CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

Venue: Other Information
The protestant hall opened in 1895. In October 1911 Mr E Stephenson leased the building to run a theatre. The hall was soon sold to a local group of investors and the name changed to the Empire, Around May 1912 alterations commenced to transform the hall into a modern theatre. The opening of the Lyceum took place in June 1912. The building was temporarily closed by the department around 1922. In 1923 it was reopened for dances and at this time films continued to be screened at the Ararat Town Hall. In 1931 the lease was dropped. In March 1937, Mr H McCracken became the new leasee and commenced renovations on the building. The Paramount theatre opened in March 1938. The McCraken Brothers and Whitehead were noted as the exhibitors also operating the cinema at the Ararat Town Hall. Around 1949 the venue was used as a multi purpose all and later used for warehousing purposes.In 1980 a fire destroyed the building. (Kennedy 2002)

References
Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1971
Kennedy G, 'Ararat: Lyceum/Paramount', Cinema Record, no. 35, 2002.
Adams, K, 'A history of the theatres of Ararat', Kino, p.47.
1913 'FIRE IN A PICTURE THEATRE.', Morning Bulletin, 12 December, p. 5, viewed 3 December, 2011, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article53306152