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THE PALACE THEATRE, HOBART

By Phil Corby

he Palace Picture Theatre was built in converted and extended office building and raising tiers of gold plush seats, so the picture
T1914. It was located halfway along His Majesty’s, built in 1910, was initially a screen is fully visible to every person in it,
Elizabeth Street, between Macquarie and vaudeville venue before becoming Spencer’s with nothing to block the view, and the whole
Collins Streets, on the opposite side to the Pictures. Silent pictures had been screened in building is brilliantly lighted by electricity.
General Post Office, which was then a focal Hobart since the early years of the 20 th The ventilation is good, and there is an exit
point of the city. Century, using halls including the Town Hall, from the stage end into Trafalgar Place. The
Masonic Hall and Kings Hall. biograph machine room and apparatus are
As a youngster, I had been in the building a claimed to be the best in Australia, the room
number of times when it was occupied by The Mercury of 1 June 1914 gave this detailed being of concrete with asbestos lining.
Rounds Grocer and had walked past many description of the premises, under the heading
times when working nearby. I knew that many “THE NEW PICTURE PALACE”, and The biograph machine is of the new
years before it had been a silent picture subheading “A HANDSOME BUILDING”. Emersonian model, and the pictures are to be
theatre, but being familiar with the four major thrown onto a specially constructed white
theatres then operating in Hobart the “The front elevation and approaches of the cement screen framed with gilded
information just rolled off. new Picture Palace Theatre, to be formally ornamentation, in front of which there will be
opened tomorrow afternoon by the Mayor, is a massive plush curtain supplied by Messrs
A few years ago, the then President of the certainly handsome and attractive, and an Johnston and Miller. The working of the
Sound Preservation Association of Tasmania added ornament to Elizabeth-street. There is machine and all mechanical parts of the show
Inc. showed me a photo of the Palace façade a unique effectiveness about the design that is will be in charge of Mr. Rex Norris, who has
and asked me if I knew anything about the striking, and reflects much credit on the had considerable experience in the working of
theatre. I then realised I had missed the architects, Mr. Stanley Crisp (Hobart) and continuous picture shows in most of the
opportunity many years ago to gather details Mr. Julian White (Melbourne), while Australian capitals. The cloakrooms,
of its projection plant and other technical Mr. James Mackenzie, the contractor, seems lavatories and other accessories are well
details, including the carbon arc power to have carried out the work very efficiently. appointed. Throughout the auditorium thick
supply, from the late Mr. D. (Denny) Lewis, Whether the venture will prove successful red plush carpeting has been laid by Day’s
who worked there as a projectionist in financially remains to be seen, but the Furnishing Arcade Co., the beautifully
1922/23. company, styled the Palace Pictures Limited, decorated ornamental ceiling work executed
have enterprisingly spent no less than £16,000 by the Wunderlich Co., electricity installed by
I then started researching the history of the on the undertaking, the building having cost Mr. Russell Allport under the supervision of
Palace using the Mercury newspaper and £6000, and the land £10,000. Mr. Spencer of the Gas Co.’s electrical works;
found brilliantly descriptive reports on the the ornamental lead lights fixed by Messrs
theatre. Whilst not quite as good as a picture, The building is practically fireproof Trowbridge Bros., and the artistic decorative
they are reproduced here in their entirety. throughout. The marble staircase, beautifully- work by Messrs. French and Son of Hobart,
ornamented entrance, leadlight dome ticket under the supervision of Mr. Beiler of
The Palace seems to have been the first offices, and ornamental metalwork contribute Melbourne.
picture theatre built from the ground up in to the attractiveness of the front entrance. The
Hobart. The Grand Empire, later the building will seat 700 people. Tip-up seats are Mr. A. C. Davis, the manager and originator
National and then the Prince of Wales, was a provided throughout. The dress circle has of the venture, states that contracts have been

10 CINEMARECORD # 95