CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

The Regent theatre was built for a lebanese migrant Bietro Abikhair. According to Thorne it was originally going to be named Olympia but Aikhair leased the theatre to Hoyts Theatre Ltd who called it the Regent instead. Bietro Abikhair operated The Big Store opposite the cinema.
Opened by the Mayor Ald A. Waugh in 1927. In 1937 Hoyts built and opened their own cinema on Olive Street. Hoyts final screening at the Regent was on April 3 1937- a few weeks after Hoyts opened their new cinema naming it the New Regent (the old Regent then closed).

The Regent was then purchased by Albury Amusements (C.H. Pivot Smith) which operated both the Plaza Theatre in the Mechanics Institute and the Theatre Royal which was used for dancing.
Renovated, the Regent re-opened on May 1 1937.
In 1955 the existing milkbar, adjacent to the foyer on Dean Street was extended around the corner into David Street. The re-modeled milkbar was claimed to be the largest in the Southern hemisphere.
Vista Vision And Cinema Scope facilities were installed in 1955. Seating was reported as 1374 at this time.

In 1972 Hoyts Albury closed and the Regent became the only operating hardtop in Albury.

In 1977 a new cinema was added seating 280 people at which time the theatre was renamed the Albury Cinema Centre ( or Village Twin Cinemas).
In 1996 a further four screens were added and in 2004 another 3 again. In 2004 the venue was renamed Regent Cinemas.
References
Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1971
Howson, D 'From mechanics institute to multiplex', Cinema Record, no. 10, 1995.
'New picture theatre opened' Sydney Morning Herald, February 21, 1927, p.12 (Opened Saturday (Feb 19) with an audience of 2,000 by Mayor Alderman A. Waugh. The theatre has been secured for long term by Hoyts.)
'New theatre at Albury' The Argus, March 15 1937
'£30,000 Theatre for Albury' The Argus, July 25 1936.
'Modern theatre' The Argus September 3 1936

'Theatre at Auction' The Argus 11 April 1940, p. 2 (The Regent Theatre, plus coffee lounge and eight shops were auctioned at Collins House. The property was passed in for private sale)