CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

The Crown Theatre, also known as West’s Theatre or West’s New Crown Theatre, opened in December 1918. It was built by Frank West to replace his original cinema, a basic wooden structure, sited nearby. Although reportedly an “architectural improvement” on the earlier model, throughout the 20s, West received a number of demands from authorities to improve the general cleanliness of the site and to provide adequate sanitary conveniences (Parkinson 2005, 24). In 1930, the gallery and projection box were altered to accommodate sound equipment and in November of that year Talkie movies were screened in Nowra for the first time. In 1940 the cinema was closed for more than three months for further extensive renovations. In this instance the height of the walls were raised and the interior remodeled in the "Moderne" style.

The cinema reopened under the name of West's Theatre in April 1941. Further renovations occured In 1956 with the proscenium being altered to allow for the installation of widescreen for Cinemascope. After West’s death in 1951 the cinema ownership remained in the hands of his estate. The Crown continued to operate until December 1964 and was sold in January 1965. It did not however reopen as a cinema. The building was demolished in August 1977 (Parkinson 2005, 24). West's Crown Theatre

Reference:
Parkinson, R. J 2005, Silver Screen in the Shoalhaven, Robert James Parkinson, Sydney.