CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

"The first Midland Junction Hall was built in 1893 facing Helena St, on the south-west corner of the junction with Newcastle Rd. This may have been where the Salvation Army screened in September 1902, February 1904, October 1904 and December 1904. From 1904 this hall was used for occasional commercial film screenings, until a new hall was built and the old hall became the Carnegie Library (then was demolished and replaced by the Carnegie Garden). When the new Town Hall, holding 5-600 people, was opened early in 1907, on the north-east corner of the junction of Newcastle Rd (later Great Northern Highway, and later still Old Great Northern Highway) and the Great Eastern Highway, screenings transferred there.

Regular Monday night screenings began on 15 February 1909, conducted by King's Pictures. These were originally managed by Mr Sudholz, then by a succession of managers who took over after he left the company. At some point, these became separated from the parent company and independent of it, but the name 'King's Pictures' continued to be used, screening from September 1910 in the Empire Hall. Meanwhile, West's Touring Company had inaugurated weekly screenings in the Midland Town Hall also, commencing in May 1909. These, also, continued for several years, but on a Saturday, so now the area had access to films two nights each week. Swan Pictures took over from King's, and from 1914-1918 Empire Pictures apparently took over both circuits. From 1916 to 1926 People's Pictures screened here regularly, before building the Renown. It is not clear who operated the venue after that, but Mrs May Pilmoor remembers going to the pictures in the Town Hall in 1936. Star Entertainments opened up in the Town Hall in 1943, and this was taken over soon after by V. C. Lucas who ran it till 1959.

In the forties and fifties, the seating on the level ground floor was on slightly-padded wooden benches, which could be moved to the side of the hall when it was used for other purposes, such as dances. Upstairs, the fixed theatre-type seats were slightly more comfortable, and raked to provide a better view. Pictures were shown on Friday and Saturday nights. Children were admitted at a cheaper rate through side doors to the roped-off front six rows of the stalls: as soon as the lights went out, however, they would slip into better seats further back. Babies were left in prams in the foyer, beside the front entrance, in the care of the usherettes.

Roy Mudge screened in Midland Town Hall, one season in school holidays 1-12 October 1990. He planned to screen there regularly, then found out that the Callisthenics Association also planned regular screenings in their theatre, so he gave away the idea. In 1995, the Midland Town Hall was nominated for the WA Register of Historic Places, and underwent extensive restoration work, but films are no longer screened there." (Bertand 2001)

References
Cinemaweb: http://www.ammpt.asn.au/CinemaWEB/SITE/view.php?rec_id=0000000430