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1975 – Opening - The Golden Twin Cinemas opened its doors to the public in December 1975, coinciding with the release of one of the biggest box office hits of all time, “Jaws.”

At that time, Bendigo had a population of around 30,000, and the only cinema in town was the Plaza Theatre, which closed in 1975 with its final screening of Bruce Lee’s “Fist of Fury.” The arrival of the Golden Twin Cinemas was a revolution for the local entertainment scene, capable of accommodating over 1,000 patrons at once.

At this time the cinema offered not only movies but live shows and had an impressive back stage area including change rooms. This area went on to become cinema 7.

1989 – New Ownership

In 1989 the biggest movie on the planet was Batman starring Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson and Kim Basinger and in 1989 Golden Twin Cinemas welcomed their new owners, the Sali family.

1993 – Triplex Opening & Name Change

On December 16, 1993, the Golden Twin Cinema in Bendigo officially became Bendigo Cinemas. This change marked the venue’s evolution into one of Australia’s pioneering triplex cinemas, with the introduction of a third screen that could hold 182 people.

This expansion increased the total seating capacity to 1382 across all three theatres.

As widescreen format was gaining traction, the cinema installed the Christie P35 projector, a cutting-edge upgrade that allowed films to be shown on one of the largest screens in the country. The installation was completed quickly, offering a widescreen viewing experience just in time for the Bendigo premiere of “Mrs. Doubtfire” in December, 1993.

Contributed by Greg Lynch -