CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

The Liberty Theatre was built on the site of the demolished Centennial Hall, which had also been used for the exhibiton of film. In 1940 the building was extensively renovated and reopened under the name of Orion (Parkinson 2010, pp17-24).

In 1956 an entirely new structure was erected and the original cinema demolished. Initially, the cinema continued to be called the Orion or New Orion however In July 1957 the new cinema was officially renamed the Fiesta. The cinema continued to draw audiences until the mid-1970s however had ceased trading due to declining numbers by the end of the decade (Parkinson 2010, pp17-24).

The building was subsequently sold to Mr Ian Hanson who reopened the cinema in 1981 under the name of the Plaza. Hanson continued to trade until 1984, when the business was sold to Pacific Ozone Theatres. The cinema remained open until 1988 at which time an amusement arcade was installed inside the auditorium (Parkinson 2010, pp17-24). The building has since been demolished (Thorne, Tod, & Cork 1996).

References:
Parkinson, R 2010, Picture Shows on the Far South Coast of New South Wales, Robert Parkinson, Sydney.

Thorne, R, Tod, L & Cork, K 1996, Movie Theatre Heritage Register for New South Wales 1896 – 1996, Department of Architecture, University of Sydney, Sydney.