen many changes over its
Most of the great “motion picture palaces” of long life. In 1973, with declining audiences,
Australia were only built in the 1920s and 30s. the new owners closed it temporarily and made
extensive alterations. A new 350 seat cinema
The Empire Theatre was an important social was created in the upstairs space of the old
and entertainment hub of the community. On theatre’s dress circle. The theatre stalls were
nights when films weren’t being screened, the removed to accommodate shops and office
wooden collapsible chairs were folded away space fronting Bong Bong Street. A grand
and the floor of the theatre was used as a roller re-opening was held in August 1973, and
skating rink. The theatre was also used for featured the film Young Winston.
other community events, including Bowral
Public School's annual fancy dress pageant and Like many country cinemas, the Empire had
was the venue for a celebrated Conscription its problems. The arrival of colour television
Debate in 1917 with the then South Australian in 1976, together with a lack of good films,
Premier as the proponent. The Empire was caused the Empire Cinema to close for a
also the venue for the civic farewell to period in 1979.
32 CINEMARECORD # 87
