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of "selected shorts ·• courtesy of Peter Wolfenden and hope-
fu lly a good night's rest after a busy day in the clean coun-
try air.

Sunday morning saw us arrive at the Bendigo Cinemas
Complex before sessions commenced, courtesy of manager.
Mr. Ron Bolitho: Located at 107 Queen Street. it is on the
border of the city and the suburbs where car parking is eas.ier.
ll was originally built as the Golden Twin and has been
expanded to seven screens by absorbing adjoining properties.
Linked to Village Cinemas as a joint venture. the fittings
and equipment are current state-of-the art throughout and
equal to any city installation. Complete computerisation
calculates everything down to the last bag of sweets, so
different to the old manager-operator ventures where the Lyric Theatre - Bendigo
lolly money helped balance the short-collection at the box-
office! A most impressive country enterprise. Around the corner to the former Plaza Theatre. last of
Bendigo's city theatres to close in the 1970's. The Royal
Princess. a stage and screen venue was lost to demolishers
soon after television commenced about 1960.

The Plaza, opened in 1934 with it's striking Spanish decor.
must have been an impressive sight. The dress circle area is
now used as a Lifestyle gymnasium known as the Bath Lane
Health Club. The proprietors are proud of the building's
heritage and the remaining Spanish-style wall panels. upper
proscenium and ceiling decorations have been repainted in
attractive colours.

Capital Theatre - Bendigo

Continuing back across the city. we assembled at the
Bendigo Regional Arts Centre which contains the splendid
Capital Theatre. Passing through massive columns which
flank the entrance. this imposing building was originally
const1ucred for the Masonic Lodge. Our expert guide, Ms.
Kris Williams first showed us two beautifully restored rooms.
•ne suitable for small concerts &/or lectures and one for
weddings and functions. The Capital Theatre had fallen on
hard times and seemed mostly closed and unusable in the
seventies. Having presented almost everything including Plaza Theatre - Bendigo
silent films over the years. restoration as now replaced the
original fiat floor with stadium seating and excellent sight- We concluded our tour at Bendigo's newest cinema. Fred
lines. The magnificent plaster work on the walls and ceiling Page's Crest, where a tasty barbecue lunch was waiting to
is a tribute to the craftsmen's art of the nineteenth century, be cooked in the bright sunshine. Fred presented two film
now re-painted and lit with modern lighting. All available sessions (due to the crowds!) and Ingrid Asche and Wally
space behind the proscenium has been utilised for the stage Perkins led the community singing. Fred also provided
and new dressing rooms below, however the size of the stage invaluable assistance in co-ordinating the various venues
limits the scale of the shows that can be presented. Plans around Bendigo.
are afoot for a new. larger theatre to be built immediately
behlnd the Capital, in the future. All in all, a visit to remem- Our presentation plaques, expertly produced by Martin
ber. Powell, were given out by President Gerry Kennedy to
Daylesford Town Hall, Casrlemaine Royal. Eaglehawk Star,
A walk down View Street and past the fountain brought us Bendigo Cinema, Bendigo Regional Arts Centre and the
to the former Lyric Theatre. which dates from 1913. Closed Bendigo Crest, concluding a most enjoyable weekend had
in the 1960's and destroyed by vandals and a fire, the build- by all.
ing now contains commercial premises but the Lyric name
remains proudly at the top of the facade. photos: Peter 0 'Reilly

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