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ticket box/candy counter and Manager’s office flicker, so essential to persons who have weak By 1935, it was being used for other
were also included in this spacious area. The sight. With an eye to the comfort of patrons, entertainments, but not for film screening. In
original ticket boxes (now unused) are still to Mr. Sinclair has attached to the building, at 1936, it underwent further renovation when the
be found behind poster cases. The façade and the left hand side of the vestibule, a ladies' raked floor was levelled for dancing, and was
frontage still remain in their 1950's style, cloak room, where, beside is ample room for known locally as “Strand Dance Palais”. In
despite the colour treatment. prams to be left during the performance. The 1937, a new screen was installed and the
vestibule, which is carried out in Wunderlich theatre became an overflow house for Western
All the cinemas were steeply raked and steel effect, is large enough to permit of an Cinemas’ two other venues (the Australia and
stepped. Cinema 1 (the original balcony area innovation to Orange, viz., the establishment the Coronet). By 1954, it was being used for
and intimate 1970’s cinema) seated 180, of an orchestra, which will perform there films on Saturday nights only. In 1956, the
Cinema 2 occupied most of the original stalls nightly from 7.30 till 8 o'clock. Comfortable theatre was upgraded for CinemaScope but, as
area. Cinemas 3 and 4 seated 117 and 120, seating accommodation for 1000 people has a result of television, the Strand eventually
respectively, were double decked at right been provided for, and on the opening night closed in 1966. Since then, the building has
angles to the original auditorium and were there will be screened a programme of all-star been used as a skating rink, furniture storage
mainly located within the former stage and fly pictures, which the proprietor has spared no and a showroom in the 1980s. The exterior is
tower area. Cinema 1 retained access to the expense to procure. Another innovation to heritage listed, but the interior was totally
upstairs foyer space which, by then, was used Orange will be the inauguration of Saturday demolished in 2005, with the exception of the
as a function area. Remnants of the 1950's afternoon matinees. This has been decided on proscenium.
acoustic tile and plaster ceiling can still be seen with a view to allowing the children to see the
in Cinemas 1 and 2. pictures without robbing them of their night's The Theatre Orange
rest. Specially reduced prices will be charged
The cinemas were equipped with film at matinees so as to bring the performances The Theatre Orange was built at
projection, sound system (provided by within the reach of all. There is one thing that 137-139 Summer Street with an Edwardian
Associated Sound, Newcastle), Pennywise Mr. Sinclair especially prides himself on, and style facade and opened as an independent
automation and three deck platter. All theatres that is that every article in the new Star theatre house under a Mr. E. D. Paslow until 1930,
were equipped for DTS and Dolby sound. A is the outcome of workmen whose countries when it was acquired by Western Theatres, a
DVD projector was also available for use in are at war with Germany. The whole of the subsidiary of the Snider and Dean circuit. The
any auditorium. alterations have been carried out by theatre was substantially refurbished for talkies,
Mr. B. Tillett and his staff of tradesmen, and and the façade was altered to incorporate an
All four cinemas had the same vertical we can with every confidence say that an external bio box above the awning, thereby
alternative fabric panels in beige and maroon agreeable surprise awaits the public of Orange increasing the seating capacity of the dress
with blue seating and carpets. on the opening night. The whole of the circle. The total seating capacity was 1108, with
mechanical effects will be in the hands of 720 in the stalls and 388 in the dress circle.
The company purchased the property next door Mr. Hives.”
in 2005, and a fifth screen was constructed at By 1954, it was screening most nights of the
the rear of that property, linked to the main The Strand Theatre week. In 1955, it was again remodelled for the
building by means of a covered laneway installation of CinemaScope in a new
between the buildings. The exterior remained In 1918, the Strand Theatre was originally proscenium. At the same time, the building
virtually unchanged. built at the corner of Summer and Peisley received a new tiled frontage, and was
Streets by the Roberts family in the days of renamed the Coronet. Daddy Longlegs was
Dwindling patronage saw the Australia close silent pictures. It originally operated as an the first CinemaScope film screened at the
in 2009. Approval was given to the independent cinema until 1928, when it was Coronet.
Evangelical Church to renovate the former revamped as “Palais de Dance”. In 1930,
Australia building in 2014. Western Cinemas, a subsidiary of the Snider In the 1970s, the theatre was sub-leased to
and Dean circuit, purchased the theatre and Village Cinemas until 1984. By 1990, it had
The Star Cinema demolished the orchestra shell to make been converted to a nightclub, and now houses
provision for talkies. retail and office space.
There is a record of a Star Cinema operating Strand Theatre, 2013 (Image: Mike Trickett)
in Lords Place, opening in 1916.
However, information about this venue
is sparse, and even its closing date is
unknown. The site is presently occupied
by two residences.

The following announcement of the
opening of the new Star Cinema
appeared in Orange’s Leader
Newspaper on Monday 21 February
1916:-

“On Wednesday week, March 1st, the
doors of the new Star Picture Theatre in
Lord's Place will be thrown open to the
public of Orange. The proprietor,
Mr. Sinclair, has spared neither pains
nor expense to bring the theatre into
line with the most modern of
metropolitan picture palaces, and has
installed machinery of the very latest
pattern. There is nothing later in the
world of cinema mechanics than the
operating machine which will be used,
it being the latest 1910 model, and
capable of throwing, a picture of intense
brilliancy, with a total absence of

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