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Articles and Papers
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The Heritage Significance of the Cinema-going Experience
in New South
Wales (2011)
Ross Thorne; 19 pages, illustrated
Previously unpublished, 2011
Understanding the reactions of the audience both
to the films and the environments in which they were shown, are important
to the history of film/cinema. An extraordinary number of single screen
cinemas built before television arrived, have been demolished; efforts
to save a few have been thwarted by stereotypical old-fashioned attitudes
to popular culture. An example of this loss has been mapped for the eastern
suburbs of Sydney.
File size 3MB
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Capitol Theatre: A Case for Retention (1985)
Ross Thorne; 22 pages; 14 illustrations
(including floor plans & cross section)
Originally published by the Department of Architecture, University of Sydney, 1985.
In 1985, the Capitol Theatre, Sydney was in a dilapidated state, with calls for it to be either demolished or restored. After research at the owner’s (Sydney City Council) archives, what had been lost to collective memory was rediscovered.
The building, with some of its foundation walls,
and external decorative walls dated back to, and were part of the New
Belmore Market building of 1892/3. This made the building more historically
important than hitherto thought.
File size 21MB
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Capitol Theatre: Restored (1995): a photo essay
Ross Thorne; 11 pages; 21 illustrations
(all full colour)
Previously unpublished
After “expressions of interest” to redevelop the Capital Theatre (Sydney) site fell through, largely due to the 1987-90 financial recession, the Sydney City Council, the owners, negotiated with the most heritage conscious developer, Ipoh Gardens, to restore (but update the facilities at) the Capitol Theatre and lease the building to the company. The Council part-funded the restoration.
The photographs were taken just before its reopening
early 1995.
File size 5.5MB
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The social significance of the picture theatre: how many people did
attend picture theatres in New South Wales before television
and video?
Kevin Cork and Ross Thorne; 15 pages; 19 illustrations
(including tables & graphs)
Originally published in People and Physical Environment
Research, Numbers 58-60, 2006, pp. 48-67.
Attendance figures for cinemas across the state
up until 1953 are unreliable. Occasionally all seats were taxed, sometimes
only a few, thus skewing admission numbers. Through other evidence an
estimate of actual attendance has been built up in this paper.
File size 2.1MB
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Cultural Heritage of Movie Theatres in New South Wales, 1896-1996.
Part I, Introduction.
Ross Thorne; Les Todd and Kevin Cork
62 pages (illustrated)
A National Estate grant allowed the authors compile, from their existing research data, a list of venues used for cinema exhibition that were used regularly at some time over the centenary of cinema in New South Wales.
This part is the Introduction that describes the
various criteria used to establish heritage value in relation to cinema
building in the state, together with a comprehensive bibliography.
File size 18.9MB
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Cultural Heritage of Movie Theatres in New South Wales, 1896-1996.
Part II, List of Venues used regularly at some time as Movie Theatres in New South Wales, 1896-1996.
Ross Thorne; Les Todd and Kevin Cork
124 pages (predominantly an A-Z table)
A National Estate grant allowed the authors compile, from existing research data, a list of venues used for cinema exhibition, used regularly at some time over the centenary of cinema in New South Wales.
This part is the list of venues in the form of
a 122 pages long series of tables. Each provides the location, the
last known name, the street address (if known), whether the venue was
purpose-built; if extant, an estimation of its heritage value, and
the state of the venue in 1997 (operating, destroyed, etc.).
File size 7.3MB
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The problem of assessing the cultural heritage of buildings through
individual criteria: The case of social significance of the traditional
picture theatre.
Ross Thorne
45 pages (illustrated)
Originally published in People and Physical Environment
Reserch,
53-54, pp.58-102.
This monograph-long paper draws together a number
of issues that have plagued the certification of buildings as items
of cultural heritage.
The picture theatre has been chosen for the analysis
since it has been seen as of “lesser” cultural importance
than other building types, yet the traditional cinema possibly was
the setting that experienced more cultural learning and social intercourse
than most other building types.
File size 15.6MB
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State Theatre, Sydney, NSW
Ross Thorne; 9 pages; 18 illustrations.
Originally published in Architecture Australia,
70, 3, 1981, pp.38-45.
After a period of doubt about its future, the Greater
Union Organisation decided to rehabilitate and repair its flagship State
Theatre, Sydney, in 1980. This article outlines the theatre’s history
and what was done to bring it back to pristine condition.
File size 18.9MB
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Sydney’s Theatres – (parts 1 & 2) – Theatre Royal
and Her Majesty’s
Theatre
Ross Thorne
5 pages; 16 illustrations
Originally published in Theatre Australia, November & December, 1977.
In the 1970s Sydney only had two traditional theatres. The original Theatre Royal started life as the Prince of Wales Theatre in 1855. There were a number of fires and rebuilds until 1921 which was the theatre in existence until 1972 when it was to be demolished. A “Save the Theatre Royal” ad hoc organisation was set up and negotiated with unions and the property developer to achieve a new theatre on the site.
The second theatre, the Her Majesty’s, started life
as the Empire in 1927, was considerably altered in 1959, burnt down in
1970 and completely rebuilt, only to be demolished some quarter of a
century later.
Includes basic plan of 1927
building and cross section of 1973 building plus some photographs.
File size 7MB
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Hobart’s Historic Theatre Royal.
Ross Thorne
5 pages; 6 illustrations
Originally published in Theatre Australia, June,
1977.
The original theatre was built in 1837 and had undergone
many alterations and much rebuilding until 1911, the date the auditorium
was rebuilt. It is the auditorium seen today.
The article summarises the
various alterations and additions until 1977, after which a fire on the
stage resulted in a new stagehouse.
File size 6.2MB
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A study of the type of historical research needed to establish heritage
significance: The case of early theatre and cinema in Junee, New South
Wales.
Ross Thorne, 19 pages (illustrated).
Originally published in People and Physical Environment
Research, Numbers 58-60, 2006, pp. 5-23.
Researching the early theatres and movie venues
in Junee became a task of detective inquiry. There were the usual licence
records and Fire Commissioners’ reports, followed by a search of
land titles and finally, church archives before a reasonable story could
be put together.
Thanks to the Junee Historical Society for the use
of photographs and information from their collection.
File size 3.1MB
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Problems of heritage assessment: A case study of the Athenium (sic)
Theatre, Junee, New South Wales.
Ross Thorne, 31 pages (illustrated).
Originally published in People and Physical Environment
Research, Number 58-60, 2006, pp. 92-122.
Local coucils often have a dream that becomes an
indefensible ideology. Following a heritage assessment commissioned by
the NSW (Government) Heritage Office, the Junee local council fought
against the theatre’s listing on the state’s register in
a most unbecoming manner, attempting every method to control opposition
to its ideology.
Thanks to the Junee Historical Society for the use
of photographs and information from their collection.
File size 2.2MB
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