HISTORY OF THE THEATRE                                                                                          

The Bowraville Theatre was built in 1940, and like many ‘picture shows’ in country towns, was at the hub of the area’s social activity on a Saturday night.  It operated, under the management of Sam Raymond, until the late 1960s.  Like many businesses in country towns, it operated as a racially divided business.  Aborigines had to not only buy their tickets separately, enter the theatre by a separate side entrance, occupy inferior seating below an interior partition, but do so after the program had begun.  The building was given a second lease of life as ‘The Remnant Basket’, with the able skills of Margaret Ussher. 

About fourteen years ago a local resident, Rob Turnell, began discussions with the Usshers about the theatre, which by then was not in use.  Turnell, along with Barbara McCormack, Noel Robertson and Margaret Chaffey, saw the need for a live performance venue in the area.  In 2000, their dreams began to turn to reality, when a public meeting was held in the foyer of the Theatre, at which over one hundred people attended.  These local people voted unanimously to form a group with the aim of restoring the theatre and providing a venue for cultural activities.  As a result of this meeting, the Arts Council was established. One of the group’s first projects was to set up a Cinema Task Force to work on the plan to purchase and restore the cinema.  The building was purchased, in the name of the Nambucca Shire Council, in October 2001, and restoration plans began. To date the community-minded Arts Council members have raised over $624,000 in commonwealth, state and local government grants, as well as their own fundraising, with social events, raffles and the like. However, the project is now worth over $1.1 million, as a great deal of the ‘in-kind’ labour has been completed by Arts Council volunteers. 

The restored foyer of the Bowraville Theatre was opened at the end of 2002. The foyer incorporates a candy bar/café that can be operated as a separate entity to the auditorium. Adjacent to the foyer is the office of the Bowraville Arts Council, with direct public access from High Street. The auditorium is used as a cinema and a live performance space. The group’s next task is to raise enough funds to provide performers’ dressing room facilities under the existing stage. 

Arts Council volunteers have worked to establish the interior design, colours, furniture and fittings of the foyer to be sympathetic to the original ‘rural Art Deco’ concept.  At the same time, current health, safety and security regulations had to be followed and included in the overall project.  This meant keeping a delicate balance between heritage and practical considerations. The group made it an important part of the restoration plans to ensure that as far as possible, local trades people and sub contractors have been employed on the work. 

If confirmation was ever needed that the Arts Council has done the right thing by the town in restoring the theatre, we receive it almost on a weekly basis.  Local, interstate and overseas visitors have said much the same thing…..”You’re so fortunate to have saved this theatre.  Ours has gone.”   The old theatre’s bright, stylish new role in the community is again drawing attention to itself – for all the right reasons.