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85. Country Movie Mogul- Frank O'HaJloran by Gerry Kennedy

From recollection'> of Mary Livingston. family friend and former employee of Frank O'Halloran & o· Halloran Theatres.
The Way It Was

Film e.xhibition in country Victoria. up to the 1970's. wa~ general!) a family alTair. The exhibitOrs mainly operated one or
t\\O <,creen-. a-. sole proprietors or in partnerships or small private companiel>. Wherea~ Mclboume Cit) and suburban
exhibition was largely dominated by large chains or alliances -;uch a., Hoyt~. At that time the innucnce of chains in Country
Victoria was minimal outside the provincial centres of Gee long. Ballarat and the Mildura I Sunray..,ia area.
In the other eastern \tate ... and South Australia the chain operator\ \lU.:h as lloyt-.. Greater Union. and Birch. CmToll &
Coyle were ;,igniticant exhibitor!> in country area:-. Today major chain;, operate the majority of country \creen!> either
diret.:tly or in partnership with local exhibitor~. In Victoria most of the major wuntry screen~ arc operated by or in association
with Village Themre:-..

Up until the 196()'<; there were ~cveral family owned circuit~ operating in Victorian country areas: particularly in remote
part-; of the ~tate. These circuits were a combination or 16 and 35mm operation:- utilising both permanent and portable
projection facilities. Some circuit!-. were based on significant theatre~-> whibt mher btt!-.ine~ses operated from office environ-
ments.

The Frank O'Halloran Story and O'Halloran Theatres

P.F. (Fran!..) O'llalloran was born on 14 December 1905 and li,ed hi'> earl)' life in Balranald insouth we~tern Ne\\ South
Wale,. He wa-. the eldc!-.1 of :-.ix bo)" and one girl. He was educated at As!-.umption College ( Kilmore. Vicwria) and pro\'ed
to be talented piani"t. for a time hm ing hi" own dance band \\.hich wa" in popular demand in the Balranald area.

Following the death of hi ... father when Frank" a ... about 19 year" old. he returned to the Balranald area\\ here he undertook
the running of the home property "Rm.alind Park". Together \\ith a friend "ho O\\ned a drapery store in Balranald Cli,·e
La). and in conjunction \\ ith an agent. PerC) Holland. the) went into ..,heep dealing. purcha..,ing sheep all O\'er Ne\\ South
Wale:. and wal\..ing them \Out h. If there was a major fall of rain the '>old the \heep at a good profit.

Fran!.. O'Halloran wa:-. keenly interested in the
movies and around 1935 he decided to take a risl..
and get into the movie business. In 1932/33 he
had opened an electric appliance ~hop which wa~
known a~ the Balranald Radio Company. He ran
this business for some years and during thi~ time
he hired tlw Theatre Royal (450 seat!> (2)) in
This project proved very successful. He next took
a big gamble and cro,,cd the border tothe pros
perou~ Murray River town of Swan Hill where he
lea'ied the modern Town Hall (built in 1935). This
large venue ... eatcd 1200 (2) and became the cen
tre of hi\ operation!> in c.l93S/9.

From the<,e beginnings o· Halloran Theatre!> ex
panded to include locations in Deniliqum (NSW).
the Murray Ri,er area towns of Nyah West.
into the wheat belt town!> of Warracknabeal.
Dimboola and hill and later in partnership with
his old friend. Clive Lay. he purchac:;ed the Para
mount Theatre in Maryborough (in central Vic
toria). This was a ~eparate enterprise to his Re
gent Theatre circuit. Small Drive In theatres were
later built at Beverford (west of Swan Hill). and
Kevin (left) and Frank O'Halloran Kerang. At its peak O'H alloran Theatres control
led 13 screens in II locations spread across hun
Phow: Courte.~y of Mary Li11ings10n dreds of kilometres of Victoria and southern New
South Wales.

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