CAARP
Cinema and Audience Research Project

The Britannia was situated in the old theatre of the Mechanics Hall (originally built in 1861). Moving pictures were screened in the Mechanics Institue as early as 1897. In 1919, a syndicate, including Messrs J. Clemens, C. Gemmola and F.S. Jelbart, opened the Britannia Picture Theatre in what was previously the upstairs lecture hall. Throughout the post war era the Britannia and Her Majesty's ran MGM, Paramount and British first runs. In the early fifties the Britannia reintroduced live theatre performances- becoming the home of ABC concerts.
Mid 1955 the theatre changed hands, the lease was taken over by Bob Paps who renamed the theatre the Odeon. (continued to present live shows as well as films).

Jack Anderson who ran the Village Southern Drive-in purchased the Odeon from Bob Paps renaming it Vegas 70 in 1965. Vegas 70 ran until 84/5 before changing its name to Sturt Cinema,

References
1897 'Amusements', Ballarat Courier 21 April, p. 3
1912 'COUNTRY NEWS.', The Argus, 1 August, p. 7, viewed 6 November, 2011, http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article10518388 - references the proprietor as J. L. Le Breton
'History of the Ballarat Mechanics Institute' viewed November 05, 2011 http://www.library.org.au/modules.php?name=History
Film Weekly, Film Weekly: motion picture directory, Film Weekly, Sydney. 1946/7-1971
Brown, D, 'Commercial cinema in Ballarat: the growth of monopoly'- Bertand, I Cinema file: Ballarat (unpublished research)