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Tasma: The Theatre Beautiful, Coffs Harbour - 1953

In 1953 Jack Gerard painted “Australia’s largest” Union Jack on the facade of the Tasma to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. It was part of his innovative “publicity package” to promote the 1953 Technicolor story of Queen Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne. Hundreds flocked to see it and Betty Sara, the mother of the famous Bellingen quadruplets (the first set of quads to survive in Australia), won the Queen Elizabeth look-a-like contest.

“A Queen is Crowned” was screened simultaneously at Jack’s two cinemas, the Tasma and the Jetty Memorial. Paid admission reached 7785 - 1785 more viewings than Coffs Harbour’s population at the time, clearly a town of Royalists! Jack received a letter of congratulations from the Queen herself. This was just one of the films that won Jack Australian and international awards for showmanship, others included Walt Disney’s “Cinderella” and the Australian film “Robbery Under Arms”, when he re-enacted the robbery in Coffs Harbour’s High Street.

Description - Oak framed billboard from the Tasma Theatre. Contains —–

• Coronation issue theatre program 1953

• programmes for December 1960 - Jan, Feb 1961

• photograph of theatre staff

• photograph of front of theatre.

Agency

Coffs Harbour Regional Museum

Contributed by Greg Lynch -