Page 9 - CR

The Roxy Theatre was built by Peters
and Co because the Finkernagel
Theatre, on which Peters and Co's
cafe depended for part of its business,
was failing to compete with Peacocke's
old Regent Theatre. However, Victor
Peacocke was determined to build a
New Regent and open its doors ahead
of the Roxy and he completed it in just
four and a half months between February
and the end of June 1935. Peters and Co
took 16 months to complete the Roxy
Theatre, from December 1934 to the
end of March 1936.

It is true that Peacocke also built the Regent
Café, but this happened later, in 1939-40,
and he did not run the business, preferring
to lease the building to others.
Victor Peacocke was Mayor of Bingara
in the late 1920s and again in the late
1930s. He was also the President of the
local branch of the RSL and one of the
leading men in Bingara. He competed
vigorously with the Roxy and, as
mentioned by Gerry Kennedy, employed
some xenophobic elements in his
campaign. In addition to advertisements
on the front page of the local newspaper
declaring that his cinema was owned and
staffed by 'Australians', Peacocke wrote
letters to his member of parliament
and the Chief Secretary referring to
'Bingara's little war with Greece' and
'the Greek invasion into our little burg'.
He also sought to use his position on the
council to throw obstacles in the way of
his competitors.
In Peacocke’s favour it may be said
that his attitudes were not unusual
in the 1930s and his jaundiced view
of ‘the Greeks’ was shared by many
Gallipoli veterans.
PHOTOS THIS PAGE:
The in-between years after closure. The
Nor was the Roxy failure all Victor Roxy lay dormant - its auditorium used for
Peacocke's doing. Gerry Kennedy storage, and a cafe inhabiting the foyer. Note
notes that 'every thing about the (Roxy) the curtained ‘widescreeen’ built forward of
theatre suggests quality and expense, the original stage
particularly so in a small country town'.
It is likely that Peters and Co contributed Photos by Gerry Kennedy.
to their difficulties by embarking on a
development that was visionary for the
time and too ambitious.

CINEMAREC ORD 2011 9