Mandolin Cinema

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Mandolin Cinema 150 Elizabeth Street, Sydney, NSW

Originally built in 1905 as the Concordia Club, a meeting place for the German community which was located on the first floor of the building. Elizabeth Street was widened in 1911 and it was given a new facade designed in a Romanesque Revival style and it reopened on 20th December 1911. During World War I it was in use as a church. In 1923 it was renamed Australia Hall and was used for vaudeville, concerts, dancing, political rallies and some film screenings. It had a seating capacity for 850-seats. It became the Phillip Theatre in 1960, when the Phillip Street Theatre moved into the building and the seating capacity was reduced to 500-seats. In August 1971 it was re-named Richbrook Theatre. In 1974, it was converted into a cinema with modern decorations and given a new proscenium which was wide enough to screen CinemaScope films. Known as the Rivoli Theatre, opening with Peter Sellers in “The Optimists of Nine Elms” on 5th December 1974. In late-1975 it was briefly subleased to Hoyts.

In early-1976 it was renamed Mandolin Cinema and began screening Chinese films. On 31st January 1977 it was Dave’s Encore Cinema, operated by David Coles screening revival films. It then went back to Chinese films as the Jade Cinema. From 4th September 1981 until December 1981 it operated as the 42nd Street Cinema screening move-overs from other city centre cinemas. It then became the Trak Cinema screening rock films and arthouse revivals. This lasted until the end of 1982. In early-1983 it reopened as the New Mandarin Cinema, again screening Chinese films. It was closed in January 1987. In October 1987 it reopened as the Mandolin Cinema screening repertory programming. and that closed in 1988. Another attempt was made to reopen as the Rialto Mandolin, which only lasted 8 weeks. It remained closed until 16th January 1997 when it became the Mandolin Cinema again, but closed for the final time on 8th October 1997.

It was converted into a cultural centre for the indigenous Aboriginal population - Notes by Ken Roe, Ian Hanson & Les Tod

Contributed by Greg Lynch -