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FAY’S TWIN CINEMA, TAREE NSW Researched by Gerry Kennedy

aree is situated on the banks of the
TManning River some 300 km north of
Sydney, with a population of about 18,000.
The Howard family has exhibited films in
Taree since 1978. The Howards held a lease
on the Civic Theatre (1021 seats) from 1978-
82. Just prior to the opening season of The
Man From Snowy River in April 1982, the
Civic was destroyed by fire. The Howards did
not run a temporary screen pending the
replacement of the Civic.

The Howard's quickly selected a site in Oxley
Street, at the corner of Milligan Street in
Chatham (a suburb of Taree). This site was
located away from the main commercial area.
Unfortunately, Mrs Fay Howard died the day
after the proposed site was inspected in June.
blue fabric, the carpets are red patterned and The Howard family also run the Great Lakes
Plans were quickly drawn for a new twin the stage curtains are yellow. This cinema is 3-screen cinema in Tuncurry, some 300 km
cinema. The plans were approved in equipped with a 3-D silver screen. Half north-north-east of Sydney.
September 1982 and construction began in chandeliers are used on the walls in each
October 1982. The current manager, Peter cinema. This auditorium also has a stage area, As a further diversification, the Howard
Howard, believes this theatre holds the record which is a somewhat unusual feature for a family also run Independent Cinema
for the fastest built in the Southern modern cinema. This facility is occasionally Advertising and currently have screen
Hemisphere. used for live entertainment. advertising contracts with cinemas in New
South Wales, Queensland and Western
Australia.

The People Behind Fay's Twin Cinema:
Don Howard began his cinema career at the
age of 8 in Taree's Savoy Theatre (978 seats).
By the age of 14, he was acting as an operator.
Don was trained as a TV technician and still
managed to operate a three-screen circuit
including Harrington, Tuncurry and Taree. He
leased his first theatre in Harrington in 1969.

Don's son, Peter, now operates the business.
Since leaving school in 1992, Peter has run all
aspects of the business including booking
films, projectionist, all forms of advertising
and the Independent Cinema Advertising
business.

Cinema 1 The Taree and Tuncurry operations employ
about 22 staff. ✶

The theatre was called Fay's Twin Cinema, Cinema 2 also has natural brick walls, blue
after the late Mrs Howard and opened on carpets and screen curtains. The 176 seats are
26 December 1982 (the seats were still being covered in a red Below: The spacious projection room.
installed on Christmas day). The opening fabric.
films were E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and
Tootsie. The common
projection room is
The cinema has three entrances into the equipped with digital
spacious foyer - one from the Oxley Street projection. Both mutt
frontage and two from the rear theatre car and platter systems
park. The cashier and candy counter are are available for film
located on the left-hand side of the foyer transport. The
(from the front entrance). cinemas are also
equipped with Dolby
Both cinemas back onto the large foyer. The Digital sound
projection room is enormous, as it virtually systems and a closed
has the same dimensions as the foyer. circuit TV system is
used to monitor each
The auditorium of Cinema 1 features natural cinema.
brick walls, the 304 seats are covered in a soft

CINEMARECORD # 95 33