Beacon Theatre

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Beacon Theatre 91 Hampton Road, Beaconsfield, WA Beacon Theatre 91 Hampton Road, Beaconsfield, WA

Photo – Garry Gillard.

The Art Deco styled Beacon Theatre was the third ‘modern’ cinema designed by Samuel Rosenthal in Western Australia. When Rosenthal received the commission the cinema was to be known as the Astoria. By the time the building opened in August 1937, the directors of the venture J C McKercher, Managing Director and Secretary and Director J Veryard of the Swan Picture Co. had decided to name the building the Beacon Theatre. This alternative title for the cinema honored the name of the district and was chosen from over 400 others as a result of a competition conducted by the “Advocate” newspaper.

On the first performance night the participating audience included politicians, civic and industrial and sporting representatives of the district as well as the successful and unsuccessful applicants for the competition. This indicated a broad involvement with the local community.

The theatre was officially opened a week previously by His Worship the Mayor of Fremantle, Mr F E Gibson, who also made a brief address when the opening program was shown. This feature “Small Town Girl” starring Janet Gaynor and included a local, historical film of the opening of South Beach 27 years before. The building includes a row of shops, one of which occupies the corner site. The cinema is conveniently situated in the central position on the main road and during the 1930s buses and trams passed the door.

At the time the proprietors believed that the movie house offered residents of the Fremantle district a place of entertainment equal to any other and one that ranks with the foremost theatres in Australia. This place was identified by the Fremantle Society in 1979/80 as being of cultural heritage significance. (Coded: Brown: “Positively contributing to the built environment”) – Contributed by Greg Lynch –