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THE ROXY THEATRE Completion: Editorial Team
LEETON, NSW
Research: Gerry Kennedy

he town of Leeton (Pop. 6700) is located The Murrumbidgee Irrigator reported the in the gameness he had displayed in erecting
Tin the mid-west of New South Wales, event as: such a costly theatre and installing the very
around 550 km west-south-west of Sydney, in best in talkie equipment.”
the Riverina region, one of the most productive “Over 1000 people were thrilled with
farming regions in the state, with citrus, rice, wonderment as they entered Leeton’s new Mr. Conson had installed new and up-to-date
grapes and wheat farms found throughout the entertainment house, the Roxy Theatre for the Western Electric sound and projection
Leeton Shire. Leeton is Australia’s rice capital, first time last night. All desired to congratulate equipment to match the high standard of the
as it is home to the SunRice Company Mr. George Conson most heartily for his building. The new equipment alone costing
headquarters. Other industries in the area enterprise and one and all wished him success £5,000.
include Freedom Foods, Berri Juices, Riverina
Beef and Murrumbidgee Irrigation.
The town had been served by a number of early
theatres, notably the Globe in Kurrajong
Avenue from 1914 and the Gaiety in Belah
Street from 1925.

In 1929, Mr George Conson, Riverina theatre
entrepreneur, engaged the services of the
respected Sydney architectural firm of Kaberry
and Chard to design a large new theatre on a
prominent, unoccupied site at the corner of
Pine and Wade Avenues. Construction was
carried out by local builder William H. (Bill)
Jones. The cost of the construction was in the
vicinity of £18,000.

The Roxy was built at a time of growth for
Leeton, just after the area was incorporated as
a shire.

The Roxy opened on 7 April 1930, with the
1929 talkie The Black Watch.

24 CINEMARECORD # 96