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A Cross-over of Personal Passions - By Roderick B. Smith, Rail News Victoria - Editor

o most people, the image of a In Rockhampton, I was able to
Trailway enthusiast is a ‘train spotter’, locate the façade of the grand 1930s
standing by the track or on a platform Wintergarden (its auditorium now
trying to photograph every locomotive sadly demolished). Also the former
passing by (and for decades, that meant Earls Court which became a modern
only steam locos - diesels were simply triple in the 70s but is now a church.
ignored)! I didn't chase its megaplex successor!
There are many railway enthusiasts Yeppoon is a coastal town, about
who also share the cinema hobby, for 60 km from Rockhampton. For years
multiple reasons. Both are technical On a larger scale, one tour organiser there was a train service to take
hobbies, and there is a fascination for took a busload of passengers to the Yeppoon people to Rockhampton for
how things work (locomotives and local Drive-In, parked the bus sideways work/shopping, and the reverse at
projectors). Both had a golden era, a and put speakers in the windows! weekends to take Rockhampton folk to
decline in the 1950s, and are now Since joining CATHS, I have made the beach. Today, Yepoon is a mixture
making a comeback as the planning a point of photographing open or former of retirement village, dormitory town
policies of the 1950s become debunked. cinemas whenever my travels take me and holiday resort. Hence, like the UK
Both feature countless examples of to remote locations, often places where resort towns, it has had more cinemas
grand architecture of various eras. members would be unlikely to go. than its population would normally
I follow a branch of the hobby Rockhampton (Qld) is hardly warrant. Here I was able to photograph
which wants to explore tracks simply remote or uncivilised, but was the one surviving theatre building - the old
because they are there, and that has starting point for a special tour over Regent which is now a bed shop.
taken me (and many others) to Christmas 2009 - New Year. Over three May further travels unearth many more!
countless out of the way places where days a preserved vintage railmotor
general tourists wouldn't go. Often that conveyed our group to Bowen, inland
would involve staying overnight in a to Collinsville and also over three coal
minor country town, and what better railways in the area. These trips have to
way to fill the evening than attend the run at a time when the pace of mining
local cinema? slows in order to gain access. At other
On one occasion, I filled the times the tracks would be too busy.
evening in at Ouyen (Vic). Between I took the opportunity to photograph
arriving on a steam-hauled goods train for three other hobbies: ferries (Rosslyn
from Pinnaroo and leaving for Bay to Great Keppel Island, another
Melbourne on the overnight passenger technical hobby), pubs (open and Top: Rockhampton's former Earls
train, I attended a screening at Nulty’s closed, another architectural hobby) Court/BCC Cinemas as a church.
Roxy (since closed but now restored). and of course, cinemas. Above: Yepoon's Regent is a bed shop.
On another occasion I attended a large Below: The orphaned foyer block of
but plain cinema in Cunnamulla (S.W. Rockhampton's Wintergarden Theatre.
Qld). I was the only patron. A circus
was in town, and all locals deserted
their familiar cinema for the unfamiliar
travelling show.
Cinemas in rural Queensland
survived long after the losses in other
states as the towns didn’t have
television reception for many years.
On other layover nights, I have
attended screenings in Esperance (WA),
Whyalla (SA), Devonport (Tas),
Cochrane (Canada), Aigle
(Switzerland) and New Delhi (India) -
my first authentic Bollywood!

CINEMARECORD 2010 19