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by Richard Twentyman

ne of Victoria’s main provincial cities is
OBallarat, located some 100 km west-
north-west of Melbourne on the Western
Highway. Just after Victoria was granted
separation from New South Wales, the
Victorian gold rush transformed Ballarat from
a small sheep station to a major settlement.
Gold was discovered in 1851 and, within
months, 20,000 migrants had rushed the
district. Proclaimed a city in 1871, Ballarat
has continued to grow, now having a
population of almost 100,000.

Over the years, Ballarat has been well served
by live theatres and cinemas, perhaps the
grandest of which would be the Regent,
located in Lydiard Street North.

Regent Theatre c 1942. Poster at front is advertising “The Pride of the Yankees”
The Victorian Heritage Register in 2009 framed glass doors and segmented arch
stated: “The rendered front façade is windows of frosted glass panels, featuring the
symmetrical, with a central pilastered section Regent name. Similar verandahs were used at
set between rusticated end bays. Five large the Regent Theatre, Melbourne (1929), and
rectangular paned windows, with central the Regent Theatre, South Yarra (1927, since
arched head motif, are contained between demolished). Much of the original foyer
Ionic pilasters in the central bay. An decoration survives, however sections of the
entablature includes a frieze with roundels interior were upgraded and modernised after
and a deep dentilated cornice. A simple the fire of 1943. At this time the main staircase
parapet above is stepped and conceals the was realigned and the orchestra pit was
bulk of the auditorium behind. At street level removed. Further internal alterations were
a cantilevered verandah, with central made in 1960 and the theatre closed to the
segmental arch, covers the entrance of timber public in 1970.

Original 1928 proscenium (Image: Les Tod)

In 1927, Ballarat Theatre Limited,
(a subsidiary of Hoyts Theatres Limited),
engaged Melbourne architects Arthur W.
Purnell and Cedric H. Ballantyne, (the latter
being responsible for design of the Regent
Collins Street, Melbourne in 1929), to design
a new picture palace. The Free Classical style
formed the basis of design. The new theatre
opened on 7 April 1928 and, at the time, was
the largest picture palace built in rural
Victoria, seating 2000 patrons. The opening
film was The Magic Flame.
The Regent was the venue for the public
commemoration service each Anzac Day.
Boer War and World War I returned
servicemen and nurses would march down
Sturt and Lydiard Streets to attend services
held in the theatre’s auditorium, presided over
by the City’s Mayor. The auditorium as rebuilt after the 1943 fire. Note the fretwork on either side of the proscenium.
This was saved and reused in the 1974 refurbishment (see colour photograph later in this article).

18 CINEMARECORD # 88