Old Welfare Hall
Alice Springs,
NT
0870
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The Welfare Hall was one of the earliest locations to show film in Alice Springs.
Contributed by
David coppock
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“The Welfare Hall”, Alice Springs NT is the building standing on stilts on the far left – Photo (1932) courtesy of J. A. Poole – GREG LYNCH SAYS – : Up till 1935 the social life of Alice Springs was confined to an occasional dance and a concert, everybody attended, and to our unsophisticated minds they were just the thing. Then one day in rolled an old car with two men and equipment to modernize our way back town. Snow Kenna and Bill Burton, the ‘movie men’ had hit the town. They began showing silent movies in the old Welfare Hall. On Thurs, 24 Oct 1935 News Adelaide reported: “Alice Springs is now to have talking pictures, silent films have been shown here for some months, and now the proprietor’s of the Welfare Hall have made arrangements for sound installation”. Well known business identity Ly Underdown saw the possibility of this modern entertainment and erected his “Capitol Open Air Theatre”, into which he installed Snow and his projection plant. Snow ceased screening at “The Welfare Hall” sometime during 1936, while Bill Burton moved on to Tennant Creek to open a show there. Charlie Poole has posted: – “The hall was moved to Hartley Street in 1939, and set up on the block where the Overlanders Steakhouse currently sits. It was set up without the stilts and operated as a General Store by Akbar Khan who moved from Broken Hill” – In 1939 Snow decided to build his own theatre, The Pioneer (Walk In) Open Air Theatre in Parsons Street, with the debut screening in 1942. Neither Snow or Bill could have been aware of the contribution they were to make over the ensuing decades as they pioneered cinema in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek. Come 1965 and with much foresight, Snow opened the Pioneer Drive-In Theatre, this had the unfortunate result of reducing attendance’s at the Pioneer Walk-In, as picture goers rapidly changed their habits in favor of watching movies in the family car. Seven months after the opening of the drive-in Snow Kenna died, leaving his family to carry on. In 1983 the Kenna family sold both theatres to Greater Union Theatres, who ran the walk-in till 1984, and the drive-in until 1987. This writer is indebted to local Tennant Creek identity & historian, Pam Hodges for her contribution to the history of The Welfare Hall. – Go to Pam Hodges for Tennant Creekers. http://fortennantcreekers.com/places/buildings/picture-theatres/ – Acknowledgements : J. A . Poole / Shane Leanord for the restoration of the J. A. Poole photo / Charlie Poole / Peter Bassett / Centralian Advocate (Alice Springs, NT.
Historic Meeting at The Welfare Hall in 1937 DEVELOPMENT OF NORTHERN TERRITORY. ALICE SPRINGS A representative gathering in the Welfare Hall, Alice Springs, on Friday night April 30, heard Mr. Mac Alister Blain, Member for the Northern Territory of what has become known as “The Payne Commission”. Mr. Blain informed his audience that Messrs W. L. Payne (chairman), W. M. McLean (Secretary) and J. W. Fletcher hoped to be able to lay down a plan of campaign to be followed in the economical development of the Northern Territory for the next twenty-five or thirty years. Whilst the main purpose of the committee was to give particular attention to pastoral problems and transport difficulties. tbe Speaker pointed out that certain aspects of mineral production will be considered….Townsville Daily Bulletin, Qld – Mon 10 May 1937 –
Is the Welfare Hall still there?
David Coppock asks…Is the Welfare Hall still there? – Charlie Poole has posted: “The Welfare hall was moved to Hartley Street in 1939, and set up on the block where the Overlanders Steakhouse currently sits. It was set up without the stilts and operated as a General Store by Akbar Khan who moved from Broken Hill” – The building no longer operates as a hall – if it exists? –
What street was the old Welfare Hall in first? Is there anything now on the original site?
Was the hall used for welfare payments(or welfare checks) too(hence the name)?
To answer David Coppocks questions regarding the site of The Welfare Hall & usage – Greg Lynch says: – The Northern Territory was isolated by distance. Quite simply : “The Welfare hall was built for the Welfare of the community”, it was a place for social meetings, with sporting venues nearby. Behind the Welfare Hall, as featured in the panorama picture is the Todd River. Access is usually by formed tracks – The Mail (Adelaide), SA : Saturday 25 April 1936 writes: – “Recreation Reserve For Alice Springs” – Six years ago (1930) a number of Alice Springs citizens formed a welfare association to build a hall and provide a sports grounds for the people. About £800 has been raised in that period, and the association has erected a hall, two tennis courts, and cricket grounds. A difficulty has been that the association has had no fixed tenure of the land or any legal ownership of it. but that has now been remedied to some extent by the Commonwealth Government. The area has been gazetted as a recreation reserve, but the Minister must appoint the trustees. At a public meeting on April 17 the following were recommended for appointment:— Rev. H. Griffiths (Methodist Inland Missioner), Messrs. D. P. Adamson – Postmaster G. Glass (Storekeeper). B. N. Webb – (Solicitor), and P. Windle (Garage proprietor). It has been suggested that the Alice Springs branch of the Returned Soldiers' League, which has no hall of its own, should use the underneath portion of the hall for club rooms…..Acknowledgement Pam Hodges Tennant Creek Historian