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OPEN                                                                CLOSED



























                                               The building’s conversion by
                                            architects H.O. Woodhouse & Danks
                                            included three levels of offices, 17
                                            residential letting rooms and 6 shops,
                                            as well as an entirely new entrance to
                                            the cinemas from Oxford Street -
                                            allowing for meeting rooms for the
                                            Greek Orthodox Community (now
                                            owners) in the former foyer and
                                            upstairs area.  Later, space would also
                                            be let for the operation of a nightclub.
                                               The strikingly modern Academy
                                            Twin Cinema was leased by the
                                            Canberra-based Cinema Center Group
                                            and opened to the public on 29th July
                                            1973 with “Fritz The Cat” in Cinema
                                            500, and Roman Polanski’s “Macbeth”
                                            in Cinema 300 (so named for their
                                            approximate seating capacities).
                                               Palace Cinema’s have continued the
                                            art-house programming policy for some
                                            years now, however a dispute with the
                                            Greek Community owners over rental
                                            increases and the need for an expensive
                                            upgrade, saw Palace decide to not
                                            renew their lease.
                                               The Academy Twin Cinema
                                            therefore closed on June 27th 2010 and
                                            all seating, screens and equipment was
                                            removed soon after.
                                               After providing an amazing 99
                                            years of cinema entertainment to the
                                            masses, have the doors closed
                                            permanently this time? Or is there
                                            another exciting chapter yet to unfold?
                                            Time will tell.
                                                   A CENTURY

                                                   OF CINEMA

                                            Information and Photographs provided by:
                                            Cameron Glendinning; Olga Nowicka; Aaron
                                            Stroop; Kevin Adams and the CATHS archives.

                                                                                       CINEMARECORD 2010     9
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