THE Garfield Picture Theatre opened with a grand ball on Monday 22 December 1924.
The quaint theatre was once the ‘place to be’ on a Saturday night, according to local historian Heather Arnold.
In a piece for the Garfield Spectator, she wrote about the first film shown at the cinema.
It was Where the North Begins – a Rin Tin Tin movie.
“The Garfield Picture Theatre was one of the many cinemas constructed during the Australia-wide boom in cinema building in the 1920s,” Ms Arnold said.
“An advertisement in the Pakenham Gazette advertised the ball, which was free to all and also advertised pictures every Saturday night and dancing every Friday night.”
Ms Arnold said the theatre was built by Martin O’Donohue. It had a power house and a 230 volt generator – the first source of electricity in Garfield.
“The theatre was said to seat 800 people and J Taylor initially leased the theatre from Martin O’Donohue,” Ms Arnold said.
“The Shire of Berwick Rate Books indicate that in 1931 it was sold to Walter Anderson Lawson and Roy Everard Ross of Warragul.
“They sold it to James Murphy in 1953. Murphy owned the theatre until it closed in the early 1960s. ”
Two other picture theatres were also built in the 1920s in the area.
The Wattle Theatre at Kooweerup opened with a grand ball in July 1927, and King’s Picture Theatre at Pakenham opened on 7 September 1927.
Ms Arnold said prior to this, residents had been able to view movies at the Pakenham Mechanics Institute.
“Of the three purpose-built theatres, the Garfield Theatre was by far the most substantial building being constructed of brick,” Ms Arnold said.
“Kooweerup has external walls of corrugated iron and Pakenham (which was located roughly opposite the Uniting Church in Main Street and demolished in the 1990s) was made of asbestos cement sheet.
“Apart from these venues, films were shown at Tynong – there is still a bio box or projection room, which is currently inaccessible, at the hall.
“They were also shown at the Bunyip Hall and when the original 1906 Hall was burnt down in March 1940, a ‘picture plant’ was also destroyed.”
Ms Arnold said the theatre was a great source of entertainment. It held shows on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturday nights.
