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Conclusion: take care of creature
comforts, show interesting films and Projection In The Blood
the surroundings become incidental.
CATHS has a link to the Port
At Koroit (1,800) Cowper Murphy Fairy cinema -member John Brown
also designed the Memorial Theatre has been projectionist there for 16
(which has an upstairs Crying Room). years.
The venue is available for hire as a
cinema or concert venue, indeed any
use, but Koroit is not a holiday town
and by Port Fairy standards the
building languishes.

Halls Gap (200 locals)
The Film Society and hall
committee here has the same get-up-
and-go attitude observed in Port Fairy.
Centenary Hall (1956) is a simple hall
transformed by many upgrades. Events
such as the Grampians Wildflower and The simple formality of the main
Arts Show (October) and the traditional hall, crowned by a barrel-vaulted
Halls Gap Film Festival (November) ceiling, was impressive. Even the
show its importance to a tourist town. removal of the balcony thirty years ago,
Bushfires in summer 2006 meant has not ruined its integrity. A deep
fewer visitors and cancellation of the stage with a sloping floor (common in
film festival that year have left the hall old theatres) has the proscenium
committee and local film society outlined in oak leaves (what better for a Now almost 80, John believes
members undaunted. region so steeped in English tradition?), that he is the oldest active
a motif used in greater detail at projectionist in Australia. He credits
Host David Witham proudly showed
Coleraine. While this shape of his energy to his love of cinema and
recent changes: a stage extension and
proscenium occurs in Northern keeping fit by boxing about three
push button roll-down screen, with
Victoria, oak leaves are never part of it. times a week (he still does 200 skips
some attention to acoustics will please at a time), ballroom dancing once a
patrons when the Film festival resumes Films won’t be making a return, but week and riding his bike, a regimen
in November 2007. the hall is in good hands.
interrupted only for his trips from
Former Rivoli Naracoorte Melbourne to Port Fairy.
In 2006 the future of the cinema
was in doubt. However Moyne Shire
Council and the Film Society came
to the rescue and John keeps the
films rolling. He started at the
Fairfield (Melbourne) when he was
16 and has now been in the industry
for 64 years. John is pictured
alongside the Simplex projector
with RCA sound head.
IN GOOD HANDS How many country cinemas span a Image: The Standard, Warrnambool
Terang ( 2,500) full block, street to street? The former
Terang could be Camperdown’s Rivoli does, its size suggesting a 2,000
twin, without the showy monuments. seater at least. Built as a high stadium
The hall, opened in 1910 and with a and opened in 1935, the capacity was “The Majestic, Flinders Street”. True
balcony added in 1924 once counted actually about 1,000, so the scale was enough, matching seats and carpets
films as an important use. The Terang excessive. It closed in the 1960s and an were a reminder that any big theatre
Rotary Club has taken on the role of arcade of shops was punched through project - such as the 1930s rebuild of
hall guardian. the stalls, the balcony entrance closed the Majestic - would spawn requests
Rotarian and Chair of the Board of off behind a locked door. for similar fabrics and lighting - the
Management Barry Wickham proudly The shops are due for zenith of fashion at the time.
showed off what Rotary nous could do redevelopment, but building owners The Rivoli was involved in an epic
when refurbishing a kitchen; a $90,000 Jeanette and Bill Vine have a more program switch. The Coronation film of
saving on what the Council had been ambitious yearning - to reopen a 1953 was on everyone’s ‘must see’ list.
quoted. Additions over the years have cinema on the site. Refused a print by the Adelaide
distributors, the Rivoli management
made the site a bit rambling. The best The balcony area is a time capsule.
struck a deal with a cinema in Mt
Rotary improvement has been to connect Viewing the orange and buff swirls on
Gambier, one and a half hours away.
the kitchen by ‘tunnel’ to the main hall. the worn carpet one member exclaimed,

CINEMARECORD 2007 9