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proscenium. The mural on the right side was expensive new screen, and a child in the
of King Neptune, holding a trident, coming audience was firing building staples at the
out of the sea on a chariot. The left hand mural screen. The manager had the film stopped and
was of Apollo riding a chariot drawn by three came out onto the stage. The theatre was
horses and lit by a bronze sunset. These packed full of children who started shouting
murals were reportedly painted by renowned and stamping. The manager announced that
Australian artist, Clifton Pugh. the film would not start again until the child
who was firing the staples confessed.
By contrast with the external “box-like” Eventually, the guilty boy came forward.
appearance, the foyer and snack bar had a Following a stern lecture, he was sent home,
rather spartan, but modern feel, being lit by the film started again and silence reigned
many large circular indirect light fittings. The once more”.
kiosk was large, but had a look of being
inadequately stocked to cater for the demands After the Burwood and Toorak Drive-in
for confectionery of the day. Theatres opened in 1954 and 1956,
Sir Frank Selleck, K.B.E. (1895-1976) respectively, attendance numbers at local
families in the area caused Selleck and The usherettes’ uniforms matched the theatres dropped. The introduction of
Charlston to re-think their original plans to theatre’s interior colour scheme. At first, they television in 1956 compounded the problem,
simply renovate the old hall. As a result, they wore long, fawn evening skirts with light blue and so the Civic Theatre was forced to close
applied to the Government for permission to tops. Later, the uniform changed to long blue on 1 July 1959. It sold for £40,000, ending a
build a 1022 seat theatre. A permit was skirts with short-sleeved boleros and white cinema era in Ashburton.
accordingly granted, but under the condition shirts with balloon
that use of new building materials was sleeves and
minimised. Bricks, roofing, flooring and other raspberry coloured
materials from the old hall were recycled as cummerbunds. The
part of the new building, and cement was men wore dress suits
brought in from other states. with bow ties and
dress shirts.
The Civic Theatre was officially opened on Management was
Saturday 4 December 1948 by Mr. Norman, very strict on staff
MLA. The opening program was Three appearance, and
Daring Daughters, starring Jeanette regular inspections
MacDonald, Jose Iturbi, Jane Powell and Ann took place. One of
Todd. This was accompanied by selected the former
featurettes. usherettes, Barbara
Mockridge (nee
The first Manager at the theatre was Mal Clarke), remembers
Mainon, followed by Colin Hogben then having to climb a
Ralph Blake, who later worked at the Metro long ladder to The foyer and candy bar of almost space-age appearance
Theatre in the city. The new theatre was well change the letters in
ahead of its time in terms of patron comfort. the “Now Showing” signboard above the The late Mel Elliott, a CATHS member,
Dunlopillo seating, air conditioning, Western doors every week. This was made somewhat worked at the Civic for a time as projectionist.
Electric sound, a floating screen and quality difficult because of her long uniform dress. He was involved in selling the Westrex
furnishings were provided. Other features, not projection equipment, screen, seats and lights
often seen in cinemas of the day, included Children’s matinees were especially popular, after the theatre closed. According to Mel, the
stadium seating, a crying room adjacent to the although somewhat rowdy, with usherettes Presbyterian Ladies College purchased the
projection room, pram room and even a having to break up fights and stop the use of theatre’s seats and installed them in the
carpark. chewing gum as handy missiles. At interval, College auditorium.
sweets and Dixie ice creams were sold by
Externally, the new building had a very lollyboys bearing trays. After the Civic was demolished, a Neptune
“rectangular” appearance with straight lines service station was erected on the site. That
and right angles. Curves never featured other One regular patron, Eleanor Newcombe, was replaced by a Shell service station then, in
than on the front doors where the timber reported that one night there was a dreadful 2011, a Coles Express store was built in
framework met the glass. The large square “scandal” at the Civic. Elvis Presley’s conjunction with the service station. ¬
panels were painted a dull pink with a row of Jailhouse Rock was being shown, and a
blue doors with white surrounding walls and number of “bodgies” and “widgies” left their Credits:
parapet. seats during the movie to jive in the aisles. Images: CATHS Archive
Many frowned on this shocking behaviour, Burwood Bulletin
Internally, the theatre’s auditorium was and “wondered what the world was coming Barbara Mockridge
austere but intimate. The carpet was pale blue, to”. Eleanor Newcombe
which must have made cleaning difficult. Mel Elliott (dec).
Seats were of a brown, tweed-like woven Barbara Mockridge, recalled an incident National Archives of Australia
fabric. The upper half of the walls was aqua, which happened during a matinee in the
with painted murals on either side of the 1950s. “The theatre had purchased a large,

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