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projectionist of the State. For this job,
Ross hired an old acquaintance of the
establishment, Ollie Jacobson.
Projectionist at the cinema in the
thirties, Ollie left his position at the
Variety Theatrette and returned to his
8
old workplace. He was a brilliant asset
to the cinema, with an intricate
knowledge of the art of projection.
Ollie was also something of a celebrity
for carrying out repairs and
maintenance on projectors. Cinema
operators from all around Hobart would
go to Ollie if they had breakdowns, or
8
problems with their equipment. Ollie
continued to work at the State until he
left to take a job with the state
government’s film unit in the nineteen
12
sixties.
One of the most significant turning
An earlier guise; as the Liberty 1935.
points for the State Theatre, and for
cinemas everywhere in Australia, was
As a baby, Jacobson’s son Adrian After three years of partnership,
the introduction of television. The first
sat in the projection box of the Liberty Holyman and Gourlay reached a
broadcasts in Tasmania were in May
watching the reels spin hypnotically. As difference of opinion on the direction 13
1960. The effects of this were
Adrian grew up, he spent much of his of their business. They decided that for
devastating for the film industry. In
spare time with his father, learning the the cinema to continue operation, one
three weeks, the State lost one half of
art of film projection and developing a of them would have to leave. ‘The spin 14
9 its audience. Instead of paying for a
deep passion for film. Adrian was also of a coin’ decided the owner, and
sixpenny flick, people were at their
destined to become an important figure potentially whether the cinema would
local shops watching the television set.
in the Cinema’s history. succeed into the future. Luck shone on
The end of the Second World War Ross Holyman that day, and it was he Ross managed to continue operation
was a major turning point for Australia, who won the toss. of the State for a number of years, but
by 1973, it was no longer a viable
and with it came another turning point During the 1950s cinema was as
business. The cinema was placed on the
for North Hobart’s cinema. In 1948, the much a staple of entertainment as it had
market. A company that saw it as a
Liberty Theatre was sold. The new been in the nineteen twenties and 15
furniture store expressed interest.
owners, Gordon Gourlay and Ross thirties. People used the cinema much
Fortunately for the State, the
Holyman, planned to renew the cinema more regularly than they do today.
9 community pressured the government
with renovations and fresh ideas. According to Ross Holyman’s
into keeping it operating, and in 1974,
To prepare for the theatre’s estimates, the State Theatre's Saturday
reopening, new seating was ordered. night screening attracted a regular the Film, Radio and Television Board
8
became the new owners.
When the three hundred and ninety- audience of more than one hundred and
9 The responsibility for running the
three chairs arrived, they were flat forty people.
cinema went to the Australian Film
packed, and Ross spent days The importance of the cinema to the
9 Institute, and the renamed AFI State
constructing and installing them. As community at that time was confirmed
Cinema had its opening ribbon cut by
tribute to his hardwork, the seats by the fact that most of these people 15
Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. Soon
remained in the cinema long after he were known by name to Ross, and had
11 after the opening, the cinema closed for
left. The cinema was also given their regular seat in the theatre.
$100,000 worth of renovations, which
government approval for a name Often school groups would rent out 16
change. On the eighteenth of August the cinema for special occasions. On took eighteen months.
1948 the cinema opened once again, one of them the film ran over time. The State Cinema was a new
10 concept for Tasmania. It was no longer
this time as the State Theatre. Instead of cutting the film before its
a strict commercial cinema, because
The State was the new face for a end, Ross, who was working as a
without belonging to a chain this was
cinema that had been consistently projectionist as well as managing the
impossible. Instead, the AFI planned to
serving North Hobart for more than a cinema, deleted fifteen hundred feet of
show films of cultural merit as well as
decade. This meant that as well as footage. He skillfully spliced together a 16
new Australian films. The first was
inheriting a rodent infestation, Ross scene of a train struggling up a hill, to a
the Louis Malle classic Lacombe
Holyman and Gordon Gourlay had also scene on the last reel of a train moving 16
11 Lucien.
inherited a committed audience. down a hill. In Ross's words the
11 Managers changed regularly in the
Every afternoon and every evening a audience “didn't miss anything”, or
film was shown, until eventually this so he thought. first few years: Paul Coulter, Andy
increased to three, or even four films a Ross Holyman had a projectionists’ Trenouth, Tom Giblin and Robert
9 Robertson came and left, and by 1979
day. licence, but he was not the principal
the position was open again.
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