Athenium Theatre

About

Athenium Theatre is a heritage-listed former theatre and cinema and now community hall at The Broadway, Junee, in the Riverina region of New South Wales, Australia. It was designed by Kaberry and Chard and built in 1929 by J. Nyssen. It is also known as the Broadway Theatre and JADDA Centre. The property is owned by Junee Shire Council. It was added to the New South Wales State Heritage Register on 9 January 2004.

- c. 1894. Gearge Laurantus was born in Kythira, Greece. (His brother, Nicholas was five years his senior.)

- c. 1909. George emigrates to Australia, first working in Sydney, then for brother Nicholas who had bought a cafe in a country town, then the Globe Theatre, Narrandera.

- 1927. The new Globe Theatre opens. Nicholas wishes to develop a "chain" of cinemas as a means of getting a better deal on film hire.

- c. 1928. Nicholas joins Ben Cummins, Junee, to build a new theatre in the Broadway ; he puts brother George in charge of the Lyceum and overseeing the building of the new theatre.

- 1929. In May, Theatres and Public Halls gives approval to build. On 10 October the theatre opens as the Athenium Theatre.

- 1939. Nicholas decides to buy a property outside of Narrandera, decides to sell his theatre interest in Junee, forces George to give up management of the Athenium to go out and manage the property while Nicholas resides in town.

- 1954. The Pollards sell on to Albert Thomas Manion for his son Kevin and daughter-in-law, Yvonne to manage (purchase price 28 000 pounds $56 000).

- 1958. The theatre is transferred into a company, Broadway Theatre (Junee) Pty Ltd, of which Kevin Manion and Thomas A Wah are directors

- 1959. The proscenium is removed, as was the custom to provide a wider opening for Cinemascope presentation. Kevin Manion sells out to a T A Wah who is sole owner under the company until 1971.

- 1977–78. Bought by Junee and District Development Association for $20 000, which makes the Junee and Illabo Councils trustees (virtual owners) of the property as tenants in common. Alterations to make it useful for indoor sports as well as social events, costing $45 000. Funding by community donations. A new licence is issued.

- 1984. Junee Council appears to be taking greater interest. Theatres and Public Halls initiates a search as to who or what actually owns the building.

- 1990. Theatres and Public Halls Act is repealed and a new Act transfers licensing, inspections etc. to local councils.

- 1998. The exterior is repainted, the refreshment bar kitchen is re-equipped at a cost of $28 000.

- 2002–03. The Junee Shire Council wishes to demolish the theatre. For over fifty years before the coming of local television in 1964, cinema, as in other country towns, cities and suburbs, would provide not only entertainment but tacit cultural learning in behaviour, design, fashion, and current events. All the cinema venues in Junee would also provide the facility for live entertainment and social events, such as balls and receptions, since all possessed "flat" floors.

The Globe theatre in Junee was showing films by 1917, screened on Tuesday and Saturday in a small hall in Lisgar Street. By 1922, Lyceum Pictures were also showing in the larger Lyceum Hall, also in Lisgar Street The Globe appeared to disappear from the available local newspaper advertisements from 1924 while the Lyceum continued with films and live shows.

The Cummins' family of Junee owned the Lyceum. Ben Cummins decided to seek a partnership with some local cinema entrepreneur to build a new picture theatre. He consulted a brother-in-law, Jack Cavellas (who himself was a cinema entrepreneur and subsequently merged his assets with Hoyts Theatres). It seemed that Cavellas had misgivings about Ben Cummins forming a partnership with Nicholas Laurantus, but Cummins did, resulting in his becoming a "silent" partner in the deal. The new theatre would be under the control of Nicholas Laurantus, but with the day-to-day management by his younger brother, George.

George settled in Junee as soon as he married in 1928. He assumed management of the Lyceum Theatre. The theatre was in wide use for live shows, benefits and dancers, featuring performances by artists such as Gladys Moncrieff.

Approval was given for erection of the new theatre on 1 May 1929. The architects, Kaberry and Chard, wrote to say the theatre was about half completed by early July. George Laurantus, from his office at the Lyceum, wrote on 5 October seeking permission to open on the 10th of that month. The local police, representing Theatres and Public Halls, were asked to make an inspection to see that the theatre complied with the Departments requirements, and if so, allow it to open that day. The full report by the police at Junee on 17 October gave the seating capacity as dress circle 410 and stalls 600. A licence was granted to G. Laurantus for general entertainment purposes from 10 October 1929 for 1010 persons. Notes from Les Tod indicate the builder to be J. Nyssen.

Peter Laurantus related that from the opening until the birth of their first child in 1931 his father and mother did everything his father doing the sign-writing for the film attractions (on the front of the awning), booking films, despatching them and projecting them. His mother sold tickets and retained the records for the entertainment tax and film hire (particularly percentage) charges. In 1931, Blanche Heffernan, formerly Cummins became employed in the ticket office. She was the seventeen-year-old daughter of Ben Cummins (the "silent partner" in the venture), and remained working at the theatre until she married in December 1936.