Municipal Cinema, Roxburgh

LEFT: Roxburgh's first cinema was in the Athenaeum Hall, now located at the rear of the prescent cinema. Now used as a supper room and Dance Hall-Photo © B Knewstubb

In October the Roxburgh cinema celebrates 100 hundred years of continuous cinema, the only New Zealand town outside the major centres to do so. Cinema arrived to this small town in October 1898 when an unknown person arrived and showed “the miracle of the modern world-moving pictures direct from America”. By December 1898 films were shown fortnightly by Northcote Kinematography Company and Disc Gaiety Company. In 1900 Hull Pictures had arrived with weekly screenings. Hull pictures also ran the cinemas of Millers Flat, Alexandra and Omakau.

Roxburgh’s first cinema was in the Athenaeum Hall, Scotland Street, used from October 1898. By the mid-twenties the town-folk were agitating for more than just the weekly movie show. In 1928 the Borough Council sent a small delegation to look at cinemas and how they were run in Milton, Mosgiel and Dunedin. They returned and recommended that the council build a new town hall to replace the Athenaeum Hall. To pay for its construction they recommended that the Council take over the running of the cinema. In the early part of 1930 arrangements were put     in hand to relocate the Athenaeum Hall at the rear of the property it sat on, turning it 180 degrees at the same time. Notice was also given to Hull Pictures that its lease would be terminated when the new Town Hall was completed.

On 11 October 1930 the corner stone was laid by F A Laloli, Mayor, for the new Town Hall. The solid brick building was designed by D C Mowat, ANZIA and built by O’Driscoll Brothers. Fronting on to Scotland Street, the building had two concrete pillars at either side, with a further two either side of the entranceway. On either side were two doors, the left one leading to the men’s toilets, while it is believed the one on the right lead to either the “new” public library or Council Chambers. Two semi-arched windows were between the two sets of pillars. The main entrance was by way of two sets of swing doors. Down either side of the cinema were located the exits, one on each side. The left one leading to an allay way between the cinema and the Goldfields Hotel; the right one directly on to Church grounds next door. Attached to  the rear was the former Athenaeum Hall with direct access from the new Town Hall via the stage.

Directly inside the main doors was a small foyer, with the woman’s toilets leading off to the left. Next to the toilets was the ticket box, with the managers office behind. Location of the sweet stall is unknown. From the foyer a double swing door lead to the spacious auditorium. As originally designed, the cinema was to have both stalls and circle with a total seating capacity of about 620. The circle was not built at the time as the depression was just starting and the Council ran out of money during construction. However there were plans to construct the circle at a later date. A stage was also provided. Removable seating was used and provided for about 450 patrons. Two Westrex sound projectors were installed. Screenings were set at twice a week, Wednesdays and Saturdays, plus matinee Saturdays. The nearest competition was from the small 180 seat cinema at Millers Flat (Pop. 194).

With the closure of the Athenaeum Hall cinema the week before resulted on the termination of Hull Pictures lease, it became the local dance Hall. Hull Pictures eventually sold their Millers Flat cinema to a Lawrence exhibitor and it became part of a circuit which included Milton, Waitahuna, Beaumont and Lawrence. Roxburgh Borough Council became the operator and the Town Hall opened mid-1931 with “movies and dance to follow”.

LEFT: The present Roxburgh Town Hall cinema-Photo © B Knewstubb

Near the end of the 1940’s the Government chose a site some 8 miles upstream of Roxburgh to build a hydro dam. Again the question of whether the dress circle, as originally planned, should be added was raise to accommodate the additional people expected into the district by the dam construction. Construction of the support village began in 1948-49, with dam construction beginning in 1949-50. Included in the village, which became known as Roxburgh Hydro Village, was plans for a 528 seat cinema, known as Hydro Cinema,  complete with dress circle. Again Council deferred the construction of the circle as it was felt the Hydro Cinema would more than accommodate the extra influx of expected people. However the Borough Council recommended an up-grading of the cinema and the work was done in 1950. It was at this time the room (?) to the right of the foyer was opened out to become the sweet stall. The council also obtained 400 fixed stalls seats, arranged in a fan-shape with a centre aisle, purchased from the Grand (Century) cinema, Dunedin. At about the same time a daily timetable bus service was introduced between Roxburgh and the Hydro village and it is also believed between Roxburgh and Millers Flat. Screenings at Roxburgh were increased     to three week, being Wednesday, Friday and Saturday, with the usual 2pm matinee. Screenings at Millers Flat was Fridays and at the Hydro Cinema Monday to Saturday. Whether or not the Roxburgh cinema attracted people in large numbers from the Hydro village is unknown but all three cinemas prospered during the 1950s.

With the completion of the hydro dam in 1957, Roxburgh Hydro village was down-sized with much of the village removed. The Hydro closed late 1957 and was dismantled and moved to the Benmore Hydro construction camp but never reopened as a cinema. With the closure of the Hydro the Roxburgh Town Hall became the areas main place of entertainment. Within 4 years a much deadlier threat was slowly drifting through the country that virtually closed over half of New Zealand cinemas over night as it consumed province after province. Beginning in Auckland by July 1962 had arrived in Coastal Otago. Television had arrived. Roxburgh Borough Council decided to move up a peg or two and installed Cinemascope in 1961, five years after it arrived in Dunedin. They also re-arranged the seating, divided the area into three sections with two aisles.

