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inaugurated. Westgarth is a small area in the south had studied actuarial work, been connected with
of Northcote, most recognisable for its predomi- various insurance companies for ten years and
nantly Victorian shopping streetscape on High worked for a trustee company prior to becoming an
Street in which the Westgarth Theatre is situated. estate agent.
Westgarth is named after a revered English mer- In 1924 Yeomans was appointed Secretary to
chant, William Westgarth, who derived an enor- the Melbourne Cinema Alliance. Mr George
mous profit from 45 acres of land he had Giffiths, the managing director of Hoyts
acquired in 1845 on the Brunswick side of Merri Proprietary Ltd, was President. The Melbourne
Creek. Cinema Alliance allowed a group of twenty-three
cinemas to buy films in bulk without obligating any
The Westgarth Picture Theatre of its members to screen the acquired product. The
As early as 24 October 1920, the Board of Public cinemas involved in the alliance were as follows:
Health had stipulated its requirements for the new
Westgarth Picture Theatre. The builder was 26 year Hoyts De Luxe Bourke Street New Ivanhoe Theatre
old John Seccull of Barry Street Northcote. His son, Mr Hoyts Gaiety Bourke Street Westgarth Theatre
Malcolm Seccull, recalled that to that date the Westgarth Hoyts Camberwell Star Theatre Preston
Theatre was the biggest building project the Seccull firm had Hoyts Canterbury Ormond Theatre
undertaken. Subsequently, Secculls would become known for Hoyts Elsternwick (later the Renown) Glenhuntly Theatre
building the Royal Melbourne Hospital. Hoyts Essendon Oakleigh Theatre
The local community could take some pride in the emerging Hoyts Richmond New Ascot Vale Theatre
Westgarth Theatre — not only was its creator a local, but Hoyts Albert Park Broadway Theatre Elwood
the project in its entirety was financed locally to the tune of Eclipse Pictures Port Melbourne Sunbury Theatre
£20 000. Directors of the new theatre were S Dennis Waratah Theatre Ascot Vale Glenferrie Theatre
(Chairman), A Shands, W Horan and F Yeomans. Mr E C Solway Theatre Fitzroy Tooronga Theatre (not built)
Yeomans was appointed Secretary and Manager. Sam Dennis Clifton Theatre Clifton Hill
was a well-known Councillor who later became MHR of
Batman (1931-34). Arthur Shands was a local tailor whose In 1924 “Son” Yeomans had a direct association with two
shop at 88 High Street Northcote was situated almost directly of the Alliance cinemas: Westgarth and the Broadway Elwood.
opposite the Westgarth Theatre. Bill Horan would later acquire Of the twenty-three cinemas that formed the Melbourne
an interest in the Vogue Theatre Hawthorn and become lessee Cinema Alliance, it is remarkable that only the Westgarth
of the Glenferrie Cinema. Theatre remains open today. In 1939 Mr Yeomans was elected
It is intriguing to note that no architect was employed in President of the Victorian Independent Exhibitors Association.
building the Westgarth Theatre. M E C ‘Son’ Yeomans told The site of the new Westgarth Theatre measured 70 x 150
Everyones in 1924 that another director and himself had feet. The imposing facade is representative of a post World
supervised the whole project without the services of an archi- War 1 eclectic Free Classical architectural style, based on a
tect. According to Mr Yeomans, the project cost £30 000, not Renaissance Palazzo with three distinctive horizontal sections
£20 000 as reported by the Northcote Leader in 1921. In fair- — a street level base, the main central section and a parapet.
ness to the Leader, it may well have relied on the theatre man- The central part of the facade features arched, leadlight win-
agement’s own best estimate at the time. Westgarth Theatre dows above square windows. Flanking these are upper and
employee of the 1920s, Mr Jack Nicholls, believes the cost lower windows with a large, decorative section between them.
was £27 000. A small, rendered balconette with recesses formed to repre-
The Yeomans family name will be familiar to those con- sent balustrades has been placed at the base of each lower win-
versant with the history of theatres such as The
Grand Footscray and The Sun Yarraville which
were operated by Yeomans. By the late 1930s,
the family had shares in The Vogue Hawthorn,
The Cambden Caulfield, The Broadway
Elwood and the Glenferrie cinema. The Plaza
Chelsea also came under the Yeomans banner.
Eric Charles Yeomans had been a land and
estate agent at the nearby 70 High Street
Northcote prior to the opening of the Westgarth
Theatre. Born at Northcote in 1883. Yeomans

Above and left:
The entrance foyer of the Westgarth
theatre abounds with fine architectural
detail: leadlight ceiling lighting,
geometric decorative plaster work – some
incorporating small sections of coloured
backlit glass, and a staircase with
distinctive pillars and iron balustrading.
Photos: Adrian Maiolla.

CINEMARECORD Autumn 2001 11