Page 11 - CinemaRecord #84

been renewed and restored to its The Bondi Spectator reported in August 1984
original condition. New screen, that the Heritage Council had, on two separate
stage curtains and draperies have occasions, recommended an interim
been installed and treated. The conservation order on the building, and the
whole of the interior and exterior Australian Heritage Commission had approved
of the building has been repainted the inclusion of the theatre on the Register of
and redecorated.” This is rather the National Estate. The Royal Australian
remarkable, that a 2,000 seat theatre Institute of Architects had resolved at its
would be repaired in this way in meeting to include the Wintergarden on its
1972 rather than simply closed Register of 20th Century Buildings of
down and sold. Significance. But Woollahra Council
continued with its efforts to have the theatre
The Wintergarden reopened with rezoned and demolished.
Ryan’s Daughter on Friday 26
January 1973. But with the arrival On July 1984, 100 people demonstrated
of the 1980s, the Wintergarden outside the theatre protesting against its
was under threat. In 1980 it was demolition. But their efforts were in vain and
sold to Low Yat, a company based the Wintergarden finally closed on 17 April
in Kuala Lumpur. It continued to 1985.
operate, if only to pay the rent.
In July 1985, a State Government Commission
In 1981, Woollahra Council of Enquiry was held into the Wintergarden’s
announced, oddly, that it wanted the fate and also that of the Randwick Ritz. The
building demolished because it was Commissioner, Mr C h a r l e s
“an undistinguished white box” and O ’ C o n n e l l , recommended
that “it contributes very little against heritage
benefit, except in terms of act protection
entertainment to steadily for both,
d w i n d l i n g stating “in
p a t r o n s . ” most capital
Classified by the c i t i e s ,
National Trust, it including
had an order S y d n e y ,
p r e v e n t i n g buildings which
demolition placed expressed the Hollywood ethos
destroyed and there was smoke damage to the on it by the Heritage Council. were built. Examples of these, I believe,
auditorium. The heritage order was suddenly may be validly held to be within the term
lifted by the Minister for P l a n n “environmental heritage’ as defined in the Act.
As a result, the Wintergarden was closed. ing, Eric Bedford, leaving the theatre I did not believe, however, that it was intended
One would think this would be an opportunity completely unprotected. to preserve for posterity the pale shadows of
to close it permanently, but the owners advised the city centre’s picture palaces which were
“the above theatre will cease operations until The Wintergarden Action Committee was built in the suburbs and country towns.”
necessary repairs have been carried out.” formed to help save the theatre, but its pleas
were falling on deaf civic ears. Council was Mr O’Connell’s latter comment is so way off
The damage was not “a small fire” as stated. exhibiting plans for a multi storey hotel on the the mark, it is shameful. The Wintergarden
The Government architect reported a few site. was the equal of many of the city’s picture
weeks later that “… the whole of the fire palaces and far superior to many of them.
damaged stage end section of the theatre has There were many cinemas in the city centre
which went nowhere in measuring up to the
standards of the Wintergarden. Professor
Ross Thorne of the University of Sydney
correctly stated that if all theatres were to be
measured against the Sydney State Theatre,
then all would fail.

With demolition pending, protests continued
outside the theatre, including a major protest
on 6 January 1987 where protesters climbed
the façade and refused to come down.
The curtain at the Wintergarden finally fell
in February 1987 when demolition crews
moved in and quickly reduced the grand old
lady to rubble. An apartment building now
occupies the site. H

Acknowledgements:
Text copyright Les Tod.
Images are copyright to owners as shown.

Wintergarden Auditorium (Image Les Tod)

CINEMARECORD # 84 11