An architectural icon of Australian theatre has undergone a large scale restoration of its facade to celebrate its centenary of film.
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It’s now been 100 years since films were first shown at James Theatre, Dungog, and to celebrate the facade has been restored to reflect its 1930s Spanish Mission style.
“The building was painted shortly after Dungog Shire Council acquired the building in 1979 and to the best of our knowledge is had not been painted since,” Friends of James Theatre chairwoman Lisa Connors said.
“And we have spent months researching an appropriate colour scheme for the facade to reflect its past.”
It is believed the first film shown at the theatre was screened sometime between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day and the title is not known.
It remains the oldest purpose-built cinema still operating in Australia and is one of only four Spanish Mission cinema facades in NSW.
Its history stems back to 1912 when the Dungog Electric Lighting Company set up an open air theatre seating 1000.
In July 1930 the building underwent extensive reconstruction.
“This is the oldest continually operating theatre in Australia so culturally and socially it is an important building, not just to us but to the entire state,” Dungog Mayor Harold Johnston said.