Television arrived in Roxburgh in an unusual way. The town sits under a hill on a bend in the Clutha River. When television arrived in the later part of 1969 only the northern half of the town could receive it. The southern section of Roxburgh received television in early 1970 after the (southern) residents installed a repeater television station. This situation helped keep the cinema going, although the Wednesday and Friday sessions were withdrawn. Towns within the immediate (drive time) area were quickly closed. Millers Flat and Beaumont in 1969, Lawrence in 1970 and Tapanui in 1971. Because Roxburgh was within 30-40 minutes drive time, the younger members of the population, along with some of the older members of these towns would motor through to see a movie a Roxburgh.

Big blockbusters like “Love Story”, “Butch Cassidy”, “Mary Queen of Scots” helped keep the cinema open. By 1973 the seating from the Grand cinema were becoming worn (they dated back to when the Grand opened in 1917) and the Roxburgh Borough Council installed new seats obtained from the St James cinema, Dunedin. Seating was then reduced to 370 persons.

Knewstubb Theatres, a Dunedin based exhibitor (owned by yours truly) took over the closed (1970) Milton in 1973 and the closed Lawrence cinemas in 1974. Both Knewstubb Theatres and the Roxburgh Borough Council formed a mutual booking arrangement to keep costs down. This arrangement lasted until 1977 when Knewstubb Theatres quit both Milton and Lawrence and took over the closed (1976) Mosgiel cinema. Knewstubb Theatres closed Mosgiel in 1982 when they moved north.

Roxburgh Borough Council pulled out of the exhibition side of the cinema in 1985-1987, when it and other Borough Councils in Central Otago were amalgamated under the Government Local Bodies Reform, and became Central Otago District Council. The cinema was taken over by independent operators. They were, in order,  Roxburgh Jaycees; Rotary and the Roxburgh Central Electric Silver Band. Screening were cut back to fortnightly Saturdays in the early 1990s.

LEFT: The new foyer showing the candy bar. The stairway leads to the projection box and upper rear circle-Photo © B Knewstubb (1998)

On 26 May 1997 the cinema closed for a major $327,800 renovation spearheaded by the Roxburgh Entertainment Centre Improvement Committee (ReCic) and underwritten by the Central Otago District Council, owners of the cinema. On the last night of the “old” Town Hall the seats were ripped out and it was a “bring your cushion to watch the movie” affair. After the movie they had “roll the Jaffa” competitions and roller skating in the cinema. The following Monday the builders moved in and gutted the building.

Within the new foyer the men’s toilets were relocated to the left along with upgrading the woman’s, both having wheelchair access. A new easy approach ticket box is also to the left. The walls leading to the toilet area are done out in blue, with the main foyer in red. To the right, the new customer friendly candy bar, highly polished awaits the customer. Here, like the toilet area, the walls are done out in blue. At the far end of the candy bar, a stair way leads to the projection box and upper rear of the auditorium. The walls in this area are done out in red. Concealed down lights are placed in the ceiling, with feature lights placed at intervals around the walls, providing a stunning effect. Through the original main doors, also now highly polished, leading to the auditorium one has a choice to go either left or right to get to the seats. These two passages follow the main walls to the front of the auditorium. Here, in front of the stage, an orchestra pit has been provided for use during live shows. Highly polished panels line both wings of the stage, from the front to the screen. These can be opened out during stage shows. The original red curtain remains in front of the screen, but unfortunately it shrunk when it was dry-cleaned. The main walls, originally dark stained were done out in a pale yellow with downlights to highlight their features. As in the foyer, downlights are provided in the ceiling, along with six large ceiling fans. Thanks to the original plans in 1931 to include a circle there was enough height to put in a terraced floor. The golden yellow plush seating came from the Christchurch Town Hall, given a reduced capacity of 258 people. There ample leg room and sight lines are obtained. The aisles are on the outer area of the seats, with concealed lights along the aisle help those late find their way to their seats. At the rear of the auditorium on the left is the doors leading to the stairway from the foyer, on the right another door leads to a small super room for after show functions. The original projection box was enlarged. Second-hand Gaumont-Kalee projectors to replace the original 1931 projectors, were obtained from the St James cinema, Gore. Along with the projectors came Dolby-Stereo, a first for Central Otago. Here, the sound is pumped out at 1600 watts through 2 channels, too thirteen Tannoy speakers in the auditorium. These speakers are arranged as follows; three behind the screen, three on each wall, and four on the rear wall. Throughout the theatre was laid new carpet specially designed and made in Australia and called “Teviot Tartan” of bright and dark blue and maroon with a touch of grey. The architect for the new design was J W Dance and W Bogg, construction being carried out by Breen Construction of Alexandra. The new look cinema reopened to an enthusiast house on 8 November 1997. In June 1998 the ReCic took over the running of the cinema. Future plans for the cinema include a new larger cinemascope screen and a small veranda on the front of the building, and increasing screens from fortnightly to weekly.

Date Opened: (Athenaeum Hall) October 1898   (Town Hall) 1931
Date Closed:   (Athenaeum Hall) 1931   (Town Hall) Still operating
Location:         Both in Scotland Street (Athenaeum at rear of Town Hall, now used as dance hall)
Owners:           Otago Central District Council (Roxburgh Ward)

Taken from "Cinemas-Dunedin and District 1897-1994" by B T Knewstubb, Published by Knewstubb Theatres, © Knewstubb Theatres 1974 (out of print); Updated © Library of Cinema Research Data, 1998, a division of Knewstubb Theatres.  Acknowledgement-Updated with the thanks to D Dance (Projectionist), Roxburgh