West's Theatre

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Uploaded on: October 17, 2021

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By November 1912 F. V. West was submitting plans to the Nowra council for an open air cinema he wanted to construct in Berry Street. Probably no more than a fenced off piece of paddock, the venue soon screened its first attraction on Saturday 7th December 1912. It was licensed as the Crown Theatre 28th January 1913. What inspired the name? At the time ‘West’s Pictures’ at the Crown Cinema, on the corner of Keira and Crown Streets Wollongong, represented the epitome of advanced motion picture entertainment in the area. However it was the legendary Thomas James West who gave his name to that and many cinema operations around Australia. He was not related to Nowra’s Frank Vincent West. ‘Dad’ West quite naturally wanted full control of motion picture exhibition in Nowra, but the School of Arts citizenry were reluctant to countenance a monopoly situation. So although West was able to use the hall as a second venue when available, other film showmen were given booking preference. (Those rival exhibitors included West’s former partner Madden). On 7th February 1918 a newly improved and enlarged (by about one third to 614) School of Arts Hall opened under the management of George Frew (1878-1949), who moved to Nowra on behalf of Herbert Boland (1885-1933) – operator of Wollongong’s Crown Theatre, which provided the orchestra for opening night. (Boland went on to form Wollongong Theatres Ltd, a firm that would dominate film exhibition in the Illawarra region for many decades).