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Hall Interior 2014 (Image by Dick Twentyman)

picture melt away from the centre as the heat In 1988, Todd installed two Cummings & Further modifications were made to the sound
from the projection lamp burnt through the Wilson 1954 Model CP10 Raycophone system in 2000. The industry’s decision to
film when it stopped in the gate due to a break “Anniversary” projectors at the Lyric. These move to cyan soundtracks required the
in the film. This was followed by great cheers were removed from the Torquay Cinema in installation of red LED readers on the
and shouts from the audience, who threw 1986, complete with carbon arcs and rectifier. projectors.
lollies into the projector beam, resulting in an
announcement by Bell saying, “If youse kids (James Cummings and Harold Wilson In September 2013, Tony Hill purchased and
down the front don’t shut up, there will be no commenced designing and manufacturing installed a Christie Solaria One+ Digital
more pictures tonight!”. Quiet descended on 35 mm cinema projectors at 29 Alberta Street Cinema Projector and new sound system in
the hall and, a few minutes later, after he had Sydney in 1917. At the time, they were the only the Lyric.
spliced the film together, the show would manufacturer of movie projectors in Australia
proceed. and patented their designs in Australia, US Today, movies are supplied as digital files on
and Europe. In 1930, they fitted the portable hard disks. An average feature film
On 27 January 1965, “Talkie” Bell died, aged Raycophone sound system to their projectors requires from 80 to 300 gigabytes of storage
around 71. His widow, Mrs. Phillipa Bell, and which was much cheaper to produce than the space and is supplied with an encryption code
their son Robert took over his contract and comparable US sound systems (£1700 which only allows it to be shown for a specific
continued to show pictures. In 1967, a new compared to £11,000). By 1937, C&W period at the cinema for which it was ordered.
contract was signed between the Hall projectors were installed in 375 cinemas
Committee and Mrs. Bell and Robert, who throughout Australia). Much of the projectionist’s job has now been
continued to show pictures every Wednesday replaced by modern electronics. The operator
and Saturday night. The carbon arc lamps operated on 32 volts is now required to download the film files to
50 amps direct current, and burned for about the projector’s computer storage, and program
In 1968, when the Bells’ contract expired, an hour before new carbons were required. the playlist which determines the order in
David Oakley, whose family came to Apollo The lamps were powered from a rectifier which the items are to be shown. This work is
Bay for holidays, applied for the contract to installed in the lower section of the booth. a lot different to the skills of an old school
run the Lyric Cinema during the holiday projectionist. �
period with help from the Mechanics Hall Ken Todd’s stepson, Tony Hill, took over
Committee. The contract required that from Ken in about 1990. He had started Credits:
Mr. Oakley provide the films, projectors and working as a projectionist for Ken in 1979 at
the projectionist. The Mechanics Hall the Anglesea Cinema in the local shire hall. Information in letter from Roy Brown (son of
Committee was responsible for the sale of the George Brown)
tickets, provision of ushers and cleaning of the In about 1991, the carbon arc lamps in the
hall. The committee received half the ticket Lyric projectors were replaced with xenon arc Information from “Just Chatter” by Talkie Bell,
income. lamps. The xenon lamps were made of a Apollo Bay News, 9 April 1964.
fused quartz glass envelope filled with ionised
Late in 1988, Ken Todd took over the Lyric xenon gas and fitted with a tungsten metal Information supplied by Tony Hill on Thursday
3 October 2013 and subsequently.
from David Oakley and ran the cinema for the electrode at each end. These lamps had a life
first time in the 1988/89 summer season. Ken of approximately 2000 hours. At the same Christie Solaria One + Digital Cinema Projector
had started in the cinema business in 1974 at time, the sound system was upgraded. manual.
Barmah in the state’s north. He closed the
cinema there after TV came to the area in In about 1995, Hill had the projectors Apollo Bay Cemetery Records.
1972, and moved to Lorne. Todd started modified to accept 6000 ft spools. This
showing pictures in Anglesea (c.1976), provided 66 minutes running time per reel, Argus Newspaper.
Torquay (1980), and Lorne (1981), but closed significantly reducing the work of the Camperdown Chronicle.
the Torquay Cinema in 1986 when the hall projectionist. Federal Standard (Chiltern).
was condemned, and the Anglesea Cinema in
2006 when it became economically unviable.

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