Page 36 - CinemaRecord #87

By Brian Hunt

The Palace Theatre in 1919, showing the adjoining vacant land used for outdoor screenings (screen visible at left) (Image: State Library of Queensland)

airns is the capital of Far North year after construction. Management of the had a concrete facade, trusses, steel
CQueensland. It is a popular tourist theatre changed within a few months and it framework and galvanised iron walls with
destination for those who wish to discover the was renamed as the Royal Pictures. The timber lattice applied to the upper half of the
Great Barrier Reef and tropical rainforests. theatre was renovated and renamed Palace side walls, beneath a curved ceiling.
Theatre in 1913. The original Lyric Theatre
Over the years there have been two picture building on Spence Street became the Austral In 1919, all schools, churches and theatres
theatres bearing the name Palace Theatre in Theatre, but was destroyed by fire in 1923. were closed by the Council due to an influenza
Cairns. The first one in Spence Street only epidemic. Palace overcame this by moving to
held the name for a short period (1913-1914) The second Palace Theatre, designed by the vacant allotment next door, and operating
and was re-named following the building of a architect Harvey Draper, was built in Lake an open-air theatre. A screen was hung from
new theatre bearing the same name in Lake Street opposite Hides Hotel and opened on the wall of the adjacent building and the
Street. This second Palace Theatre would be 21 December 1914. This new theatre was allotment was enclosed with hessian walls.
more widely known as it operated under the operated by Palace Pictures Ltd. The theatre Palace advertised in the local paper “We still
same name until 1966.
Palace Theatre in mid 1930s, showing addition of gold domes to the facade
The first purpose-
built picture theatre in Cairns
was the Lyric Theatre on
Spence Street (between Lake
and Grafton Streets). It
was designed by the Cairns
architect E. Gregory Waters
and opened in 1912. In
January 1912, the Cairns
Post described it as a facility
worthy of the town of
Cairns, with modern
vestibule and furnishings. Its
specific addressing of the
tropical conditions, with the
installation of at least six
fans, was noted. In addition
to showing film, this theatre
was the venue for various
concerts, circus
performances and even
sporting events in the first

36 CINEMARECORD # 87