CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

The Princess Theatre originally comprised an enclosed hall and an open-air arena which had been enclosed by 1915 (Parkinson 1995, p. 69)

The first exhibitor was renowned picture showman Harry Gordon.

In 1925 Herbert Boland, Managing Director of Wollongong Theatres Property Limited, bought out the lease of the Princess and converted the cinema into a dance hall. According to both Huggett and Parkinson, this move was a part of a strategy divised to keep the venue from running in competition with Bulli’s Theatre Royal and the New King’s Theatre in Thirroul, also under lease to Wollongong Theatres (Huggett 2002, p.45; Parkinson 1995, p. 69). By 1937 the hall had ceased to be used for entertainments and was used a furniture retail outlet. The building was demolished in 1956 and the site converted into a public park (Parkinson 1995, p. 69).

References:
Huggett, N 2002 ‘A cultural history of cinema-going in the Illawarra (1900-1950)’ PhD thesis, Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Wollongong.
Parkinson, R 1995, Gauffered Velour: a history of motion picture exhibition and picture theatres in the Illawarra district of New South Wales, 1897-1994, Australian Theatre Historical Society, Campbelltown, NSW.