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Hotel, built in 1897, is the third hotel on the Anderson, local miner's son, had his first ballroom, with a small platform serving as a
site, and was designed by Vahland's pupil, employment in theatre. He was a programme stage and bandstand. In 1890, the land
Phillip Kennedy. The first hotel was built on seller at the age of ten. Anderson went on to between the adjacent fire station and the
the site in 1854, and was known as the Royal produce The Squatter's Daughter, On Our existing building was purchased. As a result,
Exchange. Selection, and similar Australian plays, most the western wall was opened up, and a stage
of which were performed in Melbourne's and orchestra pit were added to the existing
Around the same time as he was working on Kings Theatre, of which he was the first hall. The extended facility became known, in
the Masonic Temple, Vahland was also lessee. He also went on to be involved in other turn, as the Masonic, New Britannia and
involved in the designing of the magnificent theatres and to build Wonderland, an early Capital (originally spelt Capitol) Theatre. It
Royal Princess Theatre, almost opposite. amusement park, on the cliffs above Sydney's opened on 4 April 1880, with two 2-act plays,
This was a three level theatre holding an Tamarama Beach. Checkmate and Bardwell v. Pickwick, a
audience of 2,000. Incidentally, the Royal comedy and courtroom drama, respectively. It
Princess is where Bland Holt’s rival as the What is now the Capital was originally continued to be used for plays, concerts and
‘King of Australian Melodrama’, William designed as a flat floored concert hall and dancing, with regular vaudeville shows and
the occasional operetta.
In the late 1920s, a bio box was added,
allowing the Capital to compete with the
Lyric Theatre nearby, itself said to be the
first purpose built cinema in Australia for
picture patrons. The Capital, competing with
the Royal Princess, which was converted to a
two level cinema in 1936, and the up-to-date
Plaza as well as the Lyric, was the poor
relation as a cinema and, by 1952, its major
use was again as a live theatre, and home for
the Bendigo Operatic Society, which later
became the Bendigo Theatre Company. This
group used the theatre until 1977, when it was
closed to the public by order of the Health
Department as a fire risk.
Few were sad to see its passing, as the stage
facilities were primitive, there were 'dead
spots` in the auditorium, and the theatre, being
flat floored, had poor sightlines for stage
shows. In a word, the place was decrepit. The
closing of the theatre caused the Bendigo
Theatre Company and visiting artists to
perform in schools and sports stadiums.

The fact that, by this time, the Royal Princess
had been demolished, and there was no other
suitable performing arts venue in the city,
added to a critical report by the Arts Council
in 1971 of the lack of stage facilities, causing
the community to demand something to be
done about it. By 1974, following similar
comments by the Australia Council, the State
Government offered funding for a performing
arts venue. Several sites, including the Plaza
Theatre, were considered and rejected.
Finally, after much in the way of "maybe -
maybe not", several local councils (but not the

20 CINEMARECORD # 93