Rosemount Theatre 464 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth, WA - OPENING NIGHT 1923

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Rosemount Theatre 464 Fitzgerald Street, North Perth, WA - OPENING NIGHT 1923

Daily News 22 January 1923: Reports

The Rosemount Theatre in Fitzgerald Street, North Perth, opened in 1923 to cater for the entertainment needs of the growing suburb. Attending a picture garden or picture theatre became a popular form of entertainment for locals in the 1920s, with many outdoor picture gardens being established, followed by the construction of indoor picture theatres, allowing people to watch films all year round regardless of the weather.

The Rosemount Picture Theatre was a business venture for August Franklin Carl During (Carl) and Alfred Thomas Parker (Alf). These two gentlemen had a previous business partnership with Empire Motors Works and went on to own several entertainment establishments around Perth including the Ritz Theatre and Gardens in Mount Hawthorn, the West in Subiaco and the Empire Theatre in Leederville.

The theatre seated 1,050 in the stalls and a further 450 in the dress circle, with a live Rosemount orchestra providing accompaniment to the silent movies. The seating featured the latest comfortable, tip up seats. Upstairs was a lesser hall, which could be hired for parties and other social events and had access to a viewing balcony - Contributed by Greg Lynch -