Final curtain call for Regent Theatre
By LOUISE TURK
January 30, 2004
THE Regent Theatre will take its final curtain call tomorrow night after decades of holding centre stage as one of Wollongong’s cultural icons.
The historic theatre will screen its final session tomorrow night and then close its doors forever to movie-loving audiences.
The sudden end of an era will trigger a range of emotions from many people who have frequented the Art Deco building since its opening in 1959.
Speculation about the future of the city centre’s last grand picture palace has been mounting since the death last month of its owner Rowena Milgrove.
Yesterday Mrs Milgrove’s close friends would not comment on the theatre’s closing.
It is understood Mrs Milgrove, shortly before her death, had asked friends to refrain from speaking publicly about the decision until the theatre’s doors had closed.
Staff and friends intend to erect signs announcing the closure at the theatre tomorrow, but there will be no grand gestures or fanfare.
Mrs Milgrove did not want controversy, protests or placards marring the end of her family’s dream.
Cunningham MP Michael Organ yesterday called for the preservation of the theatre.
Mr Organ said he wouldn’t be surprised if theatre regulars staged some form of wake tomorrow night, as news of the closure reached more people.
Community concerns about the Regent surfaced two years ago when Lend Lease proposed a redevelopment of the Wollongong Central and Gateway shopping centres.
“When Lend Lease first promoted the idea of demolishing the Regent Theatre for a supermarket and car park two years ago there was widespread community outrage that one of the Illawarra’s most significant heritage buildings should be so threatened,” Mr Organ said.
“A subsequent campaign by the Friends of the Regent Theatre group and the NSW National Trust ensured that the building was appropriately listed with Wollongong City Council, the NSW Heritage Office and the National Trust as an item of regional and national heritage significance.”
Mr Organ has called on future plans for the Regent to be divulged.
“The owners and developers must take on board the heritage values of the building, recognise its significance, and involve the community in meaningful discussions as to its future usage,” he said.
“The Regent Theatre must be preserved.
“It has a unique role to play in serving the entertainment needs of the Illawarra in years to come.”
Final curtain call for Regent Theatre
By LOUISE TURK
January 30, 2004
THE Regent Theatre will take its final curtain call tomorrow night after decades of holding centre stage as one of Wollongong’s cultural icons.
The historic theatre will screen its final session tomorrow night and then close its doors forever to movie-loving audiences.
The sudden end of an era will trigger a range of emotions from many people who have frequented the Art Deco building since its opening in 1959.
Speculation about the future of the city centre’s last grand picture palace has been mounting since the death last month of its owner Rowena Milgrove.
Yesterday Mrs Milgrove’s close friends would not comment on the theatre’s closing.
It is understood Mrs Milgrove, shortly before her death, had asked friends to refrain from speaking publicly about the decision until the theatre’s doors had closed.
Staff and friends intend to erect signs announcing the closure at the theatre tomorrow, but there will be no grand gestures or fanfare.
Mrs Milgrove did not want controversy, protests or placards marring the end of her family’s dream.
Cunningham MP Michael Organ yesterday called for the preservation of the theatre.
Mr Organ said he wouldn’t be surprised if theatre regulars staged some form of wake tomorrow night, as news of the closure reached more people.
Community concerns about the Regent surfaced two years ago when Lend Lease proposed a redevelopment of the Wollongong Central and Gateway shopping centres.
“When Lend Lease first promoted the idea of demolishing the Regent Theatre for a supermarket and car park two years ago there was widespread community outrage that one of the Illawarra’s most significant heritage buildings should be so threatened,” Mr Organ said.
“A subsequent campaign by the Friends of the Regent Theatre group and the NSW National Trust ensured that the building was appropriately listed with Wollongong City Council, the NSW Heritage Office and the National Trust as an item of regional and national heritage significance.”
Mr Organ has called on future plans for the Regent to be divulged.
“The owners and developers must take on board the heritage values of the building, recognise its significance, and involve the community in meaningful discussions as to its future usage,” he said.
“The Regent Theatre must be preserved.
“It has a unique role to play in serving the entertainment needs of the Illawarra in years to come.”