When I became National President in 2017, Bruce Leonard gave me a four and half page document, ‘Rules of the Society of Australian Cinema Pioneers’. Bruce first put those rules together in 1992 when he became National Secretary Treasurer – he wrote down the rules as he understood them to be. Before then no document…
Jan entered the WA Cinema industry in 1965 as an usherette at the Metro Theatre, William Street, Perth. Her duties included showing patrons to their seats, checking there was no smoking and ensuring that everyone stood for the National Anthem. In 1971 she progressed to box office clerk. Working in the cinema in those times…
In 1978 I began my employment with “Tasmanian Drive-In Theatre Holdings” later to become “Village Cinemas”. At the time the Hobart Cinema Complex consisted of only 2 cinemas. I started as an Usherette, working split shifts doing 4 hours in the day, having a break then coming back for 4 hours of an evening. I…
David Kilderry enjoyed attending cinemas as early as he can remember. His local cinema in Reservoir was Cinema North which included a crying room and some of his earliest cinema memories are from this private glassed in viewing room at the rear of the theatre thanks to his noisy younger brothers and sister. The family…
Brian Pearson was born on 25th May 1929 in Adelaide.When he was nine years old, because of his interest in films and picture theatres he was given a toy Japanese projector for Christmas. Following a visit to the Regent Theatre Adelaide, a lifetime of passion for theatres and in particular Hoyts Regent Theatres was formed. In…
Most Projectionists toil away out of the public gaze, but not our QLD Cinema Pioneer of the Year for 2018. Uniquely, Ben would go on to not only find himself the projectionist, but at the same time the Theatre owner and also appearing on screen in a film he was screening. And it all happened…
RUSSELL ANDERSON – NATIONAL PIONEER OF THE YEAR 2018 Commencing his career in the motion picture industry at 16, Russell joined GUO Wests Theatre in Adelaide as an Office Boy in January 1965. Not long after, he was offered a position as Assistant Projectionist at the Majestic Theatre in King William Street. Later becoming a Dispatch Clerk at United Artists, Russell…