CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

Advertisements and articles in The Sunshine Advocate refer to the opening of the Sunshine picture theatre on the 21 March 1925, opening with The Humming Bird starring Gloria Swanson, and Peg O' My Heart. The following Monday, 23 March 1925 it screened If Winter Comes for 3 nights only.

Sunshine Pictures Pty. Ltd., bought a huge grain store and converted it into a picture theatre. (Mc Goldrick, p. 85) It operated across the road from an existing picture venue at the Sunshine Mechanics' Institute/ Town Hall, Sunshine

The talkies arrived in Sunshine in 1930. George Kirby, of Kirby Theatres, arrived in Sunshine the folllowing year and took over the theatre. It was later refurbished to become The New Sunshine Theatre in 1938. (Mc Goldrick, p. 144)

According to Catrice opening date March 21 1925 (present building constructed in 1938) and closing date as 1975.

CATHS refers to address as 170 Hampshire Road - this may have been the town hall venue, see Sunshine Mechanics' Institute/ Town Hall, Sunshine

According to Public Records Office building files, the theatre auditorium was destroyed by fire on 12 December 1971, and the last year of registration as a public building was 1971.

Film Weekly records the following changes in capacity:
1946/47 = 747
1948/49-1953/54 = 800
1954/5- 1955/6 = 700
1956/7-1957/8 = 800
1958/9-1969/70 =700
-1971 = 648

References
Catrice, D. 1991. Cinemas in Melbourne 1896-1942. Thesis (M.A.) Monash University, 1991.

Cinema & Theatre Historical Society 1997, Cinema index : Melbourne cinemas, suburban cinemas, Victorian drive-ins. CATHS, Victoria.

Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1971.

Mc Goldrick, P. 1989, When the whistle blew: a social history of the town of Sunshine, 1920-1950, Gippsland Printers (Morwell) Pty Ltd.

PROV, VPRS 7882/P1 Public Building Files, Unit 285, PB 1480

Sunshine Advocate 1925, "A picture theatre for Sunshine at last", The Sunshine Advocate, 14 March, p. 4 - refers to the opening of the theatre.

Sunshine Advocate 1925, "Sunshine Theatre", The Sunshine Advocate, 21 March, p. 4 -refers to seating of over 800 in individual armchair seats.

Sunshine Advocate 1936, "Sunshine's big building boom", The Sunshine Advocate, 31 January, p. 1 -refers to extensive alterations planned for the theatre and to accommodate an increase in seating of about 250.
'Kirby's Theatres lead in local film entertainment'- Bertrand, I Cinema file: Sunshine (unpublished research).