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TASMANIA’S CINEMA ONES by Earl Martell

n the 1970s, Tasmania had four single
Iscreen picture theatres called ‘Cinema
One’, but no cinema twos, threes or fours, at
least not until the West End Twin opened in
Hobart in 1976 with its Cinemas One and
Two, but that’s another story. The Cinema
Ones were situated in Burnie, Devonport,
Launceston and Hobart.
Surprisingly, Cinema One in Burnie was the
largest. It was the former Star Theatre at
67 Mount Street, built in 1958 (not too many
picture theatres built in that year - obviously
they hadn’t heard about television and its
effect on cinema attendances!) to replace the
1936 built, Vogue Theatre in nearby Marine
Terrace. The Star had two levels and a
capacity of 900. When it was taken over by
Tasmanian Drive-in Theatres (the Tasmanian
arm of Village Theatres) in the 1970s and
renamed Cinema One, it was refurbished and
the number of seats reduced to 703. It closed Cinema One Burnie, the former Star Theatre
with a final screening on 5 December 2000
and was converted into a bar and night club. for retail and office space and has been up for of the Richardson’s building at 86 Murray St.
Nowadays, the building is called ‘The sale several times. It opened on 28 July 1955, showing newsreels
Cinema’ and hosts live music acts with a and cartoons during the day (11:00am to
capacity for one thousand patrons. The 300 seat Cinema One in St. John Street, 8:00pm) and art house films in the evenings.
Launceston, opened as the Tatler Newsreel It was operated by the local firm, Murray-
Cinema One in Devonport was the next Theatrette on 7 May 1958. It was equipped to Collins (which went into partnership with
biggest. It was also formerly known as the show 35 mm, CinemaScope, VistaVision and Tasmanian Amusements in 1958). In the 1960
Star Theatre, located at 9 Stewart Street with 16 mm films and was part of the Tasmanian Hobart floods, the lower ground floor of the
two levels, opening on 16 September 1937 Amusement’s chain (which also had the Plaza Richardson’s building was flooded, with
and seating 850. When Village took over in Launceston and Avalon Hobart). With the water levels up to a metre from the ceiling of
the 1970s and changed the name to Cinema introduction of television in Tasmania, the Tatler. The next day, the water was
One, it was converted to a single level, audiences for newsreels fell off sharply and, pumped out and restorations undertaken. With
stadium style theatre with seating for 600 in 1962, Tasmanian Amusements applied to Tasmanian Amusements selling out to Village
(later reduced to 498). During the 1970s, like have the Tatler show full length feature films. in 1972, the Tatler was renamed Cinema
its Burnie namesake, it only opened on Friday The other theatre operators objected (mainly One and operated alongside the Avalon until
and Saturday nights. It continued on until Hoyts and Greater Union) and it took four the West End Twin opened in 1976 and the
2000 when the C-Max cinema complex applications and the closure of the Plaza Avalon was closed. Cinema One was finally
opened nearby and took away local patronage. before the Tatler was authorized to screen closed in 1995, when the West End was
This was despite Village telling staff that feature films in 1966. In 1970, Tasmanian converted into a seven screen multiplex. The
Cinema One would continue on as a single Drive-in Theatres (Village) took over the theatre lay dormant for nearly 20 years before
screen theatre, just weeks before the C-Max Tatler, refurbished it and renamed it Cinema being rediscovered and a number of one off
complex opened! The building has been One, the opening film being Paint Your
gutted as a picture theatre, is currently used Wagon. Tasmanian Drive-in Theatres
(Village) finally bought
The Star Theatre Devonport out Tasmanian
Amusements in 1972.
From 1970 to 1981, it was
the only hard top cinema
operating in Launceston,
although the former Hoyts
Princess Theatre did
show the occasional film.
Cinema One closed on
1 August 1981 with the
opening of Launceston’s
Village Twin complex.
The theatre was gutted and
is now a retail outlet in
what is known as the
“Tatler Arcade”.
Hobart’s 256 seat Cinema
One also started out as a
Tatler newsreel theatrette
in the lower ground floor

6 CINEMARECORD # 95