References from Former Kings Theatre, NSW Government Office of Environment and Heritage A cultural history of cinema-going in the Illawarra (1900-1950), Nancy Huggett Images From the collections of the Wollongong City Libraries and the Illawarra Historical Society.
It’s seen performances from The Wiggles and Suzi Quatro to Neil Finn and Lime Cordiale grace its stage over the last decade, but Anita’s Theatre has an even longer history with many incarnations. A cinema for nearly 40 years, followed by a roller skating rink, Kings Theatre – as it was originally known – has been a firm fixture of the northern suburb’s social scene for 100 years.
Built in 1925, Kings Theatre was one of several theatres designed by architects Karberry and Chard and the second cinema in Thirroul, accommodating an audience of 1500. A popular outing for locals and tourists alike, Kings was the place to be and be seen, operating four nights a week with opening night an exciting double bill screening of The Desert Flower and The Dressmaker From Paris. But it was the arrival of sound and the ‘talkies’ in 1929 that really put Thirroul on the map, with Kings announced as the first community venue in Australia to present the famous musical, The Rainbow Man, bringing huge crowds and the media to the main street.
Kings Theatre enjoyed its silver screen heyday for nearly 40 years, operating as a cinema until the mid 1960s. The arrival of televisions in local homes and a decline in ticket sales cemented its closure and officially closed its doors in 1966. In 1968 the building was adapted for roller skating and enjoyed a new lease on life until the mid 1990s.
The future of Kings was uncertain for nearly a decade until 2003 when local businessman John Comelli purchased the vacant and deteriorating theatre. After extensive renovations Kings reopened as Anita’s Theatre in 2007, a fresh start for the grand dame of Thirroul and securing itself as a firm favourite for bands and events touring the Illawarra. ¡
I was there
THE ’50s
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur a“In 1959, I was about 10, I’d catch the bus down from Wombarra with a big group of kids and
we would buy lollies at the little shop outside Kings Theatre. They’d show a cartoon first, Tom and Jerry, then the serial and then a feature film like Tarzan or The Lone Ranger. We would also go the Scarborough picture show, where my brother worked as the projectionist, but we had to walk there. Anyone my age still calls it Kings Theatre, not Anita’s!” – Lynette Russo, Woonona
THE ‘80s
“I remember catching a Dion’s bus from the Circle in East Woonona to Thirroul Skate Rink in 1983. There was a lot of ‘80s fashion – teased hair, Wham t-shirts – and great music while we skated… ‘Hey Mickey’ by Toni Basil, Duran Duran and Dead or Alive. Most of all I remember skating from the stage on the western side, down on to the rink and doing the limbo on skates… how low can you go!!!”
– Paul Boultwood, Tarrawanna
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