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THE THEATRES OF QUEENSCLIFF, VIC.

by Ron Hodgetts, Richard Twentyman and Ian Smith

he historic township of Queenscliff is
Tlocated at the tip of the Bellarine
Peninsula, some 58 km south-south-west of
Melbourne (as the crow flies), on the western
side of “The Heads” which form the entrance
from Bass Strait into Port Philip Bay. First
gazetted on 12 May 1862, this seaside village
has a wealth of history and was once a strategic
defence post in around 1880, thought to be the
most heavily armed fort in the southern
hemisphere. The old Fort Queenscliff still
stands, and hosts regular tours.
Queenscliff is a closely knit community, and it
has been said that one does not become a local
until they have resided there for at least 20 years.
For a holiday resort favoured by Melbourne’s
smart-set, it is surprising that the ‘Queen of
Watering Places’ never had a purpose-built
cinema, but two halls served well enough.
Queenscliffe Borough Council Chambers and Town Hall in 2017
Over the years, Queenscliff has been home to In December 1870, Foresters’ Hall was opened lectures, Salvation Army meetings, dancing
two buildings used for public film screenings at 48A Learmonth Street. It was a gabled tuition classes, theatrical performances, town
– Foresters’ Hall (later to become Town Hall building with a centrally positioned portico socials, dinners, fairs as well as regular
Pictures and then the Civic) and the Hall by entrance. Behind this was the main hall. As the meetings of the Foresters’ Court and local
the Sea, (later to become the Grand). only hall in Queenscliff, it was also used as a Council meetings.
courthouse and as the Queenscliffe Borough
Foresters’ Hall Council Chambers, the first meeting of which
took place in February 1871. The Council
In 1865, the Queenscliff chapter of the leased the Assembly Rooms, the hall and one
Foresters’ Court, a benevolent society, held other room for £25 per year.
their meetings at George Watmough’s Hotel in
Hesse Street. In the 1880’s, during the gold boom, the town
underwent a tremendous growth in building and
At a meeting in January 1870, the Foresters’ population. As a result, the original Foresters’
resolved to build a meeting and entertainment Hall became inadequate to meet the township’s
place for the whole town, free of the stigma of needs. Tenders were called for a new hall in
hotels. Dr. D.J. Williams chaired that meeting, December 1888 by William Stephen, the
but it was Charles C. Simpson who chaired successful builder being a Mr. McWilliams.
another meeting a week later, in which the plans However, for some unknown reason, it was
for the new building proposed by Geelong William Golightly who completed the work in
Architect, a Mr. Watts, were adopted. time for its opening in October 1890. It enjoyed
steady usage, with the Queenscliff Sentinel
newspaper reporting on balls, concerts,
Below: Forester’s Hall c. 1890

The original hall at the rear was virtually
encased by a much larger, face brick building,
which retained the original portico entrance.
The new hall had a stage, gas fittings and a
specially constructed floor. The Borough of
Queenscliffe Council leased the new hall in
1899, eventually purchasing the building
outright in the 1920s.
Foresters’ Hall was first used for film
screening in 1912, when a Mr. Dodger
exhibited film under the name of The Dodger
Film Show.

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