Sydney Art Deco Heritage

The Chateau Blanc is an old Art Deco theatre located at 57-61 South Street in Granville. It was rebuilt as the Granville Hoyts Castle cinema in 1947. It was designed by Cowper, Murphy & Associates and built by A.W. Edwards. Both the Castle cinema and the Crest Cinema in Blaxcell Street were built in the late 1940s utilising a Quonset design emerging from wartime construction methods. The new cinema opened 26 Dec. 1947 and closed Oct 1959. It was later used as a supermarket and a reception centre. All that is left today is the facade. Extensive additions have been made to make it into a large function centre known as the Grande Royale. Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings Parramatta Cinema History

The Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace at 380 Military Road in Cremorne is the jewel in the crown of surviving Art Deco cinemas in Australia. Listed in the RAIA Register of Significant 20th Century Buildings the theatre was built in 1935 and designed by G N Kenworthy and built by by Angelo Virgona. In December 1986, Mike Walsh bought the historic Cremorne Orpheum under his company Hayden Theatre Pty. Ltd, initially spending $2.5 million on its restoration. It was reopened in December 1987. The Orpheum's interior replicates all the original art-deco fittings, color schemes, lighting and design. The outstanding namesake "Orpheum" auditorium has a Wurlitzer pipe organ that raises and lowers through a trapdoor in front of the screen. Front entrance The candy bar Foyer ceiling light detail Another style of ceiling light Art Deco style wall mirror View up stairs to theatres

The Metro building is located at 28 Orwell Street in Potts Point and was designed by Bruce Dellit in 1939 and was previously known as The Minerva Theatre. In the 1960s it was the venue for the groundbreaking musical "Hair". For a time in the 1970s it was a supermarket. It has been restored and is the headquarters of Kennedy Miller, makers of the films "Mad Max" and "Babe". Facade detail View from the west Sources: Sydney Heritage Listings

The Orion Center at 153-155 Beamish Street in Campsie opened on 7th March 1936 as the Orion Theatre. Named after the ship Orion it comprised 999 seats and was the most highly regarded cinema in Campsie for many years. The Orion was closed in 1959 until Canterbury City Council decided to refurbish it as a community hall in the 1980s. The Wurlitzer organ from the Capitol Theatre was restored and installed in the Orion which was re-opened in 1988. It is currently a Function Centre which was looking very tired in 2009 when the photo was taken. I noticed the building has been repainted recently and it has made a world of difference both to the building and the streetscape of Campsie. Facade detail A new coat of paint! The Wurlitzer organ in the Capitol Theatre This photograph, courtesy of B Tooker and the City of Canterbury Local History Photograph Collection, shows organist Ian Davies seated at the Wurlitzer organ in the Capitol Theatre. Canterbury City Council purch...

Southport is one of the oldest areas on the Gold Coast and as such has several beautiful Art Deco buildings built during the 1930's. A stroll down Nerang street reveals several excellent examples. The best of these is the old Town Hall located at 47 Nerang Street which is now the Council Chambers. Built in 1935 this important example of an Art Deco influenced building replaced the earlier timber Town Hall building on the site. It was designed by Hall and Phillips who designed many other Art Deco influenced buildings in south east Queensland. The Art Deco ornamentation both inside and out has survived making this a rare example of this style of public building. It has social significance as a centrally located civic building which has been open for public purposes for over sixty years. Detailed view of the central facade View of the original Art Deco leadlight windows Sources: Gold Coast Local Heritage Listings Your Brisbane - Past and Present