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The Star Picture Theatre
The Star was situated on the corner of Carp
and Auckland Streets in Bega. It was built by
Joseph Phillips out of concrete bricks and was
“something new for Bega”. The Star
originally had an “earthen floor and drums
down the centre to hold fires on cold nights”.
David Cross and W. A Bayley suggest that
the Star opened in 1911.
The Star and Lyric Theatres operated in
Bega at the same time for many years.
Whether both theatres competed with each
other or worked together is an area for further
investigation. However, in 1921, an
advertisement in The Bega Standard shows
both theatres highlighting a film which seems
to indicate that it was featured at both
premises at the same time. The film, described
as a “First National Attraction”, was Lessons
in Love starring Constance Talmadge and the
second feature was Blackmail starring The Star Theatre as a retail shop (Royce Harris 2014).
“Metro’s Sweet Little Star, Viola Dana”.’
fruitful in finding many references to the Star The Star apparently closed in the 1920s. Fifty
Although this advertisement may seem to Picture Theatre and these two years later, Kevin Tetley purchased the Star
show both theatres either “working together” advertisements are the only references found building where he established Easdowns
or advertising together, a further thus far. Perhaps the Star did not advertise Camera Shop. The site of the Star Theatre in
advertisement from The Bega Standard makes regularly (as did the Picture Palace and The Carp Street is now occupied by Country
reference to both establishments being clearly Lyric). Perhaps they used other mediums, Energy.
separate. A “Metro Fine Screen Classic”, such as ‘ballyhoo.’
Love, Honour and Behave, was featured at the During the same period, Ted Grime also toured
the district with itinerant picture shows to
Star Theatre (only) while The Lost City was The original Star premises burnt down and a isolated areas. An advertisement may be found
advertised as “coming soon to the Lyric” brick structure was eventually built as can be in The Bega Standard in 1923, where Grime
(only). My current research has not been seen in the photographs below.
exhibited The Burlesques. What is interesting
in this notice is that the slogan for The
Burlesques claims “Always A Better Show”,
which perhaps suggests some conservative
dissatisfaction towards the movie houses in
Bega, or maybe the slogan was simply
competitiveness. Kevin Tetley recalled Grime
operating a “two man show” at the Candelo
School of Arts, where one person would be
upstairs operating the projector and one man
downstairs selling tickets.

The King’s Theatre
Bega’s Mayor Rosenthall officially opened
V. M Bardsley’s spectacular King’s Theatre
on Wednesday 27 November 1935 and King’s
was later licensed in January 1936. Sydney
architects Kaberry and Chard designed the art
deco structure and construction of the theatre
was undertaken by the Stafford Building
Company. King’s Theatre was built on an old
Above and below: The Star Theatre c. 1920 (courtesy NSW Library)

8 CINEMARECORD # 88