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‘Kew’s Dainty

Theatre

by Gerry Kennedy

The Melbourne suburb of Kew was
proclaimed a city in 1920, one year
before the opening of the Rialto.
Many street names in Kew honour
English sensibilities; Byron, Coleridge,
Scott, and Shakespeare in literature;
Disraeli, Walpole and Gladstone in
politics, are some of them.
And as if these names were proof of
the congeniality of the suburb for civic-
minded men, two Prime Ministers - W.
M. (Billy) Hughes and Sir Robert
Menzies - made Kew their home. A
third PM, Gough Whitlam was born
there. Of the three, R.G. Menzies was
known to enjoy an occasional night at
the Rialto.
For every mansion hugging the
slopes above the winding Yarra River,
a mood to put the War, its pain and
for every famous private school, it was
austerities behind the nation. Theatres
the citizens in the simpler homes, with
which opened that year included the
no views of the river, for whom the
Victory, St Kilda, Our Theatre (later
theatre was primarily intended.
Broadway) Camberwell, Rivoli
The Rialto was the brainchild of a
Camberwell, Crystal Palace Caulfield
syndicate of business identities who
and the New Malvern.
issued a prospectus to court potential
In this company the Rialto was of
investors. The initial directors of the
fair average quality, both in size and
Rialto Theatre Company Limited were
appearance. Table Talk called it
John A. Farquarson, of Victoria Street
‘commodious’. Advertisements labelled
North Richmond, who listed his
it Kew’s Dainty Theatre.
occupation as lessee and manager of
Externally it bore a passing
the Crown theatre Richmond; George
resemblance to the New Malvern, with
Cardigan Cox, of Bourke Street
a central awning at the second-storey
Melbourne, occupation Manufacturer
level. This was only decorative; it did
and Francis Rout, Gentleman, of Kew.
not shield the upper windows from the
James Griffin’s 2004 biography of
summer sun.
John Wren raises the possibility that
Wren, the most controversial business The Herald 31 Aug. 1921 The Rialto Theatre Co. Ltd. chose
figure of old Melbourne, was one of the Messrs. Purchas and Teague of
investors in the Rialto. number 48) had been passing the site Chancery Lane, Melbourne as their
According to Griffin, Wren was since 1915. One hundred metres south, architects. This firm is not known for
definitely one backer of the Cinema what is now the Box Hill tram, was a other theatre work, but the directors
Richmond and it seems likely that he second important route to the theatre. confidently asserted that ‘Mr. Teague
was connected to the Rialto and a Further south again was the Kew has made a special study of picture
theatre and dance palais in Glenferrie. station, the end of a spur line from theatre construction on the Continent.’
Local readers will recognise that these Hawthorn station, which was electrified This may have been an allusion to
theatres were not far from Wren’s in 1922. the fact that the Rialto auditorium was
homebase in Kew. In later years, thanks to its position to be a little different to the standard
The Rialto was a modest on the hill, the Hoyts neon was the one balcony design. It was possibly the first
achievement for a suburb of civic pride prominent sign along the street. ‘high stadium’ design seen in
and aspirations. Set amongst the shops 1921 was a big year for suburban Melbourne, in which the stalls seating
on High Street, electric trams (now cinema construction, the pace fueled by did not extend past the front edge of the
dress circle.
12 2007 CINEMARECORD