Dawn Theatre – Gold Memories

Lord of the Rings - Return of the King

A masterpiece in presentation, such a far cry from the special outings and canvas seats at ‘The Dawn’, Chermside, from my teens. Six (6) pence could get you in to the flicks and include an ice cream and drink and four hours plus of make believe. The ice cream of course was from the West End factory of “Peters… The Health food of a Nation.”

The Saturday matinees were my favourite as it was almost dark when I got out. Two movies, a newsreel, two cartoons plus weekly serial and coming events, all for six (6) pence. Plus, the sideshow of the “bodgies and widgies” in the back rows, thrown in for free. And if you could afford to double up on Friday and Saturday nights, the programmes changed weekly with every session was preceded by “God Save the Queen.”

Albany Creek was well serviced from the 40’s onwards with theatres at Chermside and Strathpine and attendance at “The Dawn’ (demolished 2006) were regular treats. Once inside the building feet enormous with four nets of canvas seats stretching back up to forty rows.

After its closure, the building was revealed as an unpainted fibro shed, very stark and not as large as memory would have it.

On March 29th 1947, the tram terminus was opened providing easy access to ‘The Dawn’ from inner city suburbs. Uncle Bill Campbell was killed in a motorcycle accident on the night ‘The Dawn’ opened in 1928. Until its closure in August 2005, it was the last of the single screen theatres in Brisbane. Virtually every suburb had its own picture theatre – 100 in all throughout suburban Brisbane.

In the 60’s, going into the city theatres of Hoyts, Regent or Wintergarden were special rare treats reserved for school holidays and rewards for good behaviour, dressed for the occasion with long socks, ties and Sunday suit. The Tivoli opposite City Hall; The newsreel at the Carlton; The Gilt of the Regent; The Nudes of Theatre Royal.

Gold Class Megaplex Chermside was simply beyond my expectations. Only forty (40) to the theatre, first class armchairs, table service for drinks and snacks, and the flim, Outstanding! Three and a half hours of gripping make believe. The show, surrounds and pleasing price were so good in fact I didn’t even think to check if the bodgies and widgies had made the transition to the back rows, to the “cuddle seats”. Perhaps they were in one of the other 15 screenings in the Westfield Megaplex.

Please email me on peter@petercampbellrealty.com to help complete the list of 100 Brisbane suburban Picture Theatres that began with silent films in 1896.
Sandgate – Mayfair; Chermside – Dawn; Liberty – Grange; Imperial – Lutwyche; Crystal – Windsor; Alhambra – Stones Corner; Boomerang – Annerley; Beverly – Rosalie; Mowbray Park… Picture Palace; Cinema Balmoral.

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Peter Campbell - 0418 774 663