Page 26 - CR-92

by Royce Harris

hile we love to see picture theatres advertisements for the Footscray Barkly
Wfrom the golden era, like the Astor in development.
St Kilda, still screening daily in their original
form, or even converted to multiple screens in It is something of a miracle that any of the
their historic buildings, such as the Sun in Barkly is still standing. The theatre screened
Yarraville, it takes a very brave exhibitor to its last movie in 1962, then the freehold was
make a success of such an operation. sold by Hoyts. It spent 15 years as a cabaret
and reception centre, then a further 12 years as
Melbourne's picture palaces of the 1920s and a bingo hall. By 1989, the building had
1930s were built in a time before the average deteriorated considerably due to lack of
family owned a car and were therefore near maintenance and upkeep.
railway stations and tram lines. These are the

Barkly Theatre, Footscray

locations that are now much sought after by The last tenant described it as "decaying by developer who hoped to restore the ground
property developers. neglect." It was then closed and boarded up. floor theatre and add apartments to the rear.
In 1990, a storm brought down the rear wall
It is great to see that some of the theatres of the and fly tower. A fire in 1995 caused further Dealing with Council and Heritage
past remain in their original external form and damage. requirements proved too onerous, and the
still contribute to their suburban streetscapes. derelict building was again sold in 2000 to
There are many people who now enjoy living The 1914 building is among the earliest another development consortium. They had
in a building with such history and creative purpose built cinemas and has been described approval to build 30 apartments and most of
developers have converted many of these for as having the oldest surviving cinema exterior them had been sold off the plan by 2002. This
21 Century use. in the nation. It was added to the Victorian project then foundered as they were unable to
st
Heritage Register in 1991. find a principal tenant for the theatre space,
The building's past history is often used by which was a major requirement of the
imaginative real estate agents as a major It had become a haunt for drug addicts and building permit.
selling point for these apartments, as in the squatters by 1998, when it was next sold to a

26 CINEMARECORD # 92