Hoyts Rialto Kew

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The Journey To The Rialto

“The Melbourne Revival Center”, (in March, 1966) paid over $90,000 for a property in Harcourt Street Auburn. The purpose was to develop as a church and a meeting place. The property consisted of one and a half acres of land and a seventeen-roomed house, known as Carn Brae. Developed by the Beswicke family as a city mansion from the mid 1870s, and purchased by the Nicholas family in 1920. Carn Brea relates strongly to the history of Hawthorn, and had formerly been inhabited by the Lord Mayor of Melbourne (Ian Beaurepaire held the office between 1965/67). Nearby residents feared that the building of a hall on the property would spoil the previously quiet character of the area, and their protests made newspaper headlines both in Victoria and interstate. Ultimately, permission to build the hall was refused, but the residence was kept as a manse for Pastor Longfield, who used the property for several years for various church related function’s.

In Jan 1969 The assembly purchased “The Rialto Theatre”, which at the time was housing “Artransa Park Telemedia” and had become available. During the period “The Melbourne Revival Center” owned “The Rialto”, crowds of up to 800 have been known to meet. The Rialto remained a church till 1982 – In 1983 the group moved to The Forum Theatre in Melbourne City. Pastor Lloyd Longfield passed away (March 29, 2012) at the age of 93 – The Rialto / Revival Center photo supplied, courtesy of the “Kew History Group” – Contributed by Greg Lynch –